Discus market concerns

[Kindredspirit]

Is this discussion finally over? Let me summarize:

Live and let live, there's more than one way to raise healthy discus.
Do what seems right to you, not what somebody states as fact.
Research vs. taking random comments at face value.
There's room for beginners in this hobby as well as serious breeders.
Discus can more easily be pets than profits.
Opinions are like (fill in the blank), everybody has one and they are all valid.

Now let's all sing:

Kumbya my Lord. Kunbya.

Well I thought it was great....and very funny!! Come on Mat sing with us!


Marie~

[imatrout]

You're comparing apples to oranges and has nothing to do with what I am saying.

I drink distilled water all the time.

Mat
p.s. -
Trout,

You'll have to sing a solo. You, too, are missing the point.

Not completely solo. Marie's on board and Dave seems like he might sing a few bars too. I don't think I'm missing the point, I think I'm spot on. You can raise them for Pets or for Profit and all points in between and the only "wrong approach" is cruelty due to neglect.

[ShinShin]

Or cruelty due to ignorance.

Mat

p.s.

Dave's just a party guy. lol

[ShinShin]

Albanets,

If you are truly a PhD in cellular biology, then you of all people ought to understand the point of proper water chemistry for fish species.

I've been drinking distilled water for over 20 years. Are you going to tell me it is sucking the calcium from my bones? It's Dr. approved and makes a great cup of Starbucks Sumatra and Oregon Chai tea.

Anyway, this thread is about to close. It's all talked out.

Mat

[imatrout]

Or cruelty due to ignorance.

I knew you or somebody would say that as soon as I wrote it.

Is it better for me to drink Perrier or Evian than tap water? Sure it is.

Is tap water gonna kill me or make me unhappy? I don't think so.

[White Worm]

Note to self, dont drink distilled water .

[Kindredspirit]

I always drink distilled water. oh dear



Marie~

[JeffreyRichard]

PLEASE kill this thread ... it is so far off topic that GPS couldn't find it's way back ...

[tpl*co]

WOW! I stopped reading at page 5 and haven't been keeping up on this but I thought I'd add something that came to mind and observations I've had. I don't want to step on any experts or hobbiests toes:

Everybody, being in different locations have different water parameters to start with so they may have to do different things to the water to be sucessful, be it straight from the tap or doctoring it with RO and acid. Straight from the tap may be OK for what you are trying to achieve, be it to look at pretty fish or breed, but it is an individualist thing according to the location and water you are delt with. (I've found my water grows out and maintains discus wonderfully, but I need to doctor it a bit to get good spawning rates, if I didn't want to try breeding tap is fine for me).

I've found out something too about the fish, they have individual personalities that had a different variable to the mix. I had a female that hated peat in the water. Everytime I tried it she would stop laying. Now if someone had just her, they may come up with a different conclusion than if a fish did like peat etc. These fish have personalities and preferences that we need to take into consideration and there isn't a one size fits all I think but a preferable acceptable range that may fit both the keeper and the fish (I'm no expert so no flaming, just going on what I've seen).

When I first started keeping discus (a co-worker talked me into it). I was keeping different fish and was unhappy in that they weren't presenting a pretty picture or "filling" my tank like I wanted. I was going from livebearers, to rainbows, to tetras etc and wasn't satisfied with the look of my tank. I was scared from trying discus because all the talk of how hard they were to keep, that they had a tendency to die, all the equipment and stuff needed to keep them etc. etc. Again at my co-workers coaxing (and a fish club talk), I went and got a 2.5 inch Sampson and Goliath to just try out (and see if I would not kill them) and the rest is history . Sampson and Goliath are huge now, and I've got other tanks devoted to discus and I'm trying (as a hobbiest) to see if I can get babies from another pair for the sheer joy of just being able to do it and to learn from it, not to make money . The well being and happiness of my fish come first (balanced with the time for my family and husband, but it seems my water changes come first over cleaning the house ). Everybody who sees my fish say I grow out some of the healthiest and prettiest discus they've seen .

Sampson and goliath are in a low tech planted tank were everything is in pots or tied down. Discus were definitely the thing I was looking for, they are beautiful, funny, intelligent fish that greet me when I enter the room . I've found that healthy fish are just as hardy as any other fish . Now if I didn't take the plunge because I was scared off from all the "work" involved I wouldn't have found the joy and beauty that are discus (and they are the reason for me keeping my aquariums now, LOL). But then again, I'm a hobbiest and not a big time operator trying to make money from them .

I agree though, that it takes a market willing to buy discus to make money from them. You won't be perpetuating the market if there is a feeling that people aren't willing to try to keep discus because they think they are "hard to keep" or will die on them. I think it is best for all around to have what will be the minimum requirements needed for a person who is just starting to keep them to try so that they will be successful with pets and then let the person decide if that is what they want to do to keep them as pets (and we all know what happens after we are successful with discus as pets now don't we?) WE BUY MORE AND FANCIER DISCUS! LOL! And that does the market good! We tell our friends, they try discus, we go to talks, join boards etc.

Just to say I'm glad I didn't stay "scared away" and tried discus. LOL

Tina

[Kindredspirit]

PLEASE kill this thread ... it is so far off topic that GPS couldn't find it's way back ...

Ya think? Jeff what is GPS??



Marie~