How to keep red melon clean from peppering?

[ivo]

hi all, i bought a pair of adult red melon yesterday. the body of both of them is very clean. the tail and around dorsal fin are dark in color. i really would like to do what i can to keep their body develop peppers but not exactly sure how. i was told that keep no plant in the tank, soft water and not too strong light are the ways to maintain clean body. is it correct? and is there anything else i can do? thank you in advance for any input.

[1Chuck9669]

Hello,

From thread lurking I've learned that having a lighter colored background helps keep the peppering down.

May Our Threads Cross Again...

[DiscusDude85]

You were told right. Keep them in a bare bottom growout tank until they are semi adults this should keep the pepper away.




Joe

[brewmaster15]

Hi,
Pepper in a Pigeon Based fish is genetic... Its not going to develop more or less by the conditions its kept in as it grows... ei...softwater/hard water/plants/bare tank etc.. If that fish has the genes to develop pepper as a physical trait...its going to have pepper....

BUT... The degree it shows that pepper can be influenced by background... dark background... more pepper shows...light back ground....less pepper shows... you aren't changing the fish here...just how it responds to its environment... swap it back and forth between the two tank backgrounds and its going to change the degree of pepper that shows.

The only way to really keep the pepper out of the PB is to buy Pbs that have been bred to have less pepper..

Hth,
al

[CARY_GLdiscus]

I know another way! : ) hee.heehee..

[BOBT00LS]

WOW Cary . What a statement ! If you know of some other way Im sure many here would like to know. Hope to hear you share your wisdom soon.

Bob

[CARY_GLdiscus]

Hi Bob,

Well its not a good way its a way that bad people sell bad fish.

Chemical baths will do the trick for temperory removel of pepper

hth
cary

[BOBT00LS]

Thanks for getting back on that Cary. I thought you had the unknown answer but this method is not one to do with your own fish. Thanks for the heads up on the practices of shady sellers.

Bob

[April]

its amazing..what we do to fish etc....all for waht the customer wants.

[ivo]

thank you all for your input i appreciate that.

hi AL, this is one of the new adult melons i bought. she is very clean on her body and head so i would like to set up an environment to maintain her cleanliness. i guess you could call her as have been bred to have less peppers, right?

hi Cary, thanks for your suggestion but i don't think i have the gut to put her in chemical bath. it almost sounds like bleaching her :)

[brewmaster15]

Hi Ivo,
Shes a beauty! Yes... she's a clean one.. Just keep the background light colored and you should be fine..

Good luck with her....she is definetly a looker!:)

-al

[ivo]

Thanks AL.