stunded growth

[metfan581]

How do you know if you discus is stunded or not?

What causes this?

is this bad?

[pcsb23]

Stunted means that the fish has failed to fulfill its full growth potential. There are a number of giveaways to judging stunting. The most obvious is the eye size or ratio. I wrote an explanation in the uni on that, link below.
http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=49201

Other tell tales are that the fish remain football shaped and they can also show full colour or patterning but be of small size. Also they reproduce at a small size too.

hth,

[Green Country Discus]

Paul,as usual is right on! However the stunted Discus can still pass on their good genetics and throw big, well shaped offspring if their condition is care related.

[metfan581]

great article
thanks

but what causes it

could my other discus get it?

[yeomans]

It's just nature.

[Timbo]

...or exposure to low temps, bad food, over-crowding or disease.

[yeomans]

That too.

[azzndude2005]

I know high temperature increase the metabolism and growth rate, but does this mean it will age faster and die at a younger age?

Low temperature should decrase metabolism, but at what temperature will it have negative impact on discus?

My discus are at 82F and they're growing pretty fast. They've grown 1 whole inch in a month. They're not almost 3 inches.

There are also growth hormones in some pelleted food i remember for gold fish, but I don't know what the effect it will be for discus. Before people start flamming me for even suggesting growth hormones, I'm just curious. I'm not for or against using growth hormones and no I am not feeding it to my discus. Does anyone know what effect it will have on discus fertility?

[metfan581]

well my rm has not grown a bit and if he did it was outwords
could it be my tempatire it was 80 till this weekend and now its 82

[Timbo]

most folks here maintain around 86F for their discus

[poconogal]

80 is too cold for Discus. 82 is probably bottom line. I'd bump up your temp to around 84. I recently received a shipment of 4 Discus (2 small, 2 large) from an online breeder (not any of the breeders here on Simply) and they arrived in 70 degree water. :mad: One was immediately sick and died fast. Another arrived with a swimbladder problem which has not fully corrected itself (instead of swimming in a circle, totally horizontal, he can now swim around the tank, but he's always tilted in the 11 o'clock position) and the two larger ones had developed Hex. They are now fine, but I had my hands full, all, I believe, from water being too cold. :)

[Song]

for stunded growth.... aside from not growing to its full potential... what other bad things are there? are they still able to spawn? do they die earlier? how bad is it to own a stunded growth discus? Just want to know cuz i bought a set (tank, etc with discus) and they might be stunded.

[greyhoundfan]

for stunded growth.... aside from not growing to its full potential... what other bad things are there? are they still able to spawn? do they die earlier? how bad is it to own a stunded growth discus? Just want to know cuz i bought a set (tank, etc with discus) and they might be stunded.

post some pics than it'll be easier to tell if your discus are stunted..

bigger eyes in proportion to the body
body shape, round vs. football
color development.. etc.

[Song]

but how bad is it? is it only cosmetic? (not a pretty?) can they still produce? i am just wondering what's bad about stunted discus? (just learning about discus) thanks.

[Greg Richardson]

Song. We need pictures, pictures, pictures! Let's see your tank.
I bet it's in your kitchen!

[pcsb23]

for stunded growth.... aside from not growing to its full potential... what other bad things are there? are they still able to spawn? do they die earlier? how bad is it to own a stunded growth discus? Just want to know cuz i bought a set (tank, etc with discus) and they might be stunded.
They are still able to spawn and the fry from them with proper care will develop normally. Stunting is not genetic and is down to poor care. Ok there may be a tiny, tiny chance that some stunting is genetic but 99.9% of stunted fish is down to poor care.

How bad is it to own one? Well there is no law against it, they lead normal lives. You won't win any prizes with them, but if that is not your reason to keep them then no probs. In terms of caring for, they need the same as a non stunted discus so if they are your first fish at least you can practice your husbandry on them. Later you may get some high quality discus, but you will always remeber your first ones!

hth,

[Song]

how did you know its in my kitchen? its actually in the my middle island... hahah just kidding..... i cant send you photos, bec i dont have them yet... Thank you sooo much for your help!!!!

What is husbandry?

phew!!! i was getting too nervous about stunted fish. guess they are my first.. it might be good as practice anyway. so really nothing wrong with stunted.. they are just not as pretty.... and might be risky.. bec they didn't have proper care.... as long as im not a hardcore and not showing them for contest or anything, then they are ok as pets....

[White Worm]

yep