Some additional info: I just noticed that my bell peppers, some of which I grew from seed and one that was bought from a local nursery when it was about 4 inches tall, also are starting to show the same discoloration on a few leaves. Because all of the plants came from different places I'm starting to think there is an issue with the soil. I'm using pretty much the same soil mix ratios as I have before, and didn't have any issues then. The water ph here is around 7 or 8, so I don't think that is a problem.

That kind of coloration on leaves happens commonly. I have not found it to be a sign of anything bad in the past.
Here is a Twilight Peppers that I grew this year. This photo is from about three months ago. The plant is over a foot tall with several nice pods and lots of blossoms right now. The discoloration is gone.
Bruce

Thank you for the replies. It's a relief to hear that the discoloring is normal. Hopefully the leaves stay on the plants that are left.

Too much light, I would guess. Put those babies in the shade.

Josh

Right now they are under one 54 watt fluorescent tube with a reflector and some tinfoil to redirect some light. The light is on for 16 hours a day. When you say shade, I assume you mean take them out of the sun if they were outdoor? The picture I originally uploaded is deceiving, because it was taken when I brought them outside for about 1 hour. For now, they are inside about 95 % of the time.

It is still probably a lighting issue. The picture I posted above is a pepper that was under artificial light at the time. It has since been outside for about three weeks and shows none of the discoloration any longer.
If your weather is permitting, I would get them even more outside time but make sure you do it slowly by hardening them off before you stick them out in the direct sun all day long.
Bruce

The weather is pretty good here, but my work prevents me from being able to move the plants around during the day. Is putting them outside in the shade all day better than leaving them inside under the light? On my days off I will start putting them in direct sun for longer periods.

Yes, outdoors in the shade is better than indoors under lights, usually (it's certainly less expensive). The air circulation and the wind will also help strengthen the seedlings. Of course, pests become an issue once seedlings spend time outside. It's a minor trade-off.

Josh

What Josh said. Just be sure to shelter them from high wind the first several days. They are not used to the wind and even small breezes could topple them until they build up strength in the stem.
Bruce

Thanks again for the suggestions. I moved them outside today, into an area that gets a few hours of very early morning sun. It has been really windy here, so I'll have to set up some kind of cover for them.

If you have some cardboard boxes around, you can just drop a pepper or two or three in them if they are big enough and high enough. Otherwise, try putting them next to a structure on one side and then finding something to shelter them on the other three sides.
Good luck, the plants will probably start growing faster and better after they get some out doors time.
Bruce.

Bob, how old are the plants in the first pic?

Dennis

The small ones were about 1 to 2 weeks from the time they broke the soil. The bigger ones were about 6 weeks, although, their first 3 weeks or so were spent on a window sill with terrible light. The last 2 weeks have been under a fluorescent light, and now they're outside during the day. Even in the last 2 days of being outside in mainly shade, they look to be growing faster.

It is hard to understand just how bright outdoor "shade" really is because our eyes are so good at adapting. But you'd be challenged to provide any artificial light that bright. And of course the spectrum is perfect: it's what the plants evolved for.

Given the described conditions, I'd say your plants are at a reasonable growth stage and that Josh and Bruce nailed the light problem. Let us know if you have any further problems.

Good luck,
Dennis