Need help with Strains

[HarryW13]

I've had tropical fish for years, but I'm fairly new to Discus. I started out with 2, but after watching them for a few days I knew that wasn't going to be enough. So a few weeks after I got them I set up a 55 gallon Discus only tank. It currently houses 6 young discus I got from Mike Wells, he has been very helpfull in getting me started in what my wife calls my new obssesion.
One thing I can't seem to get straight is how to tell the difference between all the different strains. I sure for people who have been in the hobby for I while they can look at a fish and know that it is a turquoise, cobalt, panda, pigeon, snake skin, ect... Mike has helped a lot, but I still need a lot more help.
I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem, can someone please explain how to tell the difference between all the strains, what features makes a fish a turquoise, snake skin, diamond, cobalt, panda, leopard, doll, marlboro, pigeon, melon, ect.........
Thanks
Harry

[flogger426]

harry,

don't get caught up with the fancy names - most of it is just a lame marketing ploy by breeders to sell fish. its all bs. go by what looks nice to you - that is what counts!

is it wrong to call a blue diamond a blue diamond? - no, but when it becomes a diamond blue or blue reflection or purple passion or blue pogo stick or blue lightening - well you get my point. enjoy the hobby pal!

flogger

[Richman]

The best way to sort this out is to set up several tanks, buy a few of every fish you see and keep a record of all the names you see assigned to each one. Then you will finally know what is what. ;D ;D ;D

[Don_Lee]

I have found that the Asian Discus books, as well as the Malaysian Discus and Singapore Discus books help to identify the different strains. I also learn alot from the pics and identifications here on Simply.

Don ;D

[Ralph]

The naming of varieties of discus is a mess. It happened for a number of different reasons (including marketing). The good news is that there is an effort to standardize it in the works and you should be seeing something in the future.
In the meantime, the photo section has many good examples and breeder's sites have many pics with names.

[Carol_Roberts]

Here is a simplified breakdown . . .

Snakeskins are usually a finelined discus with 16 stress bars. They are usually either red and blue or tan and blue. They have a distinctive pattern on the gill plates.

Blue Diamonds are a solid blue discus, no vertical stress bars, no patterning on gills or fins

Cobalts are similiar to blue diamonds only they may have stress bars and paterning on gills and fins

Blue turquoise are usually blue and tan with wide striations. They have stress bars and paterning on fins and face

Red turquoise are usually red and blue and see above

Leopards are similiar to red turquoise in appearance only the striations (stripes) are broken into spots instead of solid lines

Pigeon bloods have black pepper. The best ones have very little pepper. True pigeons have no vertical stress bars and can be many different patterns from nearly solid yellow or white to striated or pearled. They are usually yellow, orange, red, white or any combination thereof. Pigeons are used in many crosses. (In the crosses you may see vestigal stress bars.

;D ;D ;D ;D Ralph, the standardization process has been spoken about for years. IMO--Don't hold your breath! No way---its gonna happen! some times an unfamiliar name denotes a diffent strain--many times.... not. The truthful answer was posted--go for the fish...forget the name. my friend Matt Parsons has the best system of all... Blue fish...Red fish... Yellow Fish ;D ;D Joe

[Richman]

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. This one has a little star. This one has a little car. Oh, what a lot of fish there are!
Dr. Seus

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[HarryW13]

Carol,
Thanks, I'm starting to figure it out. At least if someone comes over I can tell them what kind of fish I have. The light is starting to turn on. :o :o :o
Harry

[Ralph]

I can't remember seeing Dr Seuss quoted on the board before, and so appropriately, Thanks Richard.

Carol, I've never seen the types defined so well, I copied it to my word pad for future reference.

Joe, you are probably right. And that is what they ended up doing with at discus competitions, the categories are usually solid red, solid blue, etc.
It would be nice though if we had a standard names for the basic hybrids and maybe that will happen over time. It would help with the genetics of breeding but names are mainly a communication tool. If someone mentions a red leopard, then everyone who reads that should be able to get a image of what that fish looks like. If someone is selling marlboros, there shouldn't be any surprises when the shipping box is opened.
Whether or not standardization actually happens, I can't say, but I think it would be worth the effort. Maybe for no other reason than to make life easier for people like Harry. Have you ever taken a stab at it? With your background, I think you could put together something viable.

Ralph, This is a very appropriate subject matter and one that interests me immensely!!!!! I appreciate the stroke! Thanks Buddy! In the International competitions there are but eleven categorically assigned discus.
Wild Caught:

Blue
Green
heckle
red

Bred category:

Solid Blue Turquoise ( BD )
Blue turqouise
Red turquoise
Solid Red
Spotted ( both regular and snakeskin )
pigeonblood

Open Class: No categorical designation

The standardization exercise coincides with rules. Those that vehemenently oppose the current nomenclature are one and the same that violate the unwritten rules. confusing? Damn Right!!
In many aspects,, there are tweaks ( Like that word ) that actually personify a certain fish ( strain or not ) Backcrosses and genetic crosses to improve the strain need mention.

Case in point: The pigeonblood strain set records ( both astronomical as well as dudious ) The highest price was set for the fish...then fell to the lowaest quickly. Quality was the issue. A Golden ( non pigeon) was used to " clean up " an existing strain. a vast improvement occured and the peppering lessened and sometimes became non-existant. IMO, this fish deserves a different distinction as it had been crossed with improvements in mind the golden also is responsible for the improvement of the red eye.

Another case in point: My friend, Wayne Ng developed an improved Blue Diamond around 8 years ago. The fish was more pastel and seemed to have more reflective coloration. He labeled it ; Angel Diamond.

These are cases in point that with improvement...IMO, this is a different fish. Ask Willie Loh who has the best breeding stock right now in the US in my opinion. I digress to where he obtained them.

Many times a different connotation is adapted for personal reasons ( identical fish w/ non recognizable name ) to reflect exclusivity in the market. Joe ;)

[Tony]

On top of the wild category...

is there a particular type of discus that are say
a) easier to keep
b) easier to breed....

thanks in advance.