# Dark Backgrounand & Substrate for Discus?



## guitarz1972 (Aug 4, 2009)

I'm back to considering discus for my new tank.  I've got a black background and black eco-complete substrate. I've been reading the dark colors in background and substrate cause discus to "darken" and "pepper." Is this necessarily true? Wondering if I should go with angels instead, since I'm not about to tear out my expensive substrate.

Thanks.


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## Dutch Dude (Sep 14, 2006)

> I've been reading the dark colors in background and substrate cause discus to "darken" and "pepper." Is this necessarily true?


Yes they will darken and pigeon blood based discus show more peppering. It is always best to keep discus on a light colored substrate like play sand/river sand or pond filter sand. Make sure the substrate doesn't contain high calcium levels and doesn't mess up you water parameters. Pool filter sand is save if it comes to that.

I keep some of my discus in a communety tank with river sand substrate and a brownish background. When the fish are in the front they show the nicest brightest colors and the base color of their body becomes orange (red turquase discus). When they move to the back and come close to the background, wood or shaded aria they darken up and get a brownish body color. Patterns fade and colors aren't vibrant. If they move to the front again they lighten up again. So the discus try to blend in with their surounding. If this surounding is dark the discus become dark. If the surounding is lighter colored the discus show nice vibrant colors.

Not to offend you but to inform you,.....if you are not willing to take out the substrate and the display of the tank is more important to you as the fish I can assure you discus are not a good choice for you. They need to be the center of atention (and need lots of time) and every thing else comes after that. So I suggest the angels in stead.


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## M0oN (Dec 8, 2003)

Another down side to having dark substrate/backgrounds with discus - is that discus will darken up considerably when sick...this makes it hard to tell.

I suggest light blue background and white sand substrate, or no substrate at all.


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