Share your beginning of hobby pictures!

[rickztahone]

Just thought this may be a fun little excersize. Upload one (or two) of your oldest pics of when you first started in the hobby. Normally I would be embarrased in sharing any of these with you, but since I am the one starting this thread, I will begin with these pics:

fulltank.JPG
This is a 55g tank with gravel and fake plants and if I am not mistaking, that is an UNDER GRAVEL FILTER!!!

DSC02331_zpsab113d81.JPG
This was a group of 7 or 8 (can't remember) discus that I ordered online from a place out in Florida. Only 2 red melons ended up being somewhat decent in this group, can you imagine why? Yup, gravel, and under gravel filter, lol.

I swear, if it wasn't for SimplyDiscus showing me how beautiful discus look and showing me how to actually grow them out to look that beautiful on my own, I would have lost interest in this hobby a long time ago.

I have a huge debt to repay SimplyDiscus and this is why I share so much of my time here trying to help others avoid my mistakes along the way

So, please share any pictures of when you started in the hobby, no matter how bad you think they are. They can't be worse than mine? lol.

Even if you just got in the hobby a year ago, please post the beginning pictures, you'd be surprised what 1 year can do!

[warblad79]

Here's my planted tank back in 2009

[rickztahone]

Here's my planted tank back in 2009
...

Your discus look better than mine do now!

Thanks for playing along!

[warblad79]

Your discus look better than mine do now!

Thanks for playing along!

No problem, it's nice to look back in the past. I really missed that setup but can't go back now.

[Lighthouse7]

Me still being a newbie mine was just within 2 yrs i started with about 6 discus 2 from Lfs bad quality, 4 from kenny in the pic theres 2 left that was earlier this year know all i have left is my blue Turq from kenny and im growing out 4 blue royals from Eric at Carolina Discus- Lighthouse 20150327_193233.jpg20150725_202329.jpg

[John_Nicholson]

Great thread. I wish I had some pictures of my first discus tank but I could not find any....but I remember it. 55 gallon, planted, 6 3 inch juvi's.......

-john

[rickztahone]

Great thread. I wish I had some pictures of my first discus tank but I could not find any....but I remember it. 55 gallon, planted, 6 3 inch juvi's.......

-john

What a shame John! Yours would have gone back a long time! Any idea if there just happens to be a picture out there where the fish tank was possibly in the background whilst taking a family pic or anything?

[jmf3460]

here was my first attempt. 6 beautiful fish from Eric at Carolina discus, that I ruined by throwing in a 46 gal planted tank.
discustank_zpse949e45f.jpgtankshot2_zps02dd1e11.jpg

it did not take me long to realize these fish needed a better tank and moved them from the 46 planted to the 75 biotope that I still have today
roomshot3_zps76ec357b.jpg

[John_Nicholson]

What a shame John! Yours would have gone back a long time! Any idea if there just happens to be a picture out there where the fish tank was possibly in the background whilst taking a family pic or anything?

I will look. They would predate digital pictures so you never know....LOL.

-john

[Second Hand Pat]

I will look. They would predate digital pictures so you never know....LOL.

-john

That is what scanners are for John
Pat

[rickztahone]

I will look. They would predate digital pictures so you never know....LOL.

-john

Even better!


To all, if you happen to have the information, please also post the year the shot was taken in, or there-abouts. For referrence, my OP was taken in early 2008 if I remember correctly. Right before I joined SD

[briztoon]

My start in the hobby was with a planted community tank based around a South American theme, with 6 Geophagus sp. tapajos, 6 Apistogramma agassizii, 6 Laetacara curviceps, 30 Lemon tetras, 30 Penguin tetras, 18 marbled hatchetfish, 18 golden pencilfish, 12 Corydoras julii, 12 Otocinclus and Royal whiptail catfish.




I quickly found I preferred breeding rather than owning display tanks, and spent the next 6 years breeding dwarf South American and dwarf West African cichlids, wild and fancy bettas. Towards the end of 2014 I decided to give discus a go.

I first bought a group of Na Discus 2+inch juveniles from Rod Lewis, Reflection Deep and Altum Floral to grow out. They are approaching 5inches now and a pair of Reflection Deep have paired up, though I would like to stop them spawning as I want them to keep growing rather than divert their energies to spawning. Sorry I don't have any real decent photos or videos of them.




Not long after I found a LFS that stocks Tony & Jeffrey Tan IP Discus. I bought a group of adults from them. Two Royal Blue Florals sold as a male and female, but turned out to be two males. a Pair of Cobalts that spawn regularly in the main discus tank, but won't spawn in a breeding tank. Five Heckel cross that all turned out to be female and a male Blue Moon Heckel. The two male Royal Blue Florals have each paired up with a female heckel cross, and the Blue Moon heckel has also paired up with a female heckel cross.







https://youtu.be/I1pK_vMQzBM

The female heckels are pretty aggressive and do not like having the males help with caring for fry. I usually have to remove the males by the time the fry are 2 weeks old, as the females start to belt them up.

https://youtu.be/vZlFYLY81KY

[rickztahone]

man, this is one beautiful discus off to the left:

[briztoon]

Thanks rickztahone. Royal Blue Flora from IP Discus. Trying to source a RBF female for him.

Short video of his brother.
https://youtu.be/9eJ3TBiPGeE

[rickztahone]

Thanks rickztahone. Royal Blue Flora from IP Discus. Trying to source a RBF female for him.

Short video of his brother.
https://youtu.be/9eJ3TBiPGeE

If LFS's sold discus like that local to people I wouldn't be such a strong advocate AGAINST buying from them. You have some beautiful discus.