Mary @ DDDiscus,

[Tad]

Well I have shared many IMs with Mary in the last year as we both shared the same problem with our fish and we both frantically tried to save them..Trust me what we both went through cost a lot of money (lab testing and medications),time and effort. I am also sure Marys financial and emotional output in dealing with this sickness was ten fold of what I had to deal with and I can say I lost over 4K in adult discus.....IMO she recieved a few shipments of imports that were compromised with sickness and she did everything within her power to first identify the problem, isolate the problem and treat the problem but without remedy. IMO, After a lack of success She made the ultimate choice to totally clean out her hatchery by mass culling etc....Im assuming this also cleaned out her finances to the point of having to totally shut down her operations...I do hope that DDDiscus makes contact with all that are owed and make arrangements for future rebates as that is the right thing to do. Looking back at the experience Mary had with some of her imports makes me Hope that ALL of the new importers selling on the forums take pre-emptive attacks and send parts of their shipments in for lab testing and taking extensive quarantine approaches prior to offering for sale.

Just my 2 cents,
Tad

[DISCUS USA]

I'm not any authority, these are just my opinions

But let's look at the facts, who are the importers we lost last year?

1) Mary
2) Eric
3) Tim
4) Mike H

Any others you can think of? Maybe we can add Cary to the list? Every year there is a new crop of importers and buyers, I guess that's why the exporters stay in business.

If you mean Tim from Southern Discus ,,Tim still has fish for sale and is in process of expanding fish room.. i got that word directly from him..

[DISCUS USA]

I dealt with Mary also and other than the fish she seemed like honest nice person.. really too bad all this all happened,,

Hector

[DISCUS USA]

I dealt with Mary also and other than the fish she seemed like honest nice person.. really too bad all this all happened,,

Hector

[discusfire4]

If you mean Tim from Southern Discus ,,Tim still has fish for sale and is in process of expanding fish room.. i got that word directly from him..

What happened to Mike H? (Hep?)

[DISCUS USA]

Dont know?

[babyjess210]

If you mean Tim from Southern Discus ,,Tim still has fish for sale and is in process of expanding fish room.. i got that word directly from him..

Hector
I think he meant Eric aka Tim's partner is out of the hobby.

[DISCUS USA]

Hey BabyJess,,ya i knew that but someone listed both Eric and Tim as out of the biz..actually Eric is gone and Tim @ Southern Discus still around..

Also to the list from last year you can add Danny @ Discus Fantasy gone ,,he still checks in here but no more fish for sale..

We are lucky to have Frank Gold MT Discus and Dan Gulf Coast Discus importing for us now,,it was dead for a while ,,slim pickings ,, but we back on track thanks to them 2 fine importers..

[brewmaster15]

I don't envy anyone trying to make a living or even a part time income off importing fish...that goes for any imports...asian, european, and wilds.etc..Its not an easy thing...and its easy to fail with all the good intentions in the world.

Those are some shoes I think we need to walk in before any of us can understand. Its easy looking from the outside in.,,and I highly advise any would be importers...to spend more time at that window looking in.

Theres a saying with discus....The only way to make money with them is to not sell them...sad but true.

hope it works out well for Mary and the others that have recently moved on to hopefully greener pastures.

-al

[discusfire4]

Dont know?

no

[DISCUS USA]

Mike Hep still in da game? im lost.. lol

[discusfire4]

Mike Hep still in da game? im lost.. lol

me too. Dont know about what?

[Dave C]

I think he still sells airstones.

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

Mike Heppner is out for good....has been for several months now. Sold off all his tanks and everything. Still has a few things laying around like the airstones and whatnot. But he got out and is not breedin his dogs. Phil Heppner might get in again one day in the future, but we'll see...

-Ryan

[Dkarc@Aol.com]

I don't envy anyone trying to make a living or even a part time income off importing fish...that goes for any imports...asian, european, and wilds.etc..Its not an easy thing...and its easy to fail with all the good intentions in the world.

Those are some shoes I think we need to walk in before any of us can understand. Its easy looking from the outside in.,,and I highly advise any would be importers...to spend more time at that window looking in.

Theres a saying with discus....The only way to make money with them is to not sell them...sad but true.

hope it works out well for Mary and the others that have recently moved on to hopefully greener pastures.

-al

Well said Al...it is VERY hard selling discus at any level. The market most people sell to just isnt there to make any money at all. After you count up all the electricity, water, meds, food, and countless other things, you'll be lucky to break even at the end of the month. You can make something most of the time, but its not worth it IMO. Granted, I am still importing and selling fish, but I am doing it merely for the experience and the passion of the discus hobby. If ya dont have that passion, you simply cant do it. And the financial part of the business is always the main reason why a lot of importers dont last very long...get one bad shipment in and you can lose it all. There arent as many good breeders over in Asia as we all think. To find a source that is able to supply you on a consistent basis of A grade and HEALTHY fish is very hard to find...very hard indeed...

-Ryan