October 2007 Spotlight... brewmaster15

[brewmaster15]

Hi Everyone,
Today we have a "special" treat for you.. as we interview Brewmaster15, for our October 2007 spotlight. Since Brew is the one that now does the interviews and to avoid him asking himself questions...we have decided that the forum membership could ask the questions...

On behalf of the forum I like to thank myself here for being here today to answers these questions! .. and I'd like to thank all of you for asking the questions and reading this thread.


So without further delay... Heres the questions that you all wanted to ask me...
Marie (KindredSpirit) asks the following...

Q. How old were you when you got your first discus? I've been keeping discus for about 15 years nows.. I am a 39 year old discus addict.

Q. Knowing what you know now ~ would you have still have opened Simply Discus 5-6 years ago? What would you have done different? Thats a tough question and the answer would probably depend on the kind of day I am having when I answer it. I'm very proud of this forum and all those that make it what it is today, and I feel it serves a very important role in the hobby.... But when we started It... We never envisioned it being as big as it is now... lets just say that its a royal challenge at times dealing with so many people and their often very different views on issues. Sometimes looking from the outside, things from a members point of view are straightforward on an issue.. My view from the inside is a bit more convoluted and complicated. When these views clash...its a real frustration.

What would I have done different? I make decisions here day to day on issues that come up.. I do the best I can and hope for the best outcome..I'm human and have never run a forum as large as this...I'm novice....Every time I do make a decision...its new to me. Hindsight is 20/20 but we don't have that when we are making decisions in the present. I like what we have here now.. I'll always regret some of the steps along the way...but these don't matter half as much as the sum of the steps taken..


Q.Who is your favorite Simply Discus Member? Everyone that I haven't had to ban!


Mark (bastalker) asks.....
Q. Tell us a little bit about the family behind the man. My Family consists of my very supportive and understanding wife Carrie, my daughter Becky 6, and son Ethan 4. Additionally I am the oldest child of a large Italian family. My wife and children love the hobby I am in and the kids in particular are very involved. They help me in the fishroom every chance they get. I am very much a family oriented person and my family is a very close nit one.

Q. Most members have some sort of meaning behind their screen name. What exactly is the meaning behind yours? Years ago, I was finishing a degree at night and was short on cash... There used to be a free internet service called Juno.. I signed up with it as brewmaster since I am a homebrewer... problem was they limited your minutes so I just kept signing up with a new name... brewmaster1, 2 , 3 etc.. by the time I got to brewmaster15 I had finished the degree and could afford a real internet service...so thats how I got the name.

Q. One day you said to yourself "I would love to have a fish room". When exactly did this decision become reality? Were there any influences in your decision to start one? I used to live in a very small old house... it had a stone foundation.. and low pipes all over the place..its where I kept several tanks.. I knew I wanted a real fishroom after the 20th time or so I hit my head on those pipes. Then about 6 years ago we were expecting our daughter and needed a bigger house... we walked in and I saw the basement and fell in love. Visions of tanks danced in my head as we signed the closing deal... I wasted no time and in a short while I had tanks everywhere and on everything... chairs, tables, etc..
People still tease me about it ... but I was just glad I didn't have to worry about hitting my head on a pipe.

Q. Of course a fish room doesn't happen over night. Everyone starts with one or two tanks. I would imagine that when you saw your first spawn it escalated from there. When exactly did you go out an get that gow out tank, and how long did it take you to get the massive amount of tanks you currently take care of? Its been 6 years now... I slowly added tanks from the moment we moved in, stacked them on furniture , crates whatever... then built racks, went crazy a few years ago and had almost 8000 gals here.....Down to a more manageable number now.

Q.Those that have fish rooms know how much work it takes to maintain one. Yours is quite impressive! Nevermind the tanks you maintain upstairs. You also have a koi pond, you raise chicks, maintain a garden, an keep this site running extremely smooth. Do you actually have any free time? What do you do when your not the husband/father/Discus breeder/gardener/pond keeper/brewer/admin? I have many hobbies which I tend to get into deeply....brewing beer, photography,collect science books,tinkering with computers... I am an avid field biologist and enjoy hiking and looking for creatures outdoors.. I also breed and keep snakes and keep other reptiles..

Q.Starting the "Simply Discus" forum must have been a huge under taking! Who helped you get it up an running, and how long did it take? This forum is the result of many peoples hard work and efforts..It started 6 years ago when Ryan and I were introduced by a mutual friend, April. Together the 3 of us decided we could make a discus forum.. The idea was "simple" just a place where a "small" group of us could get together and talk discus...We never expected it to grow as it did. It was a gradual process... we expanded as we grew.... new servers, a few set backs, a few steps forward, new software, etc.. The end product today is very different from where we started.

I don't think we could have done it without the help of so many out there...all the past and present moderators, members that have donated funds and time,sponsors, and the members that have made this site their home. It all comes together to make the forum what it is.

Q. Over the years since the "SD" has been up an running, the forum has developed quite a deep membership. Did you ever expect it to grow to such a size? Not in my wildest and worst nightmares.

Q. How can you work 20 hours a day on everything and still be one of the friendliest an hospitable individuals I have had the pleasure of getting to know? Discus. Science has shown fish help with stress....so I guess the discus is king in more ways than one...(BTW...Thanks... I enjoy meeting and talking with fellow hobbyists)


Ardan (Ardan) asks..
Q. How many tanks are you currently running?Too many!!! about 3000 gals..many are 30 gals, 75 gals and I have 6 125 gal tanks...
Q.How many discus do you have? Way too many! I usually lose count...but I have about 200 adults and young adults here in my collection....and many,many, many juvies and fry.
Q. What other fish do you have? I breed angels and keep many here as well. I have been working on breeding a few lines of zebras and marbles here.. I have 2 pair of uaru as well as Koi and plecos.. I often breed rams as well.
Q. What other fish have you successfully bred or are working with? Discus are my passion, but I enjoy breeding Angels and rams..assorted small cichlids...guppies, live bearers etc,,I have bred local fish here as well....I like the tidal killies..
Q. What is your wc regimen? All my tanks have different regimens.. I have some that get wc every day, 95%, others get 30% every other day. It depends on so many factors...what I feed , how much, the tank size, the filtration,the number of fish etc. The age of the fish.
Q. What do you feed your fish and how often? (3 times daily,4?..)I believe in feeding a diverse diet...I feed my fish a varied diet of Frozen blood worms, Frozen Brine shrimp, Frozen Mysis relicta shrimp, homemade beef heart and homemade seafood mixes, assorted flakes and pellets. I also feed live compost worms, aka red wigglers to my breeder age fish.
Q. What are your best experiences with discus? I have had the pleasure of keeping and breeding many discus, but I always like the wilds best.. I'd have to say that my best experiences have been breeding wilds and crossing them to domestics. Its was a thrill to know that what I bred was unique and only existed in my tanks.
Q. What are you worst experiences? Disease? Losses?... What did you learn from them? I had an incident a few years ago where I lost several thousand dollars in discus that where in Quarantine when they broke down . This happened about a month after I had them...it was a heart breaking thing to see happen.. I sent fish to a lab for analysis and really nothing could be found.. Turned out there was likely a parasite involved and secondary infections... I learned that long Quarantines.. really do matter... Because I did not mix those fish after a week or two I saved much more than I would have lost.. I also learned that Fish get sick... it happens sooner or latter to everyone.


Darren (A1aquarium world) asks...

Q. Over the years you have been involved with Discus what are the biggest and best changes you have seen with the hobby ?I think the biggest changes in the Hobby is the forums.. Online communities really have made knowledge on fish keeping so much more accessible... I see many novices succeeding where many would have failed.

I also think one of the best changes is the global interaction I see now between various countries of the world in this hobby....We all learn daily from our counterparts over seas.Its a good thing that I wish would trickle up political systems.

Q. If there was no simply discus forum do you think your Discus hobby would be as big ? Probably not... seeing all these beautiful feeds the fire of the discus addict...at least it does here in my case. Addicts don't need that much encouragement and the photogallery alone here is like being a kid in a candy store.

Q.one more when will you start exporting to Australia ????????????? I'd like to export myself there...been trying to convince the family but its an uphill battle.


Scott (swinefka) asks...

Q. Is there any new strains that you are currently working on and if so what types are the pair? I am working with some Alenquer albinos now, and have some nice fry growing out..I am also working on a wild blue X red turq..The juvies at this point are just starting to color up...I'm hopefull theres something good there.

I am hopeful to be working on a very old strain as well...wild heckels.. I have a number of these I have acquired and hope to breed.

Larry (Polar_Bear) asks....

Q. What kind of filtration system(s) do you use? hydro Sponge filters, aquaclear 110's, and water changes.....lots and lots of WC's
Q. What are your water parameters, and do you change them for breeders? Breeders are in Ro/tap water mix..I shoot for 60-100us.. My grow outs are in well water.. its medium hard, about 400us, and aged pH of 7.6. I keep my non-breeding wilds and all non-breeding domestics in this.
Q. Its well known that you also raise angelfish, do you keep/breed any other cichlids besides angelfish and discus? Rams usually but none now.. and I have 2 pair of uaru that have been practicing for years.
Q. What is your opinion on the use of prophylactic treatments and if you do use them, what do you routinely use? These days I believe in prophylactic treating for worms using praziquantel for tape worms and levamisole for all otherworms...I do this for all new fish that come in.. I do not repeat it unless I have reason to believe its needed.

No prophylactic treatment for internal flagellates ( Years ago I used to...but no longer ) absolutely no antibiotics unless needed.

Chemical antiparasitics like PP, formalin, and malachite as needed...
Q. How well are you doing with aquatic plants? Terrible.. I have tried several times and just am never happy with the outcome.. I have found that Silk plants in the tank and live pothos rooted on the tank work very well though!


April (April) asks....
Q.Have any sleep study centers approached you yet to do experiments on you? lol. LOL what's sleep?

Kenny (International Discus) asks...
Q. What keeps you in the discus game when you might have felt a little overwhelmed sometimes?(or have you?) Love of the Fish ... plain and simple.. Discus are so embedded in my blood, heart, and brain, that I can't stay away even when I try. I get the double wammy...I have the fish and this forum.. I'm hopelessly lost!

Mike (Mikscus) asks...

Q. We all say we have been through many things and tough times.Has there been a time when you lost big and almost got out? I mentioned earlier the time I had a disease issue...I also had a time a few years back when I was trying to build a wild discus business....I was naive, and paid for that dearly...but learned alot..... I almost threw in the towel completely. Luckily..I didn't... I just took a few steps back...and went back to being what I enjoyed most...a hobbyist.

Q.We all have someone that has helped us big through the beginning and learning stages. Kenny helped me and then we have simply.What did you have in the beginning? Who (specifically)was your mentor or who has helped you grow in this hobby?
In the beginning I had nothing but books and experiments...I tried alot of different things and made a lot of mistakes.....I think my biology background helped.... thru the years since the internet forums I have made so many friends all contributing to what I know..... I never had a mentor, but I had some close relationships with top notch hobbyists and breeders that I would talk to and bounce things off and learn from their experiences.. and I still do daily! Theres so many to recognize...but foremost that come to mind are People like Cary Strong, Paul Butler, Kenny, Jason, April, my partner Ryan Smith ,TonyS, the university staffers and all our Moderators... ...and so many many more that share their experiences... are all my mentors as are all the hobbyists that post here.

Brewmaster15 (Al ) asks..
Do you have anything else you want to say?
Yes... I want to thank everyone that is a member here and especially those that participate in making this site what it is. I also need to thank all the Moderators past and present and all the university volunteers, and sponsors.. You are all so important here for what you do... A special thank you to April and to Ryan Smith.. Ryan of all people here knows what it takes to run this place...The things we have gone thru getting to this point and still deal with daily for a hobby site!...amazing we made it this far......6 years has flown by.... its not been an easy 6 but its been a good 6 years!... Thanks!!


Thanks again everyone...Thats about it...I'll get some photos up soon...

take care,
al

[tacks]

Hi Al a very nice interview, you answered some great questions. I learned a little more about a person I have never meet. You are a gentleman and devouted to discus which came through in the interview. Ed

[back 2 discus biz]

Hey Al,

Thanks for devoting so much time and effort while making it look like a Sunday morning stroll. I appreciate your unconditional support no matter how novice the person or how basic the question may be. Maybe it's the homebrew but there just never seems to be any attitude in your posts.

It brings a lot of peace-of-mind to know I can quickly get reliable answers from so many people here.

Good job!

Paul

[Kenny's Discus]

Hi Al, what a great interview! You are a wonderful person and the spotlight and interview is well-deserved. I'm sure your site will continue to grow and all the best to you. I enjoy our conversations and I learned a lot from you!

Now we know about the origin of "brewmaster15"! Looking forward to the pictures Al!

Kenny

[mikel]

Cool man, Al! I really enjoy knowing you and your family better. My one visit was way too short, but I just had to get back to my macaws. The two blood pigeons are doing great... getting bigger and bratty by the day. mike

[Darren's Discus]

Al,
great spotlight,I thank you and ryan everyday i log onto this awesome sight.it truly has made this hobby so much more enjoyable.It is so nice to be able to share your experience's with so many other hobbyist !


cheers

[brewmaster15]

Thanks everyone!

Heres a few pics...I'll take add some more tomarrow.


-al

[brewmaster15]

Last couple until tomarrow...

-al

[Ardan]

Al,

Great answers to all the questions
Thank you very much for all you do for all of us. You are always there!

You are one of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.

I also am proud to have some of your fine fish in my tanks

Ardan

[dpt8]

Al, You are the greatest.. I am lucky to consider you my mentor.. Thanks so much for everything !! So many AWESOME fish you have also :9) David T.

[April]

great interview..and great interviewees..even if we do hear from you all the time..i think everyone chose the right candidate. helps us to realize our fearful leader is as severly or more severely addicted as we are..a great rolemodel. lol.
Im very attached to simply . its like home for me..to clarify one thing..when we had the idea of a forum dancing in our head..it was cause we wanted a place for all our discus buddies to have fun and learn and to help newbies. thats the part i enjoy the most id say..is seeing a newbie start..asking questions..and see how well some of them have done with growing out discus after they read and listened and learned.ive seen over 6 years alot who were fairly new to the hobby..and now doing great things.
i introduced brew and ryan..but i chose not to be an admin or part owner. : ) just a moderator..oh and ryans "test dummy" for new software. : ) but its been great fun.
i agree with brew..the photogallery alone is like the candy store of discus.

[architect1]

Beautiful fish, and you have some great photo skills thank you for sharing. Hope to see more soon.

[Condor]

Al, this was a very neat interview to read. Nice to hear more about you. I knew you were a busy guy but man... I am thankful to have this forum, it is something that I think we all take for granted. Thanks for the hard work.

Adrian

[Squiggy]

hmmmm....Not a word about his oldest pair of socks....makes you wonder just what the man is trying to hide....

[Kindredspirit]

Obviously his socks.