Originally Posted by
zhuls1
For the most part I agree with you Al, nothing beats first hand experiences in raising fish. I already know that it is possible to raise young discus in tanks with low water exchange rates. Aquaculture industries that are located in places where good water is sparse use many means of filtration to accommodate fish that are sometimes even more sensitive than discus. I have no doubt that its possible to raise discus without as many water changes as it has been done before. Its just a matter of making a system that works. Their have been many advancements in the science fields over the last couple of hundred years. I am sure if you asked people a couple of centuries ago if man would ever fly, or even go to the moon, they would had said it is impossible. People trying to achieve what others say is impossible is how we progress, and continue to develop more sophisticated technologies that were once thought of being as impossible. I do have plans in the works for numerous experiments, will they all turn out successful with young fry growing to be nice big adults? I would say almost certainly not. But I have complete confidence that I will find something that works consistently. And even if I didn't someone else would. many years ago most believed that a reef tank with corals was not possible. If no one challenges the norms and goes beyond what is common knowledge, how would the hobby grow and develop? We literally have the technology to filter water to 99.99% purity using systems such as RO - DI Units, remember, the water from your tap was likely not always that safe for raising fish, it first had to go through a filtration system to ensure its safety for the consumers. My purpose is to bring more people to this hobby. Unfortunately, all the waterchanges frequently turn people off from keeping discus. If we could prove a method to be reliable, affordable, easy to use and implement and not overly time consuming, it would allow many more people into the hobby. I do believe that experimentation is the means of accomplishing an entirely new standard of what is the "ideal" method of raising discus for the average hobbyists. Once I do that, if possible, I would like to refine the process to achieve the highest feed to growth ration possible.