Color

[Frogs62]

I am looking for definitive (if there is such a thing) answers on the following:

Are there any specific colors of Discus in which its difficult to keep/retain its color? I have heard Yellow for example. ..because most foods have a red pigment thus they turn orange or Whites that turn brown.

Discus color change…. Is it true they will hold their color once an adult?

What discus size is considered adult? or at what size will the retain their color?


Thank you in advance

[AquaticNerd]

From what I've heard and researched, discus that are not brown/blue based cannot retain/keep their color because discus do not create those pigments on their own. Therefore any red/orange/yellow discus need some sort of nutritional supplement in order to help them keep their colors. If, for example, you have a yellow/golden diamond and feed it foods that are intended to boost red colors, you can end up with an orange/red-orange fish. To boost reds, one can add astaxanthin powder to their custom BH mix. There are other powder supplements, but their names escape me at the present.

As far as blue/brown based fish are concerned, they typically maintain their colors without additional supplements apart from what is already contained in flake/pellet and other foods.

Adult discus are usually considered adult very loosely after they have reached 5-5.5" and larger.

[Frogs62]

So how to keep yellow/golds with reds based discus and not have them them change color?

or

1)Is it best to pick a color "base" and just go with discus in that color "base" and either get vivid reds or yellow/golds using foods the enhance that particular color
2) Just accept the the fact of a color changes in a mixed color discus tank

[AquaticNerd]

There's a pretty good discussion on which additives can supplement yellows without making them turn red here (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?131164-Keeping-Yellow-Discus-Yellow).

[Frogs62]

where is the discussion.... can't find

[dornblaser]

The discussion is there, click again. I have considered a tank of yellow discus but I think that would require me to feed them Beefheart with supplements, BH is a food that I so far avoided.

[seanyuki]

Food for yellow discus


http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?133837-Food-for-coloring-up-yellow-discus

Or

You could add Carophyll Yellow to yr homemade food.

https://bestcanaries.com/shop/ols/products/fish-carophyll-canthaxanthin-yellow-40-gram

Or

Food with yellow enhancers by DiscusFood.... High quality, specially formulated Discusfood Best Heart Flakes Golden Dream for yellow discus.

Contact Sarah Bils @ https://cascadiaaquatics.com/collections/frontpage/products/best-heart-flakes-golden-dream





where is the discussion.... can't find

[danotaylor]

I kept yellow and red discus strains together and their diet consisted of pure deer heart shaved with a parmesan cheese grater (looks like blood worms) and Al's Australian FDBW's. Yellows stayed yellow, red stayed red...except for one strain of red albinos I had which had been color-fed returned to a pale peachy color.

[AquaticNerd]

where is the discussion.... can't find

The link is in the text 'here'.

[Frogs62]

So does the following appear to be an accurate statement or have I a dumbed/simplified it down to much. If you desire to keep a multi color Discus tank and keep the "red strains" red and the 'yellow strains" yellow it gets a little more complicated as you need to be very strict with what you feed. You would basically be limited to feeding beef hearts (fresh, flake or pellets) which would limit or reduce color change. If you desire to keep a more singular color Discus tank you have more food choices and color enhancers to add to the food and get your color choices to really pop.

Just thought of another question: where to white and blue's belong? to they pick up colors

[Willie]

Ceyhun at Winnie's Discus is someone with expertise in this area. He specializes in breeding discus with a golden background, which are easily colored by various processed foods. I'd think that whatever works for discus carrying the golden gene will also work for yellow strains.

Ceyhun is a Simply Discus sponsor. If you get in contact with him, I'm sure Ceyhun will advise which foods he feeds - including those brands that contain no colorants.