Stronger and weaker Discus strains?

[Ulrikeusa]

Hi there -
just wondering: are there some discus strains that are stronger/more hardy
than others? I have some blue ones - where do they range?
Thanks a lot in advance!
Ulrike

[Discusfish]

Ulrike,

I have found that the Pigeon Blood and Red discus strains are more hardy. They
seem to be less suseptable to diseases. Although, who heard of a "hardy"
discus.

Allen

Allen Casady

[ju...@pconline.com.spambait]

: just wondering: are there some discus strains that are stronger/more hardy

: than others? I have some blue ones - where do they range?

Yes, some discus strains tend to be hardier than others. Pidgeon
bloods ('dragons') tend to be pretty tough, as do most of the common
turquoise and red/turq strains. Highly developed forms like Blue Diamonds
tend to be unusually weak and small thanks to the benefits of generations
of relentless inbreeding. I have no idea what your 'blue' discus are,
but in light of the question being asked I would assume you don't have one
of the 'exotic' weak strains (which are hard to find in stores and very
expensive.) Inbreeding is really the kiss of death to fish hardiness.
The Pidgeon Bloods are unusually robust because their defining trait
(completely disrupted distribution of black pigment cells causing bright
colors, lack of black bars, and black 'freckles') is a simple dominant
trait, so they didn't have to inbreed to preserve it. Instead, they
started cross-breeding the newly discovered pidgeon bloods with just about
anything else they could get their hands on, searching for a newer better
color variety to sell. This generous out-breeding restored a lot of the
vigor and hardiness to their bloodlines. Unfortunately, breeders have now
established certain 'standard' pidgeon blood variants like the Golden
Dragon and are inbreeding them again to establish and preserve the
specific color strains, so I expect hardiness to decline once more. I'm
told wild caught discus are often much stronger than domestic strains, but
to date I haven't kept any wild caughts myself.

Nathan H.

[Ulrikeusa]

Thanks so much for your input. I think my "blue discus" are probably turquoise
ones, to be more specific.

Do you know a good website for discus, by any chance?

I am usually into angels, which I also breed, and I just love the oodles of
angels website (do you know it?). Is there anything compatible around on
discus?

Otherwise, I guess I just will keep looking for a good book.

Thanks in advance.

Ulrike

[Greg R. Broderick]

[This followup was posted to rec.aquaria.freshwater.cichlids and a copy was sent
to the cited author.]

In article <19990308093111...@ng-ca1.aol.com>, ulri...@aol.com
says...

[snip]

: Do you know a good website for discus, by any chance?

Several, in fact:

http://www.world.std.com/~enjolras/discus-l.html
http://www.ee.pdx.edu/~davidr/
http://www.mavca.ohio.gov/penta/ms/discus.htm
http://www.kkreate.com/db/db.htm
http://aquaweb.pair.com/DBWS/default.htm

: Otherwise, I guess I just will keep looking for a good book.

My most recommended book is not specific to discus, but I've found it
invaluable, nonetheless:

Handbook of Fish Diseases by Dieter Untergasser

I'd also strongly recommend joining DISCUS-L, an Internet email discussion list
for keepers of discus. I've found the discussions on this list to be worth more
than most books, and its free. :-)

--
=======================================================================
Greg R. Broderick If we dig precious things from the land,
we will invite disaster.

Near the day of Purification, there will be
cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky.
gany...@insync.net
gr...@qrd.org A container of ashes might one day be thrown
from the sky, which could burn the land
and boil the oceans.
=======================================================================