Color variations of discus

[brian1973]

I was at the LFS a little while ago, and I noticed some beautiful deep blue and fame red Discus. Are these natural colors or are they dyed? I have seen dyed fish before and these didn't look dyed but I have never seen discus in these colors anywhere else.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

The colors of discus are AMAZING. There is a very wide range of colors these days. Its most likely their "natural" color. I say natural with quotes because natural would truly only be wild forms, but these colors are natural to the domestic strains.

Here are a couple of mine, natural colors.

They have so many color forms its really hard to show them all. Spots, striations, solid colors, slight differences between many many strains.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

I've never seen a dyed discus. Color enhanced through food, but never dyed. Most is natural though. Was the blue and red on the same fish?

Heres 2 more, if they light hits it just right it shows purple.

 

[brian1973]

one was a solid flame red on both sides very uniform...and the blue was bright and also uniform much brighter than the ones in your photo.

 

[Pure]

Those do sound like "natural" color strains. Discus being the sensitive fish they are do not respond well to being dyed. I've seen it done and the fish are visually of poor stock and don't live very long.

Most commonly the color treatment of discus involves hormones injected and fed. Wile this is a "better" way to enhance the colors of this fish it too leads to stunting and an early death. Hormoned discus are most commonly the cheap Asian imports you can find on-line and in LFS.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

The Red/White variety is probably the brightest red on a discus i've seen. Brian the pictures don't show the fish very well, colors pop more in person.

 

[brian1973]

cool..good to know.. almost makes me want to get a few all I ever saw before where the normal colored ones.

 

[Luca]

beautiful discus, esp the 2nd blue diamond down lovely red eye and dark blue body. they are all great tho