Who Gives A Fish Forums

Just got these amazing fish from my godmother - 8 full-grown ones, 18-20 cm each. Sold a couple, kept the best 5 - 2 gorgeous blue diamonds and 3 tiger pigeon discus. I'm totally in love with them, they're my favorite discus strains - blue diamonds and tiger pigeons, can't get enough of 'em. What do you guys think, are they good quality or what? Really appreciate your thoughts on this!

Re: New discus!

Honestly, they don't look bad at all. Their overall condition seems well cared for.

Re: New discus!

Thanks Jumper, really appreciate it. My girlfriend made a funny comment, she thinks the BDs have a shape similar to an American football.

Re: New discus!

Honestly, I don't see the American football shape. To me, your blue diamonds have a nice, full-bodied appearance. They look really great.

Re: New discus!

Thanks Tom, they really do look great to me, love their full bodied shape, perfect!

Re: New discus!

I think this one's more of a BD x SS cross, judging by the fine pattern on the gill plates and that yellowish tint in the tail. BDs are typically solid blue from head to tail. I can see why your girlfriend might say it's football-shaped, but it's not as pronounced as some I've seen. Still, I think it's a nice fish, well cared for.

This particular one's got a nice round body, but its dorsal area's a bit weak – similar to yours, actually. Not a showstopper, perhaps, but I've always had a soft spot for it.

Re: New discus!

Oh I see! Yeah, that's a possibility, a BD x SS cross. I mean, my godmother got them as purebred Blue Diamonds, haha. But you know how that goes. Anyway, your fish looks amazing, really well cared for too.

Re: New discus!

I think Brian's right, it's likely a Blue Diamond and Snakeskin cross. Some folks call it a Blue Scorpion Discus.

Re: New discus!
I can see the pattern on the gill plates, but there isn't a single spot anywhere else on them. Europa Discus Center's BD discus can have yellowish tails and some pattern on the gill plates too. Maybe they are a cross, but it seems BD's genetics are dominant in them.

Re: New discus!

The BD x SS cross is quite popular, and I think I know why. The BD has a fixed gene, whereas the SS doesn't. When you breed two BDs together, you get BDs. Same with SS - you get SS and Turqs. But when you cross a BD with an SS, the first generation can produce BDs, SS, or something entirely different. I've seen some amazing patterns come out of this cross, like a barless blue discus with spots or a fine pattern like the one on your fish. I've even seen similar patterns being sold, but I don't recall what they're called. My guess is that it's from a later generation, maybe sibling to sibling or parent to fry, but I'm not sure if it's a fixed trait or not.