stripes on discus

[cgarza]

Ok so I'm new to discus. I have a question about the stripes on mine. here is a picture of mine and Is it normal for them to have black stripes on them? could these be stress?

[samir]

perfectly normal for your strain of discus. the bars will lessen as the fish gets older. welcome to the forum and good luck with your discus keeping.

[scott bowler]

hi cgarza
welcome to the forum as samir said it is normal how ever is that real coral in the tank with it ?if so what PH are you running at it may be a little stress how long have you had him/or her ?any enjoy your stay and i hope we can help

[Bill T]

One of the great things about discus fish is their temperament and personality. You will notice changes in the strength of those bars on it's body - stress & aggression for darker bars, happy and amourous for lighter bars.

As they say, check your pH and water hardness (I would get rid of the piece of coral and put in some drift wood - be sure to buy this from a reputable lfs). Discus love to swim sideways underneath overhanging logs or branches - looks great when they do that!

You probably should get a few companions for your discus as they are groupies by nature - although they will have their little tifs and turf wars.

Good luck.