Pepperd Discus

[Jace94]

Hello guys i currently own a discus. it has peppering on it.... i asume theres no way to get it off am i currect if so please tell me

[Elite Aquaria]

Peppering is a genetic trait that all Pigeon Blood based fish carry. Some fish show more when they are stressed or in dark environments...If your fish are in a tank with a dark back ground move them to a lighter blue based back ground and it will reduce the amount off pepper that your fish will display. Good luck...

[Jace94]

ahh okay i kinda have a green...... grassy/rocky backround..??? should i change that and change my gravel my gravel is black.. and red..

[White Worm]

It may help because discus will immitate their surroundings (color dark/light). Its instinct from predators. A lighter background and substrate could make a difference but its not a guarantee and it may not help or remove it completely.

[Elite Aquaria]

As Mike said it may help remove some but it will not remove all...

[Surferdave]

Just an interesting thing I found out last night. I have 2 pigeon bloods in a heavily planted tank with black background and black substrate. Of course, the ideal situation for peppering to occur. Both are peppered pretty bad, but last night when I came home, the lights were off and they had been sleeping for a few hours, I turned the lights on to try to do a feeding and they were both void of peppering. Also, during the day when their tails are usually blackish, they were absolutely clear last night. Sure enough, this morning when I came to feed, the peppering was exhisting again. So it seems in this case, the peppering is not permanent, but controlled by the fish and it's environment.

[aquagal]

I have the opposite thing happening in my tank, which has a light colored sand substrate. I have two silver pigeons that, when the lights are on during the day, display hardly any peppering. When the lights go out, they pepper up some?