peppering in pigeon bloods and similar strains

[markandhisdiscus]

hi i really like marlboro reds , which i believe are a pigeon blood variant ( is that right?) i see pigeon bloods with peppering sometimes and i was wondering what causes this peppering , and are marlboro reds prone to it as much?

[dbfzurowski]

hey,
peppering is genetic like stress bars on other strains. I believe that surroundings and genetics have a big impact on whether a fish will display peppering or not. I'm no expert but i can tell you based on my fish that my PB has been heavy peppered since i got it. Once i placed it in a 5gal white bucket with nothing in it and the peppering was gone, i mean all of it. but in my tank i got wood, heater, black silicone so i think it tries to blend in with the surrounding and displays heavy peppering. hope this helps.
take care.
dom

[markandhisdiscus]

thanks . so if i get a marlboro red the happier it is the less likelyhood of peppering then ?

[moneyLaw]

I am no discus expert, but like dbfzurowski mentioned, peppering is also to do with the background, substrate and objects(plants, wood) in the tank (stress will also cause peppering). If you don't have dark substrate and dark background, I think it will help reduce the peppering. Also get a quality fish from a reputable dealer and you will have less peppering. Even non-pigeon discus will show stress bars if placed in a dark substrate tank and discus like Blue Diamond will be a bit darker. I am changing my substrate for that very reason. Hope that helps.

[markandhisdiscus]

i have a dark background but a light substrate , i do love marlboro reds but im still trying to weigh up wether or not to get 1 .

[dbfzurowski]

All i can tell you is that my heavy peppered PB is most liked fish by all my friends, i like it too. If you like it get it
dom

[gixeron1wheel]

I have a Marlboro Red and it was in my planted tank with very heavy peppering. It got sick so I treated it in a hospital tank without any substrate or background. Also, while treating the fish had minimal lighting. But anyway, all of the peppering disappeared. So, on that note, if you don't want the peppering I would go with a white bottom, white sided BB tank. If you are looking to keep your tank setup the same, I would go with something that gets the bars rather than the peppering. I will always recommend a BB tank for any discus anyway.

[CliffsDiscus]

All i can tell you is that my heavy peppered PB is most liked fish by all my friends, i like it too. If you like it get it
dom

Dom,
Come and get it I have a few heavy peppered Blue Pigeon, they even had fry before.

Cliff

[markandhisdiscus]

the tank will not be bare as i dont like the look of a bare tank. the tank is planted with a nice big piece of bogwood and sand substrate. i know this will require more work to maintain but i am willing to go the extra mile .