Who Gives A Fish Forums

Picked up these two guys on Tuesday from Discus Madness. They're 3” to 3.5” – yeah, I know, small. Been wanting this type for a while now. Had two from Kenny before, but they just didn't turn out as I hoped. So, I'm hoping to grow these out. Got them in a 50g for now and I'll start doing 50% daily water changes tomorrow. They're already eating, taking in both frozen bloodworms and frozen daphnia. So, what do you guys think? This one's the smaller of the two, has a nice roundness, but I'm worried about the eye ratio. What's your take on it?

Re: Got a new pair of discus
I'm a fan of Tigers myself. That second one you've got does seem a bit stunted. I think with regular clean water and a solid diet, it's worth seeing how it develops.

Re: Got a new pair of discus

They look great. Had some of these type back in the day, late 80's to early 90's, from Gan's hatchery in Singapore. Gan called these his vertical strain, but now they're called tiger. My experience was growth was slow and the higher body ones were more on the skinny side.

Re: Got a new pair of discus

They're settling in nicely.

Re: Got a new pair of discus

Love the pattern on those, pretty unique.

Re: Got a new pair of discus

Really nice additions, lunar. I agree with Jumper, the last one does appear stunted. I've got a blue tiger turquoise from Ping and I've found it to be skinnier compared to my other discus. Cliff's input on the vertical strain is interesting - I've noticed similar characteristics in mine. Overall, a beautiful variety.

Re: Got a new pair of discus

Tried to get from Ping but he sells out quick. Still on the fence with that fish. I mean it looks so bright and healthy, doesn't seem possible it's stunted.

Re: Got a new pair of discus

I think we're getting too caught up in minor flaws. Every discus has its imperfections, even the show winners. I've found faults in my own home-bred fish, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Are you planning on breeding these guys? If so, the stunted one isn't a lost cause. Stunting is usually environmental, not genetic. However, if you do decide to breed them, don't expect all the offspring to inherit the tiger pattern. These are domesticated fish, after all, and they don't always breed true to type.

Re: Got a new pair of discus

I'm not planning on breeding them. I've tried before with another pair, just to see how it goes, but none made it past swimmers. Now I just want to see these guys reach 6 inches. They're eating like champs, so hopefully they'll grow out nice.

Re: Got a new pair of discus

I think they're a great addition to your tank. I've had good experiences with Matthias' fish in the past. They can be pricey, but if you can swing it, adding a couple more might help reduce stress on these two and promote better growth. Some fish do fine in pairs, but others get stressed with so few tankmates - it really depends on the fish.