Who Breeds the best Discus in the world ?

[WildJon]

Just curious to see who breeds the best discus fish in the world. obviously this is a matter of personal opinion , but i am curious to hear who everyone thinks is the best :) and of course , if you explain why you think so that will be a bonus

[alron2]

God, no explanation needed.

Ron

[discuspaul]

Welcome to the forum, Wildjon.
That's an interesting question for generating many opinions based on very little worldwide sound knowledge of discus breeders, or basis in fact.

Bit like asking who makes the best mattresses, or the best rubber gloves - they're both made worldwide - so who knows who's the maker of the best.

A little seriously though, based solely on strength of sales, popularity and voluminous word of mouth pretty much throughout North America, one might say that Stendker of Germany might get the nod, or Piwowarski, and Forrest of Malaysia also has a great rep for consistently producing high quality discus. Who's to say who's the best, though.

[warblad79]

That's a very hard and sensitive question. I'm really nervous to answer it but I have discus from Forrest, Ricky Lim, Tony Tan, Lawrence Soon and Jeffrey Yang. Every breeder are specialized on certain discus strain. For me all well known discus breeder are the best breeder depending on what strain are you looking for.

[Bill63SG]

God, no explanation needed.

Ron
Could be considered true if one belived.

[nc0gnet0]

I do....

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/sleep/sleeping-and-dreaming-smiley-emoticon.gif

[Solid]

What does best mean?

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Have to say I agree with Ron on this. I believe!!!!!

[Second Hand Pat]

Hmmm....being a wilds keeper I have to say Nature.

[nevsfish]

Hmmm....being a wilds keeper I have to say Nature.
+1 mother nature is the best breeder,wilds for me hands down.

[Bill63SG]

I do....

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/sleep/sleeping-and-dreaming-smiley-emoticon.gif

Then you consider that statement true.Me...not so much,and can make me seem un-popular,until you meet me.Then Im down right charming.

[FMA4ME]

Being brand new it's nice to see a list of the major players, honestly I wasn't sure if I was reading strain names or what. Everyone stresses buying from reputable breeders, so this helps :)

[nc0gnet0]

Then you consider that statement true.Me...not so much,and can make me seem un-popular,until you meet me.Then Im down right charming.

Bill,

I think you misunderstood my post........ it was to be taken like this:

q: Who breeds the best discus in the world?
a: I do..........(followed by a sleeping and dreaming Icon meant to imply "in my dreams")


I was not participating in the track of the post above mine......

And I have no doubts your a great guy...See you at NADA 2016 (if not before)

-Rick

[William Palumbo]

LOL Rick!...You got my vote for best breeder! Bill really is a Teddy Bear...Great guy. But I think this thread should be renamed, because I see it getting WAY off track...Bill

[John_Nicholson]

********...I do.

-john


I do....

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/sleep/sleeping-and-dreaming-smiley-emoticon.gif

[nc0gnet0]

******** = next to Rick

As in:


next to Rick, I do.

-john

[John_Nicholson]

Nope...it started with bull and ended in ****.

-john

[brewmaster15]

LMAO.. This forum truly does rock... Our members not only breed the bestest:), healthiest, biggest, longest lived discus, as well as the hardiest! Always knew that! LOL

Sadly though, The humble gene has been largely bred out , probably was linked to the pepper in Pigeons genes. Its not all a lost cause though... These proud discus strut around the tanks with their fins erect and are a sight to behold.:p:bandana:

al

[WildJon]

Thanks for all the responses !

The reason I ask is because i am lucky enough to be able to select from some reputable breeders.
Tony Tan Heckel Cross are available through a store in Alberta called Alberta Discus , there is a breeder in Ontario who has some Wayne Ng blue knights
and finally Discus Hans has the Stendker line of discus available as well.

Mind you, Discus Hans is about 8 hours from Toronto but I am still planning on doing a trip down there in may to pick up some fish for a few keepers here in Ontario, Canada.

on that note , are any of the breeders known specifically for breeding a certain type better than any other breeder ?

[Second Hand Pat]

It is safe to say that some of the more well known breeders are known for their signature lines. For example Ricky Lim and his red SS. Best is also relative to each person so you will most likely not get a simple answer.
Pat

[brewmaster15]

Thanks for all the responses !

The reason I ask is because i am lucky enough to be able to select from some reputable breeders.
Tony Tan Heckel Cross are available through a store in Alberta called Alberta Discus , there is a breeder in Ontario who has some Wayne Ng blue knights
and finally Discus Hans has the Stendker line of discus available as well.

Mind you, Discus Hans is about 8 hours from Toronto but I am still planning on doing a trip down there in may to pick up some fish for a few keepers here in Ontario, Canada.

on that note , are any of the breeders known specifically for breeding a certain type better than any other breeder ?

No offense to the other sellers near you, but as Hans Is a seller I know well as far as the quality of the fish and person. My advice is start there.:bandana: As a sponsor of the forum he has a very good reputation here.

If traveling south and its near you, ChicagoDiscus is also a great stop....not sure where you are in relationship to them. They too are great sponsors here .

Perhaps it would help if you told us something about yourself and what your interests in Discus are?

al

[WildJon]

No offense to the other sellers near you, but as Hans Is a seller I know well as far as the quality of the fish and person. My advice is start there.:bandana: As a sponsor of the forum he has a very good reputation here.

Perhaps it would help if you told us something about yourself and what your interests in Discus are?

al

I personally believe that Stendker discus are the most beautiful discus I have ever seen. which is why I will be making the 8 hour trip to see Hans in May of this year. My favorite would have to be the Wild Heckel but my favorite out of the Stendker line is the Santarem discus and the Tefe Discus.

The natural browns, yellows and blacks is what draws me to these beautiful fish. although I would love to have some wild Heckel this forum has taught me to crawl before I can walk. (Yes I have been lurking in the shadow for some time ).

So by raising the stendker line of Tefe or Santarem, it gives me a similar experience color wise to raising these specific breeds of discus.
My Current setup is a 180 Gallon aquarium , running two fluval Fx 6 (Spray bar mod in the works) . Currently on about week 3.5 of my fish less cycle. Nitrite spike should be dying down any day now.

My only major concern is bringing any fish into the tank with the stendker line of fish. I'm worried about disease , so probably going to have to quarantine any new tank mates for months at a time

[nc0gnet0]

Humble gene? Huh? What is this new mutation you speak of?

[YSS]

I'm with Pat on this one. Mother Nature!

But if we are talking about human breeders, my vote goes to Alex Piwowarski. Really liked his RT and Cobalt.

[Second Hand Pat]

Jon, you will find as you read here that quarantine is strongly recommended and should last at least six weeks. Then there is the hero fish. Here's a good read http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?21044-Quarantine-*questions&highlight=quarantine.
Pat

[brewmaster15]

I personally believe that Stendker discus are the most beautiful discus I have ever seen. which is why I will be making the 8 hour trip to see Hans in May of this year. My favorite would have to be the Wild Heckel but my favorite out of the Stendker line is the Santarem discus and the Tefe Discus.

The natural browns, yellows and blacks is what draws me to these beautiful fish. although I would love to have some wild Heckel this forum has taught me to crawl before I can walk. (Yes I have been lurking in the shadow for some time ).



So by raising the stendker line of Tefe or Santarem, it gives me a similar experience color wise to raising these specific breeds of discus.
My Current setup is a 180 Gallon aquarium , running two fluval Fx 6 (Spray bar mod in the works) . Currently on about week 3.5 of my fish less cycle. Nitrite spike should be dying down any day now.

My only major concern is bringing any fish into the tank with the stendker line of fish. I'm worried about disease , so probably going to have to quarantine any new tank mates for months at a time

It sounds like you have done your research well and I am glad you are not lurking any longer.. we may be a tad vocal at times here, but its good group with a lot of experience among us.
It also sounds like you know what fish you should start with. Definetly QT for a very long time no matter where they come from...and if possible, keep them from one source together, at least during their growing time...
al

[John_Nicholson]

In my defense I was not going to brag but when muttly started barking I had too.......LOL


LMAO.. This forum truly does rock... Our members not only breed the bestest:), healthiest, biggest, longest lived discus, as well as the hardiest! Always knew that! LOL

Sadly though, The humble gene has been largely bred out , probably was linked to the pepper in Pigeons genes. Its not all a lost cause though... These proud discus strut around the tanks with their fins erect and are a sight to behold.:p:bandana:

al

[Second Hand Pat]

PMs are a good place for barking....hint, hint

[John_Nicholson]

Pat you know Rick and I are are just playing. It is all in good fun...besides he knows I am better than him....LOL.


-john

[Second Hand Pat]

True John but others may not :)

[John_Nicholson]

Yes mam.......

-john

[brewmaster15]

Yes mam.......

-john

Lol... thats almost priceless.

[brewmaster15]

Seriously though joking around is the best way to deal with a loaded question like this. :)

[John_Nicholson]

Lol... thats almost priceless.

LOL....Well I don't care if I make you or Rick mad but Pat is a different story.....I am no dummy......

-john

[Second Hand Pat]

LOL....Well I don't care if I make you or Rick mad but Pat is a different story.....I am no dummy......

-john

Smart man :bandana:

[brewmaster15]

Smart man :bandana:

Yep " Brew pats himself on the back for his ADMIN choices...(apparently he does know what he is doing) "

[John_Nicholson]

Yep " Brew pats himself on the back for his ADMIN choices...(apparently he does know what he is doing) "

LOL.....Who's bragging now?

-john

[brewmaster15]

LOL.....Who's bragging now?

-john

The guy that runs the forum.:bandana:

[Second Hand Pat]

Now, now....you guys take it to PMs :bandana:

[brewmaster15]

Now, now....you guys take it to PMs :bandana:

Careful Missy! Lol

[John_Nicholson]

LOL.....The icy conditions down here are causing me to go stir crazy.........

-john

[brewmaster15]

LOL.....The icy conditions down here are causing me to go stir crazy.........

-john
me too!

[Second Hand Pat]

Warm here, shorts and tee shirt weather :bandana:

[nc0gnet0]

http://s3.amazonaws.com/beZambee/smiley_images/420/82c0b907e9530faa4d1ad2fe140a747137f6f85b.png?13301 85587

[John_Nicholson]

That is why the rest of the country hates Florida........except of course when I go on vacation which will be August 8th through 15th in Sarasota.....not that I am counting down the days or anything......

-john

[brewmaster15]

Warm here, shorts and tee shirt weather :bandana:

Um Pat... thats just means you don't have any excuses! :bandana::badmin:

[Second Hand Pat]

That is why the rest of the country hates Florida........except of course when I go on vacation which will be August 8th through 15th in Sarasota.....not that I am counting down the days or anything......

-john

Works for me John....maybe they will not move here....have enough snowbirds.


Um Pat... thats just means you don't have any excuses! :bandana::badmin:

True Al, off to the beach :D

[DISCUS STU]

What's the criteria and is it possible to even have an answer to this?

[Chicago Discus]

who breeds the best discus?

Thats easy- One who's conscious about quality and doesn't let culls bombard our hobby...........Josie

[WildJon]

who breeds the best discus?

Thats easy- One who's conscious about quality and doesn't let culls bombard our hobby...........Josie

You should see some of the discus fish that we get here. a lot of fish from Asia find their way over to a lot of the pet shops and my do they ever look horrifying. some of them have
the look of a datnoid . Freakish huge bug eyes , pointy snout and shaped like a football .

Selling for $9.99 a fish at about 3"

[Second Hand Pat]

Jon, we recommend members to not buy discus from the LFS for those very reasons.

[brewmaster15]

You should see some of the discus fish that we get here. a lot of fish from Asia find their way over to a lot of the pet shops and my do they ever look horrifying. some of them have
the look of a datnoid . Freakish huge bug eyes , pointy snout and shaped like a football .

Selling for $9.99 a fish at about 3"

Unfortunately, a lot of hobbyist bred or raised fish do as well. Its frustrating for me when I see someone who has bought these fish and could have gotten better here on SD from sponsors and experienced hobbyists. It all comes down to education..after a while when people have done some research they learn what to look for and what to avoid.

The curve is very steep here.

al

[DiscusRob]

That is why the rest of the country hates Florida........except of course when I go on vacation which will be August 8th through 15th in Sarasota.....not that I am counting down the days or anything......

-john

Pat's the lucky one, here in Jacksonville, it's lower damp 50's. No where near shorts and tee shirts:):)

[brewmaster15]

Pat's the lucky one, here in Jacksonville, it's lower damp 50's. No where near shorts and tee shirts:):)

Rob,
I will trade ...

84876

[dmheric]

That's a very hard and sensitive question. I'm really nervous to answer it but I have discus from Forrest, Ricky Lim, Tony Tan, Lawrence Soon and Jeffrey Yang. Every breeder are specialized on certain discus strain. For me all well known discus breeder are the best breeder depending on what strain are you looking for.

Hi You say that you have purchased Tony Tan discus and I am looking for Albino White Butterflies and see that DiscusUSA in Florida has the Tony Tan Strain.
Have you ever purchased from them?? I contacted them through email and they havent replied.

[DiscusRob]

Rob,
I will trade ...

Naw, that's ok, my wife grew up not far from you, New Haven. I on the other hand grew up about 10 miles inland from Lake Michigan on the Michigan side, know all about cold, freezing, nasty winters. The wife gets a bit miffed when I laugh her when she talks about the winters in CT.;);)

[John_Nicholson]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/snowdogs_zpsnsdnpptv.png (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/snowdogs_zpsnsdnpptv.png.html)

-john

[DiscusRob]

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y14/DiscusJohn/snowdogs_zpsnsdnpptv.png (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/DiscusJohn/media/snowdogs_zpsnsdnpptv.png.html)

-john

Priceless:):)

Just another reason why I love SD:

[Altum Nut]

You should see some of the discus fish that we get here. a lot of fish from Asia find their way over to a lot of the pet shops and my do they ever look horrifying. some of them have
the look of a datnoid . Freakish huge bug eyes , pointy snout and shaped like a football .

Selling for $9.99 a fish at about 3"

Welcome to SD WildJon...
I would not use Asia as one specific source...as there are very reputable sources from Asia that produce quality Discus. As mentioned by another member, stay out of any LFS when buying Discus. Poor quality discus can come from almost anywhere around the globe that end up in LFS.
I would also have to agree with Pat...only nature can bring out true beauty.

...Ralph

[Lighthouse]

Amen!

[WildJon]

Welcome to SD WildJon...
I would not use Asia as one specific source...as there are very reputable sources from Asia that produce quality Discus. As mentioned by another member, stay out of any LFS when buying Discus. Poor quality discus can come from almost anywhere around the globe that end up in LFS.
I would also have to agree with Pat...only nature can bring out true beauty.

...Ralph

Your absolutely right , that's normally the vague answer i get from a LFS when I ask where they import the fish from. I see you are from Toronto , Whats your favourite LFS around here ?

[Altum Nut]

Your absolutely right , that's normally the vague answer i get from a LFS when I ask where they import the fish from. I see you are from Toronto , Whats your favourite LFS around here ?

I don't buy anything from LFS. I stay away from Pacific Mall and all Big-Al stores which are a rip-off....at least the ones in Canada.
I make my own food B/H, keep cultures of both white-worm and compost worms. As for Discus...I turn to the many sponsors here on SD or member that is reputable.
Please spread the word about NADA:) as we need more Canadians getting back into Discus.

...Ralph

[WildJon]

An issue I have come across time and time again is stores from the USA not shipping to Canada, is this an issue with the sponsors here ?
And I absolutely agree with you on staying away from LFS livestock. You really never know what disease or parasite you will bring home from those places.

I look forward to keeping discus and of course letting everyone know how awesome these fish truly are.

[discuspaul]

Wasn't aware you were from Canada, Wildjon

I don't know of any U.S.-based suppliers shipping to Canada, but one of SD's sponsors is Rick Grange of Canadian Aqua Farm in Maple Ridge, B.C. He imports high quality discus from Forrest of Malaysia and ships across Canada with live delivery guaranteed.
I've bought most of my discus from him in recent years and can highly recommend him.

[WildJon]

Wasn't aware you were from Canada, Wildjon

I don't know of any U.S.-based suppliers shipping to Canada, but one of SD's sponsors is Rick Grange of Canadian Aqua Farm in Maple Ridge, B.C. He imports high quality discus from Forrest of Malaysia and ships across Canada with live delivery guaranteed.
I've bought most of my discus from him in recent years and can highly recommend him.

I've visited that website everyday for the last month and he does have some amazing fish. the only issue is I do not see any of the Tefe , Santarum or Allenquer discus as I have on Discus Hans website. He does however have a few of the Tony Tan Heckel Cross which look beautiful except they do come with a hefty price tag. I will be leaving some room in the 180 for a pair once I have a bit more disposable income to work with :D

I sometimes wonder why they are called Heckel Cross , I am kind of curious to know what they are crossed with

[Larry Grenier]

After parusing-thru this guy's posts & pics, I gotta say Rick(nc0gnet0) I only wish I could pick-up some of his rejects.

I also love what Mother Nature produces and to he guy who said "God" in the beginning; I believe Mother Nature is an employee of his :-)

[nc0gnet0]

After parusing-thru this guy's posts & pics, I gotta say Rick(nc0gnet0) I only wish I could pick-up some of his rejects.

I also love what Mother Nature produces and to he guy who said "God" in the beginning; I believe Mother Nature is an employee of his :-)

You do realize by saying that you might very well be single handedly responsible for giving poor John a heart attack......right?

And thanks btw, but not even close.........


-Rick

[Trac]

I'm with Pat on this one. Mother Nature!

But if we are talking about human breeders, my vote goes to Alex Piwowarski. Really liked his RT and Cobalt.


+1

[emu1sive]

Hans? Or is he just like the Apple of discus vs pc?

[XAnhLe]

Hans? Or is he just like the Apple of discus vs pc?

Hans imports and sells Stendker discus, he doesn't breed them.

[XAnhLe]

In my personal opinion...

Best commercial breeders:

- Mr. Ricky Lim

- Stendker family

- Mr. Tony Tan

- Mr. Forrest

in no particular order

Best home breeders are easily Mr. nCogneto Rick and Mr. John. Their home bred discus are equal or sometimes even higher in quality than commercial breeders.

[John_Nicholson]

You do realize by saying that you might very well be single handedly responsible for giving poor John a heart attack......right?

And thanks btw, but not even close.........


-Rick

Don't worry Rick if Larry's wrong answers were going to cause me a heart attack they would have done so many years ago....you know back before you even had discus there youngster......LOL.

-john

[John_Nicholson]

In my personal opinion...

Best commercial breeders:

- Mr. Ricky Lim

- Stendker family

- Mr. Tony Tan

- Mr. Forrest

in no particular order

Best home breeders are easily Mr. nCogneto Rick and Mr. John. Their home bred discus are equal or sometimes even higher in quality than commercial breeders.

Thanks for the compliment.

-john

[Larry Grenier]

John, don't give-away my age

[nc0gnet0]

Best home breeders are easily Mr. nCogneto Rick and Mr. John.

And you even got the order right :)

[tonytheboss1]

Hans imports and sells Stendker discus, he doesn't breed them.

:bandana: Actually I believe he's involved in both.

From his site:
Welcome to the US Website of Discus Hans.

Discus Hans is a Dutch Discus breeder who's been active in Discus breeding since 1982. In the internet contests which were held from 1997 till 2000 Discus Hans was chosen to be the best Discus breeder worldwide.

Since 2002 Hans is the Dutch distributor of "Stendker" Discus. Stendker has the largest Discus hatchery in Europe, and is for almost 35 years very respected for his high quality fish.

With an appearance at the 2003 ACA in Cincinatti Discus Hans and the Stendker Discusfish surprised everyone. "This quality haven't been seen for years in the USA" was one of the remarks.


In 2004 Hans took a big step in his life, quit his regular job and became Senior Promotional Sales Manager of Diskuszucht Stendker Germany. His special mission is to promote the high quality German bred Discus in the USA. When you visit his setup you'll know what I mean. "T"

[XAnhLe]

:bandana: Actually I believe he's involved in both.

From his site:
Welcome to the US Website of Discus Hans.

Discus Hans is a Dutch Discus breeder who's been active in Discus breeding since 1982. In the internet contests which were held from 1997 till 2000 Discus Hans was chosen to be the best Discus breeder worldwide.

Since 2002 Hans is the Dutch distributor of "Stendker" Discus. Stendker has the largest Discus hatchery in Europe, and is for almost 35 years very respected for his high quality fish.

With an appearance at the 2003 ACA in Cincinatti Discus Hans and the Stendker Discusfish surprised everyone. "This quality haven't been seen for years in the USA" was one of the remarks.


In 2004 Hans took a big step in his life, quit his regular job and became Senior Promotional Sales Manager of Diskuszucht Stendker Germany. His special mission is to promote the high quality German bred Discus in the USA. When you visit his setup you'll know what I mean. "T"

What I meant is he no longer breed discus (commercially), I am well aware of the fact that he bred discus in the past. Also highlight the usual misconception that Stendker discus are bred by Hans.

Edit: I would also love to visit Hans one day when I'm near by. His interview was the reason why I am in this hobby.

[Ed13]

I prioritize the shape of the fish and Ung Seng Lip produces the fish I like the most, they just happen to be very nice looking. After him, Tony Tan seems very consistent and Jeffrey Yang has some I really like and some I really don't. Again, I prioritize shape then look for size, color, and pattern in no particular order. I do have to say I've yet to I see a "Forrest bred" discus I did not like.

Adult Stendker's look impressive and of course wilds have that mystique you can't help to admire.

LOL, had to go back and read the thread it was ~84F were I am at 10:00 am, the snow pics are actually "refreshing"

[Drewpuck]

Is there anyone from Philippines that are breeder of good and healthy discus?

[Second Hand Pat]

Is there anyone from Philippines that are breeder of good and healthy discus?

Check out this thread http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?79156-DXcus-Discus-Philippines&highlight=.

[Quintin]

The best reeders in my oppinion are the ones that will let you personaly come view thier premmises if they in your area.they let you decide what you want.many people here have been allowed to vissit all the breeders mentioned in this thread.

[Crockett]

Thanks for all the responses !

The reason I ask is because i am lucky enough to be able to select from some reputable breeders.
Tony Tan Heckel Cross are available through a store in Alberta called Alberta Discus , there is a breeder in Ontario who has some Wayne Ng blue knights
and finally Discus Hans has the Stendker line of discus available as well.

Mind you, Discus Hans is about 8 hours from Toronto but I am still planning on doing a trip down there in may to pick up some fish for a few keepers here in Ontario, Canada.

on that note , are any of the breeders known specifically for breeding a certain type better than any other breeder ?

You mentioned that you had access to a breeder in Ontario who has some Wayne Ng blue knights, I would jump on those if I were you. Very nice strain IMO, in fact all Wanyne NG strains seem to be quality, surprised no one on this thread has mentioned Wayne NG. I know the last time Blue knights were offered in the States by New-Jersey Discus, what was available were sold / pre-ordered before the shipment even arrived. Not saying Wayne is better than any other breeder, but if there where a top 5 group of best Discus breeders in the world, I would expect he would be in that group.

[Ed13]

The best reeders in my oppinion are the ones that will let you personaly come view thier premmises if they in your area.they let you decide what you want.many people here have been allowed to vissit all the breeders mentioned in this thread.

That is good for the immediate buyer, but I'd be more impressed by a breeder that DOES NOT allow spontaneous visits to the hatchery itself yet allows as much disclosure as possible through videos, pics, and sharing as much information. At the same time, allows for scheduled, supervised visits with a security protocol in place like hand washing stations, foot baths etc. When someone does this for a living and is seeking genuine improvement of it's lines, the overall hobby, and the actual business, needs to have strict bio-security protocols. Possibly have a retail store on/near the premises?

Some Nishikigoi breeders in Niigata, Japan have this down beautifully. I guess they better have, when they may charge upwards of $10,000 US dollars or more ;)

I understand what you are saying and I do not dismiss your opinion as that is the best when dealing with hobby breeders, but, it's different in a commercial situation.

[Pruss]

I don't buy anything from LFS. I stay away from Pacific Mall and all Big-Al stores which are a rip-off....at least the ones in Canada.
I make my own food B/H, keep cultures of both white-worm and compost worms. As for Discus...I turn to the many sponsors here on SD or member that is reputable.
Please spread the word about NADA:) as we need more Canadians getting back into Discus.

...Ralph

Thanks for the thoughts Ralph. I'm a GTA guy too, and am also setting up my first Discus tank (tank journal posted elsewhere). I've been in touch with a couple local(ish) breeders and am finding interacting with them really valuable in helping me set up my tank, but also in determining where I will eventually be buying my first fish.

I was originally going to go in with Jon on a group buy of Stendkers but now think I'll be buying locally from Vern Archer or Bob Garside. I agree, generally, with your comments about the prices at Big Al's. I have been mortified by the quality of the Discus I've been seeing in GTA LFSs. Most recently I was at a fish store in Mississauga where the owner proudly walked me through his multiple Discus tanks showing me the fish he brings in from Thailand and Malaysia. Many of these fish were deformed, and lots were showing too much colour for their 2" size... All of which makes me glad that there are reputable breeders still active in our area.

$0.05 in the bucket.

-- Pat

[WildJon]

Thanks for the thoughts Ralph. I'm a GTA guy too, and am also setting up my first Discus tank (tank journal posted elsewhere). I've been in touch with a couple local(ish) breeders and am finding interacting with them really valuable in helping me set up my tank, but also in determining where I will eventually be buying my first fish.

I was originally going to go in with Jon on a group buy of Stendkers but now think I'll be buying locally from Vern Archer or Bob Garside. I agree, generally, with your comments about the prices at Big Al's. I have been mortified by the quality of the Discus I've been seeing in GTA LFSs. Most recently I was at a fish store in Mississauga where the owner proudly walked me through his multiple Discus tanks showing me the fish he brings in from Thailand and Malaysia. Many of these fish were deformed, and lots were showing too much colour for their 2" size... All of which makes me glad that there are reputable breeders still active in our area.

$0.05 in the bucket.

-- Pat


You were at Mississauga aquarium weren't you lol