Discus and red eyes? Flake Food!!!

[prolude006]

I am wondering if anyone can tell me what affects the redness of a Discus's eyes?
My fish do not have super red eyes anymore even though they are super healthy. I look at other members pics and notice how red they are. The only thing I can deduce from it is that maybe it has to do with some water parameters? Like softer water or lower ph maybe? I notice no difference with diet so I dont see it as that. *this occurred before what I am trying below!

Also I decided cost wise to start feeding my discus only a mix of flake food (one can of each ocean nutrition flake mixed together) and have found my discus to be gaining thickness, color, and noticeable fin growth all around. I figured I would give it a shot seeing as Mr. Wattely recommended it in his last TFH reader mail. My PE is now starting to grow trailers as well all of a sudden, whether thats the food IDK. Anyone else try this or see any results?

David

[Skip]

can you elaborate your Wattely statment? i feed mine flake also.. i used his method of seperating by size.. :)

[Eddie]

I also feed flake as an integral part of my fishes diet. ;)

The redness in the eyes is almost like pepper in pigeons. Its more genetic than anything and depending on the mood/environment/health, the eyes may or may not show its most red. Does that make sense?

[prolude006]

@Eddie Thanks I get what your saying, and that would make sense, I kinda stated what is probably obvious in my own question anyhow. lol
my water is not all that bad just high in calcium. Ph is about 7 in tank, 7.2 out of the tap. My tds is about 250 but my stendkers raised fry in water straight from the tap with a 90% hatch, as well as breeding my sterbai in it too. I can see some peppering in the eye, strange, my tank is white all over!

@Warlock Wattely stated in the last TFH that feeding bloodworms he no longer supported, he recommends feeding only quality flake food (based on actual results, he has a lot of experience), especially when you have new wilds. I dont have a link to the article but he was responding to a reader question on discus diet.

My fish have been much healthier looking anyway so ill keep going with it and see long term.

David

[William Palumbo]

I have seen over the years fish with red eyes, develop a different color, and have seen the reverse. Usually a "black" eye can indicate disease or internal worms. But as Eddie said, mostly it's genetic, and I think it's much more acceptable these days to have other colors than red...tho most of us still prefer the red. I feel with the high quality dry foods out there, that a Discus can be kept just fine on a good quality flake/pellet. In the early days...no way! I pretty much gave up on bloodworms as well, leaning towards more dry stuff...Bill

[MKD]

i notice on my white diamond in my garage. at night when lights are off and if i turn lights on its eyes are white but will turn back to red in the morning or normal day.

[Eddie]

Almost all my fishes eyes go dull or white at night.

[Dave B]

My wild, who just yesterday broke his 20+ day hunger strike, is the clear low man on the totem pole of his group... and he has by far the reddest eyes. The alpha fish of the group doesn't have even a hint of red.

So I'm not convinced food has anything to do with it, given that he hadn't eaten in almost a month...