I enjoy and follow Discus fish in the 9 range. I've kept many fish for many years and am newer to Discus. While they require some additional time, my thinking is .....nothing ventured, nothing gained. I do use them for purely awe inspiring beauty and my goal is simply to keep and maintain a spot of supreme enjoyment and relaxation. So many visitors to my home think the Discus tank is saltwater because of the vibrant colors.
Keeping Discus is a 9 for me, but there are higher and lower times of activity. I also keep Angels, Gouramis, and Koi for fun. Discus and Koi are my two absolute favorite fish and the keeping of any fish requires dedication.....period. It is not a fair-weather hobby. Both Discus and Koi seem to have higher degrees of "fish personality". I really enjoy this facet of keeping D. And K.
Time.....gotta ba an 8 or 9 when one factors in care, viewing, reading abt, chatting w Discus friends, and Forum visits.
Growing or shrinking.....hard to say. My guess is growing some. King of tropical, yes. King of all fish....?......as Koi are right up there in my passion. Sadly, many people do hop into Discus too soon or wo a good grasp of fish husbandry and get frustrated and quit the hobby which is sad. Discus kind of get bad press in that so many writings almost scare off potential keepers of this fish. It is not impossible to keep them these days and is, in fact, maybe easier because of the Forum as a resource along w decades of breeding these guys outside of the Amazonian environmental factor.
Since I have a history of breeding everything I've gotten into which really expands the time taken and all, I have elected to not breed them (famous last words). My goal is to keep them as healthy as possible and simply enjoy the serenity of the adults wo the pressures of breeding. This is a change for me overall and I'm not saying I'd never breed, but keeping them for now is enough.
Yes...there are those who r not among us in the Forum, but this Forum is key in my success with these fish. Not only does it have the friendly followers of Discus, but is a huge source of information which I value deeply. I dare say that wo this forum, many would not have gotten into the hobby or would have bowed out after one of the Discus setbacks. I'm involved w many Forums and often see many visitors.......people who visit, but wish not to jump on or feel they are not experts. I know this is silly as we all learn constantly and pick up new tricks, but know that those of us who are in the Forum need it.