Hormone enduced

[outdoorworld_70]

Hi
How do you tell if your discus have been raised on hormones
Thanks

[JaydubAiC21]

Just tried to post this but didnt work, so i spologize if it comes up twice. While I am certainly a rookie compared to the other experts on this site, from lots of reading the only thing I have gathered is that if your juvies have adult coloring they are most likely color enhanced hormonally. Im sure you can get a more complete answer from someone else though.

Jay

[outdoorworld_70]

okay thanks i also heard that if they have larger eyes compared to their body they have been hormone raised. The reason i ask is because i have a two small discus about 1.5 inch and they are a bright red/ orange

[walton321]

If the discus have large eyes, then they experienced stunted growth from sickness, nutrition deficiency or from bullying which prevent them from eating enough. I believe most discus imported with bright colors are hormone fed. Seems like all the sudden all these crazy red and yellow colored discus appeared on the market within the last few years. Unfortunately the colors fade after a while. Seems to me that you can take a base discus and then give them different names depending on how much they are color induced. It's just what drives the market since we all love colorful discus and color brings in more profits.

[John_Nicholson]

Hard to say 100% but I tend to avoid small discus that have a lot of color. 99% of small discus ( under 3 1/2 inches ) should not have adult colors showing. When they do it concerns me.

-john

[aquadon2222]

A non adult with adult coloring is the tip off. I bought a 4" red melon one time that soon became a 5" pale orange melon.

[Rudustin]

I have rafflesias and San Merahs. They are very bright red and I have had them for some time. They haven't lost any of their original color at all.

[Nick Klimkowski]

That is probable because you got them from two good breeders Rufus.

[Nick Klimkowski]

A non adult with adult coloring is the tip off. I bought a 4" red melon one time that soon became a 5" pale orange melon.

That may have to do more with what was being feed or water conditions. When I say small I mean anything below 3 in with full color.

[Rudustin]

That is probable because you got them from two good breeders Rufus. Yes, I did.