A question for Beginners.. What do you want from the hobby?

Good morning Novices, newbies, initiates and new Flat fish fanatics....

I know that most members that have been in the hobby awhile usually end up good bit away from where they started and what they wanted in the Hobby. When I first got in, I wanted to breed the pair I had been given and successfully raise them... From that point I went all over the crazy place with my hobby. I ended up part of a great group that built this site, ended up owning it. I imported, bought,sold, bred, got insanely obsessive, got burned out, and returned full circle with a bit more self reserve as to the my hobby involvement. I know alot of people that have done similar.

As you are getting into this hobby, what are your expectations? Are you already thinking about breeding, maybe importing and selling? or are you just looking to keep a tank or two alive and thriving to enjoy?Where do you see yourselves? I think it would be great to hear from you at this point. Then maybe a few years down the road we can see where you are then...I guarantee it most likely will not be where you thought you'd be. Discus have a way of doing strange things to people.


Hope you will indulge me with a post here.
Thanks,
al

Hi Al, and what a very well constructed question. I was nodding my head, pretty much all the way through....

Well, I'm just venturing into my first discus tank. Early days yet, I'm still cycling my 166g with 34g sump. There's a whole story behind that, but that's a digression....

Yep, already thought about breeding. Even sourced a couple smaller tanks for £15 and £25. Craigs List not so popular this side of the Atlantic, but we have other sources for decent, cheap equipment. I still need to buy a decent size grow tank for the 12 discus I intend to stock. Am sure some will pair off, so that's why I bought the smaller tanks. We shall see what comes of that. One thing's for sure, I won't be throwing them out (the tanks), just in case ;)

I'm not deluded though. I know it's not just a case of setting up some tanks with sponge filters and hey presto, lot's of wigglers and the bucks come rolling in.... This is just my wishful thinking. Like winning the lottery, and what you'd do with the cash....

I just want to raise some beautiful, healthy discus. I'm going to keep things very simple as my first attempt. I fell in love with the Iripixi's, WOW!!! The Heckel variations, and setting up some kinda mega-biotope..... Yeah right, dream on. I'd be very happy keeping some Stendker's alive to 6", with my limited knowledge.

I kept fish a few years back, and loved it, but Discus are something special. I'm already thinking where I'm gonna fit all those tanks. My workshop for my job is on unstable ground, lol...

Great question. Cheers, Rob

Hi Rob,
Thanks for sharing and welcome to the madness!:) It does sound like you have been bitten by the bug pretty well. Don't worry though, its not anything reallly treatable but you can alleviate most symptoms with more Discus. I hope to see you start many threads about the Journey Rob.Its kind of cool looking back to where you used to be and wondering how you got there!.

Have a great one!
Al

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brewmaster15

Hi Rob,
Don't worry though, its not anything reallly treatable but you can alleviate most symptoms with more Discus.
Al

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That's reassuringly unassuring..... :crazy:

Cheers Al, I might just start up a tank journal.... :drummer:

I just wanted to support provincial waterworks...
couldn't think the better way of draining away 75 gallon a day than raising 8 discuss in 150g lol

Other than that, what a darn beautiful fish they are.
I'm not planning to breed them or anything tho (fingers crossed).

If anything, I might just want to try experimenting raising 2 groups of discus,
maybe from 2", 1 group WC 100% a day and another group twice a week,
just to experience the "WC effect" first hand.

and come to think about it, that might just be my lame excuse to buy another dozen of discus... :p

Quote:

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Originally Posted by snxtif

I just wanted to support provincial waterworks...
couldn't think the better way of draining away 75 gallon a day than raising 8 discuss in 150g lol

Other than that, what a darn beautiful fish they are.
I'm not planning to breed them or anything tho (fingers crossed).

If anything, I might just want to try experimenting raising 2 groups of discus,
maybe from 2", 1 group WC 100% a day and another group twice a week,
just to experience the "WC effect" first hand.

and come to think about it, that might just be my lame excuse to buy another dozen of discus... :p

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Welcome aboard snxtif! They are a darn beautiful fish! :)

Sounds like an interesting experiment. I'm sure you already know the outcome, but its good to things out for yourself. I'm pretty bad about listening to what Im told, I admit it. If you tell me I can't do something odds are I will try. But hey if you do try it, document it here...

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumd...The-Laboratory and pay careful attention that all foods and filtration are the same and the fish come from the same batch. Good Luck!

al

I just want my group healthy happy discus which I love, but then I saw this certain wild that made me giggle inside....I can still picture him perfectly almost a year later after talking (yelling) myself out of it.....

For now I just plan on growing the 12 Discus I got and hoping all goes well. Waiting on them to start eating. They arrived on Sunday.

Want to end with sand and plants and have a beautiful tank I can sit and enjoy watching them move about.

I've been into tropical fish for fifty years including the last thirty with Koi. I've dreamt of doing Discus since I was a kid, but was scared off by the parameters of the Discus husbandry. This winter I took the dive and have been enthralled ever since. I maintain one 75g all Discus tank (and a 12g sump)w a few Corys for cleanup and a 55 gallon w Gouramis, an Angel, and a Discus again w Corys.

My love for rearing showed up w Koi and my three ponds (one in the basement) years ago, but I soon focused on maintaining the beauty and health of such fish. Although I've seen my Discus start grow already, my desire is to buy the best Discus I can and maintain the two tanks for pure enjoyment. I even put a recliner between the two tanks.....which may have been a mistake, for as surely as I sit to watch them in the afternoon, I'm soon napping. They are indeed peaceful and relaxing. My immediate goal is to best match the discus needs, learn abt them, and succeed in keeping healthy happy fish......including the WC new requirements w this fish. I say I have no interest in breeding, b...u...t........as soon as I get my first pairing/eggs laid, I might fall into the breeding trap.

Lastly......I have met so many nice, helpful and knowledgeable people in this Discus-focused branch of tropical fishkeeping and am thankful for that.

I have had discus even back when I was a teenager in the 90's and got back into them a year or two ago and my goal now is the same as it was. Just have a nice display with healthy fish. Never was interested in breeding or raising fry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hart24601

I have had discus even back when I was a teenager in the 90's and got back into them a year or two ago and my goal now is the same as it was. Just have a nice display with healthy fish. Never was interested in breeding or raising fry.

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I just skim-read your whole thread on tank journals, earlier today. Great thread for all newbies like me to read. Thanks for keeping it up-to-date, and there's a lot of useful information and first time experience in it. Glad to see the new tank has worked out better. Inspiring stuff for people like me.

Rob :)

You made my day! I'm thrilled it was useful!!

Been keeping fish for about 15 years but got my discus only 9 months ago, my goal is to grow out this bunch of juvies to the best of my capabilities and enjoy them hopefully for many years.Breeding is not on the radar because I have no room left (I have another 8 freshwater tanks) and very little outlet to sell the offspring. There is also every chance that in about 15 years we will move back to the UK where I will have to start from scratch, maybe with my pipe-dream of a 9 foot tank with wild discus and altum (go big or go home!).
I have found discus can be relaxing and entertaining at the same time, probably more than my other fish that are either very laid back or hyperactive. Finding a friendly, informative and helpful forum like this is the cherry on the cake!

Well, lemme think about that for a second...since I am planning to get in discus I would like someone to respond to my 2 replies in the "tank set up questionnaire" LOL...the question on this thread is the last question on the questionnaire and is answered there...hoping to hear wisdom & direction from someone who knows what they're doing b4 I jump in 😉😊