I'm gonna make another pitch for the importance of large, frequent water changes to those new to the hobby. Note the appearance of the Stendker Santarems at the end of March...
compared to the end of August, roughly 5 months of water changes and good feeding in a barebottom tank.
Not only have the fish grown much bigger and developed a deep, rich hue, but look at the change in the shape of the discus. The fish are rounder and the slight puckering in the mouth area have disappeared.
How you raise discus has as much impact on their appearance as their genetics, i.e. nurture versus nature. Raise your young discus in bare bottom tanks, do lots and lots of water changes and the difference will be obvious. Kudos to Larry!
Willie