Stress Bars

[Abercrombie6202]

I know some discus have them and some discus don't, but if a discus has stress bars does that mean you shouldn't buy it? Is anything wrong with the discus when the stress bars are showing? How can you tell when a fish is stressed, if it's a fish that doesn't get stress bars?

[Carol_Roberts]

Discus turn dark when they are stressed. The stress bars (if they have them) are prominent, fins turn dark, etc.

sometimes stress bars show when fish are excited too - like at feeding time

[BlueTurquoise]

I have 1 particular fish that goes from completely bar free to deep dark vertical bars in next to no time. She (pretty sure) does this all the time when she becomes agressive, being chased, scared, or water perameters are fluctuating. At rest she is a very pretty, completely bar free fish.

I like to call them mood bars ;D

I also think that lighting has something to do with it... but that is just speculation...