When do discus get their full adult patterns?

[raidendex]

Yep :)

I got my discus about 4 weeks ago at 2.5" at the time, since then they have gained about another inch in length. Patterns did develop a fair amount since then, but most are still very different from pictures of the adults of the same strains.

So I guess I just wonder, are those adult pictures are of something that happens one in a hundred fry or something so they just look perfect or will my fish go through a fairly major change in the upcoming months and by what time/size would their pattern be pretty much at its final stage?

Here's the chart of their progress since I got them
http://s4.postimage.org/17bjcfjtw/Discus.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/17bjcfjtw/)

Thanks! :)

[Northwoods Discus]

That is a very nice graphic. Love the way you have it documented.

[strawberryblonde]

They change on a monthly basis in colors/patterns till they reach adulthood.

Fer instance, my Flachen had a LOT of orange colored marking on his body when I got him at 4" back in April. It's now the beginning of August and he still has a few markings, but most have disappeared and his color has changed from quite blue to a sort of ocean green color. I figure another 2 months or so and he'll have lost all the markings and look just like the pics of adult flachen.

My Marlboro Red is only JUST starting to get the white markings on his fins and face! I thought it was never going to happen and that I'd have a solid orange MR with red markings on his fins. The change just started about a week ago and is really exciting to see. =)

So don't worry too much about the colors, your guys are on a normal track and will develop those adult markings/colors that you see in the charts eventually. It's just going to take another 4 months or so to really see it.

I love the chart you made though because by adding pics each week you'll actually be able to see the smaller changes that I missed completely as mine were growing.

Edit: Decided to add pics of Fred the Flachen at 4" and at 6.5". The first pic was taken in April when I first got him and the second one is from a couple weeks ago. You can see how many of the markings he's lost and how many he still has to lose before he'd be considered an adult.

[Lukan]

That is a great chart. I had done the same thing to my Blue Knights. However, it is not weekly but more like every 2-3 months. You can really see the difference after 2 years or so. Good thing IKevin ( He originally had the fish for 10 months ) kept pictures of them when they were juvies. Keep in mind more or less about a year when you should see them close to what the parents or pictures of adults look like. If i had to do it again i would take pictures every 2 weeks to really see the progress.

[gerrard00]

Man, I wish I had kept better photographic evidence. Here's an example, although I must say neither picture is very good. The first is of the fish about a week after I got her and the second is from less than a month ago.

68195

[raidendex]

Thanks for the replies, guys :) And wow that is quite a change in pattern, guess I will just have to wait around and see what happens.