Blue Diamond Pair

[Discus-n00b]

Zero snails, I do have about 110 in my saltwater tank though...anyone need some? LOL

[Ryan]

This is one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. I've never seen a BD-type fade to a shade that light. IMO they don't look well but it could just be because they're so pale and the lighting in the photos makes the fins look dark. I would definitely try worming them just for the heck of it.

Do you know of anyone else who got the same fish from that or other shipments? I'd be interested to know if others experienced it. I haven't seen any threads here about BDs fading -- it seems like with all the people buying discus, someone else would have seen it and reported it had it been widespread.

[Bilbo]

It has nothing to do with hormones. Exporters haven't used hormones for years because they cause organ failure. Besides, hormones make a fish more intensly colored not less colored.

Actually some breeders still do use hormones on tropical fish to intensify the coloration before sale. The idea in this thread was that could it be that hormones were used on these Blue Diamonds in this thread before he bought them, thus resulting in the pale fish that he has now months later because of the discontinuation of hormones. Hormones are known to cause 'burn out' in fish. They bring them to their prime of life quickly and then the fish has very little left for the second half of its life. The effect is very similar to steroids in humans. I am very much into gym life; health and fitness. If a man starts cycling steroids (which are hormones btw) he will experience vast muscle increase in comparison of what he could normally produce on his own. As we say it around here... he will get his glory years now and in a hury. But there is a price to pay. You tend to burn out. You will have nothing left for when you are older. So if you are still into the gym as an older man, you sill are going to look like crap. The reason is because your body wont produce the testosterone you need because it hadn't had to for so long now. Screw steroids. They suck. Screw fish hormones. They suck. I want my fish to live a long healthy life, to it's full potential without the burnout.

[Discus-n00b]

This is one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. I've never seen a BD-type fade to a shade that light. IMO they don't look well but it could just be because they're so pale and the lighting in the photos makes the fins look dark. I would definitely try worming them just for the heck of it.

Do you know of anyone else who got the same fish from that or other shipments? I'd be interested to know if others experienced it. I haven't seen any threads here about BDs fading -- it seems like with all the people buying discus, someone else would have seen it and reported it had it been widespread.

Id like to find other experiences as well Ryan. The fish in my avatar is a BD from the same source, the owner that bought it no longer has it though so not sure where it went. It was harder to get a good photo of these. Bigger tank, more fish casting shadows on them, and darker more yellow LEDs instead of the crisp white and blue from before. Don't be to deceived by the photos folks, the tank they were in on page 1 has many different factors photography wise than the tank they are in now.

I will worm them and see what happens.

[nc0gnet0]

Update?

[Discus-n00b]

Haven't had a chance to worm yet, no real updates to report. Still swimming and acting normal, rushing the glass for food. Color still the same, eyes are still pretty bright red.

[Chicago Discus]

Im sorry but I don't think this is worms IMO you can try to deworm the fish but I don't think its going to make a dam difference I think the color will stay faded .....josie

[Bilbo]

That color will never come back. I've seen this with rams and flowerhorns. I'm calling juice on this one. On a brighter note.....I think your fish is awesome. Cool color with that red eye. Absolutely love that contrast.

[Discus-n00b]

I agree with both of you, that's why I'm in no rush.

[a volar]

I'm not sure what’s going on with these fish but they are unique, I like them.

[Poco]

I wonder what the breeder/importer has to add to this discussion, it will be good to know their point of view.

[nc0gnet0]

Im sorry but I don't think this is worms IMO you can try to deworm the fish but I don't think its going to make a dam difference I think the color will stay faded .....josie

Probably not but it is worth a shot. Tapeworms will rob the fish of vitamin b12, making the fish slightly anemic. I really dont think this is the result of hormones either, I don't think "juicing" a Blue diamond would have the same results as an orange, red, or yellow fish. For the same reason you don't see many blue color enhancer foods on the market, and the ones you do see don't work.

As I said before I hope the fish are 100% healthy, and if it they are, they are indeed special fish and matt should be very happy with them. However, the fact they have lost interests in breeding, and the color fade happened so fast leads me to beleive something might be amiss.

Rick

[TNT77]

Probably not but it is worth a shot. Tapeworms will rob the fish of vitamin b12, making the fish slightly anemic. I really dont think this is the result of hormones either, I don't think "juicing" a Blue diamond would have the same results as an orange, red, or yellow fish. For the same reason you don't see many bnlue color enhancer foods on the market, and the ones you do see don't work.

As I said before I hope the fish are 100% healthy, and if it they are, they are indeed special fish and matt should be very happy with them. However, the fact they have lost interests in breeding, and the color fade happened so fast leads me to beleive something might be amiss.

Rick

I have to agree with you Rick on the "juicing". I think there is something going on with these fish. It seems to me when comparing the beginning and now photos the male has lost alot of body mass when comparing the forehead and chin regions.

[lipadj46]

That color will never come back. I've seen this with rams and flowerhorns. I'm calling juice on this one. On a brighter note.....I think your fish is awesome. Cool color with that red eye. Absolutely love that contrast.

Pretty fired up on this whole juicing thing. I've not seen a hormone treated fish from a sponsor here since I've been on the site.

sent from an undisclosed location using morse code

[Bilbo]

I believe it's hormones because hormones burn out a fish's capability to produce those lush bright colors whether blue or red. Sure red fish are going to show a more drastic change on and then off hormones but that's because their pigments come from a different source. When a fish is a youngster it has only a little color. But as it ages it develops more color. This will continue until the fish reaches it's genetic potential with other things considered like health, food, water quality, etc... But with hormones the fish can reach it's 'genetic end' a lot sooner. The same colors that would normally develop at a slower rate will develope quickly. Blues, reds, yellows, all. The same went for rams. I knew people that juiced their rams. The result was a fully colored ram at 1 inch size. I was even asked to juice my rams by a buyer so he could jack the price at that small size. I did not. I feel the same thing has happened to his discus. Blue is the natural color of his fish but yet it lost it at a very young age. Looks like hormonal burn out to me.