why my discus has red eyes?

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picker
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2024 9:28 am

why my discus has red eyes?

Post by picker »

Noticed my discus has red eyes today. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. Tank is 75 gallons, temp at 84F, running a Fluval FX6. They're about 6 months old, fed beef heart mix twice daily. Anyone seen this before?
SunKnot
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 6:06 pm

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by SunKnot »

Red eyes can be genetic or stress-related. What's your water change routine? Also, any new tankmates or decor? Sometimes they freak out over the smallest changes.
Coralite
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 6:15 pm

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by Coralite »

Aw, poor thing! I've heard some strains just have red eyes naturally. But if it's sudden, maybe check for aggression? My discus got stressed when I added a new light, took weeks to chill.
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barks
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2023 4:52 am

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by barks »

picker wrote: Mon Jun 09, 2025 11:28 pm Noticed my discus has red eyes today. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 5 nitrate. Tank is 75 gallons, temp at 84F, running a Fluval FX6. They're about 6 months old, fed beef heart mix twice daily. Anyone seen this before?
Yep, params sound solid. Could be diet—try adding some color-enhancing pellets. Also, how's the flow from that FX6? Too strong and they might be fighting it.
SlateFang
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 3:41 pm

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by SlateFang »

Mine had red eyes when I slacked on water changes. Fixed it by going back to 50% weekly. Dunno if that's your issue, but worth a shot.
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Corona
Posts: 44
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2022 4:50 am

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by Corona »

Genetics, bro. Some wild types just rock the red eyes. But if it's new, maybe bump the temp to 86F for a bit? Helps with stress.
Lardy
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Jul 19, 2024 7:33 am

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by Lardy »

Aight, listen up—red eyes ain't always bad. My Heckels got 'em from day one. But if your fish is acting sketchy, like hiding or not eating, then we gotta troubleshoot.
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tonic
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2022 2:35 pm

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by tonic »

Coralite wrote: Tue Jun 10, 2025 12:21 am Aw, poor thing! I've heard some strains just have red eyes naturally. But if it's sudden, maybe check for aggression? My discus got stressed when I added a new light, took weeks to chill.
Agreed on the light thing. I had a similar issue with a too-bright LED. Dialed it back to 8 hours/day and added floating plants. Eyes cleared up in a week.
picker
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Feb 17, 2024 9:28 am

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by picker »

Thanks, all. Gonna up the water changes and dim the lights a bit. Will report back.
SunKnot
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2024 6:06 pm

Re: why my discus has red eyes?

Post by SunKnot »

Good call. Also, watch for flashing or rubbing—could hint at parasites. But sounds like you're on top of it.
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