Discus and dark background?

severum mama

severum mama

is a big bowl of wrong.
Dec 30, 2006
2,177
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North GA
Hey, I have a question about keeping discus in a tank with a dark background. I seem to remember reading some posts about discus developing peppering as a result of being raised in a tank with a dark background. I'm looking to get some discus and grow them out in a 55 gallon barebottom tank, with daily water changes and tons of food. I love the look of a dark background but don't want the peppering to show up. I want to spray paint the back of my tank black, but now I'm unsure if I should. When my discus grow to 5 inches or so, I plan to put substrate in the 55 and plant it. I hate the look of barebottom tanks and don't want to keep them in one for life, but want to be successful in growing them out and I don't feel it's possible for me to do so in a planted tank.

Should I go ahead and paint the background black now, or should I leave it open and put a background on the tank when they are larger? Thanks for reading. :)
 
Hi ya Sev! Not all discus pepper, only those with some pigeon blood in them. If you purchase any discus with a pigeon blood, they will pepper up even more in a tank with a black background. Do you know what strain of discus you're getting?
 
pinkertd said:
Hi ya Sev! Not all discus pepper, only those with some pigeon blood in them. If you purchase any discus with a pigeon blood, they will pepper up even more in a tank with a black background. Do you know what strain of discus you're getting?
Click to expand...

I haven't made up my mind yet- they are all so beautiful! Do you have any suggestions for me? :)
 
Yes, Go with a Tan background. I did this with my 180 (Black Back) and after a few months I tore the entire thing down and re-painted it Tan? The Fish look much Better IMO with the tan Background. I found out the hard way that Back back's do go well with Discous. Every other tank I have has a Black Back!

Here is My post on this exact topic
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=192257&page=2

here are some Before and after Pics
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197479
 
Thanks for the suggestion. I like the tan background on your tank, but I'm not sure if it's really my thing. Every tank we have has black, even the reef.... but I will certainly think it over. I don't have the fish yet and I'm still a little ways off, so I've got time to decide.
 
I can think of some off hand that have no pigeon blood.....any of the blues...cobalt or blue diamond, blue knights, the blue or red turqs, snakeskins and leopards, alenquers. Those with pigeon blood backgrounds are frequently marlboros and white butterflies, a lot of your red & white/reddish/orange/yellow fish.
 
i have a black background on my discus tank with a white pigeon blood in it with no peppering it from the background... if you have a light colored substrate i think that is more important than the background color...
btw, he was peppered when i got it in a light blue background tank with brown gravel bottom
 
I have no personal experience with black backgrounds and discus. But not too long ago I was in the same position as you checking out all of the different strains of discus. From my reading I learned that most pigeon bloods will pepper with a black background and most others will darken. It seems that non pigeon blood albino strains and non pigeon blood whites, lighter colored blues & yellows do not. Their colors actually seem to pop with the dark background. Almost all of the info I read had either the background or the substrate light though. Hope this helps.
 
Dang... may have to go with PFS then instead of the Eco that I already have! Thanks for the comments guys. :)
 
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