PETCO Discus????

[SejRamkas]

So I stopped by my local PETCO today because unfortunately they are the only place in town that gets discus of any kind in. I saw this guy in one of the tanks. He is about 3" head to tail. Let me just go ahead and clear the air before this post gets flamed with people grilling me on Petco. I know these are not good quality fish, and I know Petco doesn't give their fish proper care. I am still relatively new to the hobby (about 1 yr. with discus), and instead of making huge investments in top quality fish I would rather go this route and continue my learning experience until I have discus keeping down.

Questions:
-I see the fish has a general "football" shape, does this mean it's definitely stunted or is it too early to tell?

-Will the pattern that is missing in the rear section eventually fill in to match the rest of the checkerboard?

-Any definite warning signs you can see up front (other than it being from Petco obviously...)


This being said, the only reason I have even considered this fish is because it is only 25 dollars for a 3" pigeon and my selection is also very limited in AL.

[Sandy Clay]

I would buy it! Of course I have only been keeping Discus for about 3 years and I am not trying to breed them etc... I just like them.

[discuspaul]

It's not a bad-looking discus, but it's not particularly well-shaped, and it could be stunted.
That being said, it looks reasonably healthy, and for $25., you may want to take the chance and see how it turns out.

[1077]

I have seen much worse from local fish stores where they were kept with other fishes, and would prolly buy it just to keep it from getting sickly,abused.
Petco here,will order fish, and call when they arrive, so they can be picked up directly rather than acclimated to store tank's, and then your tank.Maybe your store would/could do this also?

[ROOK45]

IMO make the investment in "quality" stock. Fish live a long time. I too am new to discus only 4 months keeping them. It's really simple lots of food and even more water changing also always quarantine and you shouldn't have a problem. I got my first adult group for free and I've already sold them off to get higher quality discus. I've noticed with discus you do get what you pay for.

[ashtricks]

If I am not wrong, petco gets their discus from Segrest farms.

[SejRamkas]

Yes Petco orders from Segrest. I used to work for a local chain pet store who ordered from Segrest, so I know what their fish selection is and its identical to Petco's.... plus the segrest boxes I see laying around on truck days are a dead giveaway...

So you guys think this little guy would be worth rescuing? You can see in the first picture he has a tiny amount of ich. I also saw him doing a little bit of dancing about in the tank that leads me to believe he has some kind of external parasite. I really almost bought him just to save him. Dont worry if purchased this fish will be quarantined for a rather extended period before being introduced to my display tank.

I am not interested in breeding them or anything like that, I just want healthy discus. Anyone think that rear section will fill in with pattern? I'd rather have one with a good pattern, and if this one isnt going to fill in I may pass til the next shipment.

[shawnhu]

Ich would be the easiest to cure in Discus, it's the internals that you cannot see that may haunt you down the road. If you are OK with that, I'd go for it as well. I'd you are close to me, you can come pick up some for free.

[YSS]

It's not a bad-looking discus, but it's not particularly well-shaped, and it could be stunted.
That being said, it looks reasonably healthy, and for $25., you may want to take the chance and see how it turns out.

Agreed!

[AngryBird]

Not all chain stores are bad. With 15 day money back on freshwater fish. QT them and with perfect temperature and clean water, you might be giving this fish a great life. Looks pretty good for $25.

[SejRamkas]

Well I may have a problem with QTing him. I currently have 2 small juvi's in my QT tank that have already been dewormed and seem to be doing well. I am worried about moving them into the main tank because they are so small, but I'm also worried about putting this guy in there and having him pass something on to them....

[discuspaul]

Doesn't look like it has ich to me - small discolored spottings in the tail fin don't look like ich.
Will the rest of the body fill in as time goes on ? Who knows - maybe yes, maybe no.

[TNT77]

Well I may have a problem with QTing him. I currently have 2 small juvi's in my QT tank that have already been dewormed and seem to be doing well. I am worried about moving them into the main tank because they are so small, but I'm also worried about putting this guy in there and having him pass something on to them....
If you do not have the proper quarantine then do not take the chance.

[SejRamkas]

If you do not have the proper quarantine then do not take the chance.

this is kinda what I'm thinking... Even though the fish looks ok and is at a great price, it may not be worth the risk. I have a cobalt and red marlboro in there now that I want to grow out before going in the main tank. Both are Stendker's and it would be a shame to lose them over a Petco discus...

[TNT77]

this is kinda what I'm thinking... Even though the fish looks ok and is at a great price, it may not be worth the risk. I have a cobalt and red marlboro in there now that I want to grow out before going in the main tank. Both are Stendker's and it would be a shame to lose them over a Petco discus...
:thumbsup:

[AngryBird]

If you already have healthy discus, dont take the risk of buying it from petco unless you QT them. Even simply sponsors will recommend that you QT their fish before you add them to the group that you already own.


Well I may have a problem with QTing him. I currently have 2 small juvi's in my QT tank that have already been dewormed and seem to be doing well. I am worried about moving them into the main tank because they are so small, but I'm also worried about putting this guy in there and having him pass something on to them....

[Etek]

I saw discus at petco totally looked awful..even worst than a lfs and petco has them priced at $50 for 3" fish.

[Curt]

Imho it looks ok. But I would wait till your other fish are out of qt. I got some from a lfs for that price and got very discouraged with discus. They looked great, but one by one i lost them all in the end. I bought some from kenny in late nov and mid december. And these fish are great! Active and being pigs. Most were 3" when i got them. My first 4 are pushing 4.5" fron nov. An my dec fish are 3.5-4" in length got them at 2.5". You get what you pay for. That being said, that particular fish does look good but if you cant qt him,pass for now.

[DLock3d]

Did I really just read someone ACTUALLY taking the advice they asked for? Bravo OP. Better safe than sorry. When you have the means to QT you'll be in better shape.

[sammy]

Buy that fish. He's awesome.

[vss]

It's a good young checkerboard pigeon. Just make sure you quarantine them properly.
I had some experience with my local PETCO for some community fish, and they are not bad.

Xiaofei :)

[GrayLadyPat]

I think they're still having a decent sale on bare bones tanks at the "other" chain store... you might be able to pick p a decent smallish tank for a 2nd QT...It might be worth the money in case you ever come across another decent deal before you have the previous one out of QT ;)

[Pancho]

It's not a bad-looking discus, but it's not particularly well-shaped, and it could be stunted.
That being said, it looks reasonably healthy, and for $25., you may want to take the chance and see how it turns out.

I agree 100% !!!

[barkmanusd]

This is a kinda confusing post..... You posed a question, indicating you were leaning towards getting the fish. Acknowledged he was inferior.... .... realized to get him he would have to be well quarantined - and said you would do that...then explained your hesitancy to QT because you would risk 2 Stendkers!

I don't know that you can have the quality you'd like with such varying requirements and self imposed obstacles. ...albeit it for $25.
Your largest problem is you are trying to learn to drive a Ferrari but are only willing to train in a Ford Focus! The conditions, disease and poor quality fish you may get 'learning' with Petco discus is not a primer for raising quality discus. I'd suggest nurturing your Stendekers (they aren't even out of QT yet.), buying 1 or 2 quality discus (Hans, Kenny Discus..just look in this forum) or select a different less expensive more forgiving breed (angels, Rams etc.). Good luck!

[White Worm]

Not bad but dont do it. Stick with reputable stock.

[Chicago Discus]

I think this would be a perfect situation for the new experiment section of the forum. But I would first get a very cheap 20g high tank as a quarantine/hospital tank. As far as purchasing the fish that’s totally your call I have found that when I get discus from places that are not up to minimum standards I have troubles from the get go. It’s like purchasing a used car IMO you want to know where the car came from and the conditions it was kept in. That’s why I try to support local breeders you can see where the fish came from most times the parents and the condition in which they were raised. But the choice is yours if you like the fish then purchase him just make sure you quarantine the fish before you introduce him to other fish........Josie

[SejRamkas]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Sorry for the confusion on the post. I guess my main reason for posting this was to see everyone's opinions on what I saw as a mediocre discus to see if i was just missing something. I am still learning what to look for, and this one had me kinda on the fence and wanted to see if what I thought was the general consensus of everyone here. I would never jeopardize any of my fish with not QTing new stock.

[Jeff O]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Sorry for the confusion on the post. I guess my main reason for posting this was to see everyone's opinions on what I saw as a mediocre discus to see if i was just missing something. I am still learning what to look for, and this one had me kinda on the fence and wanted to see if what I thought was the general consensus of everyone here. I would never jeopardize any of my fish with not QTing new stock.

That's a wonderful statement coming from a new discus keeper. Here's the thing, You start out with low quality stock and 2 months later your sick of looking at the fish and want high quality stock. That's how it works. Kenny gets some beautiful discus for great prices. You can start out with 4-5 $30 discus from him and they will grow out to be Beautiful adults with the proper care. Or you can buy some Juvies from Hans or any other great sponsor we have here. Bottom line is Discus ARE NOT hard fish to keep they just require more time and attention than other fish. There really is no reason to start out with low quality stock to get the hang of them, daily water changes proper diet = Success! I see so many new members on here that post all of these issues they're having and all I see is poor conditions and stunted discus. It never has to be like that. I dont think you will have any issues, all the information you could ever need is only a search away on this forum.
-Jeff

[PP_GBR]

S:

For what it costs, I'd say go for it. But you need to buy a clear plastic storage container from Home Depot to QT. I wish Petco near me has some for sale. Sometimes ugly fish turn out the most beautiful you've never known.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100671089?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051&N=5yc1vZc3gd&R=100671089

[SejRamkas]

That's a wonderful statement coming from a new discus keeper. Here's the thing, You start out with low quality stock and 2 months later your sick of looking at the fish and want high quality stock. That's how it works. Kenny gets some beautiful discus for great prices. You can start out with 4-5 $30 discus from him and they will grow out to be Beautiful adults with the proper care. Or you can buy some Juvies from Hans or any other great sponsor we have here. Bottom line is Discus ARE NOT hard fish to keep they just require more time and attention than other fish. There really is no reason to start out with low quality stock to get the hang of them, daily water changes proper diet = Success! I see so many new members on here that post all of these issues they're having and all I see is poor conditions and stunted discus. It never has to be like that. I dont think you will have any issues, all the information you could ever need is only a search away on this forum.
-Jeff

Yea I know what you mean about the low quality stock. The problem I'm having here is that I currently have 3 approx 4" discus in my 55 gallon main tank. The two juvis are in my QT tank which is now more or less a grow out tank for them so I can get them large enough to feel comfortable introducing them to the meanies in the 55. The 3 I have in the main tank are by no means top quality fish, but they are pretty good looking none the less. So at this point I'm in a bit of a tough situation because I cant grow a group out together, and I also can't find adult discus to put into my main tank (in my comfortable price range that is). Because I am still learning I don't want to buy 100+ dollar discus only to lose them. I am doing daily water changes in both tanks and learning a lot as I go, I still just dont feel comfortable with the full investment at this point in time.

[shawnhu]

Yea I know what you mean about the low quality stock. The problem I'm having here is that I currently have 3 approx 4" discus in my 55 gallon main tank. The two juvis are in my QT tank which is now more or less a grow out tank for them so I can get them large enough to feel comfortable introducing them to the meanies in the 55. The 3 I have in the main tank are by no means top quality fish, but they are pretty good looking none the less. So at this point I'm in a bit of a tough situation because I cant grow a group out together, and I also can't find adult discus to put into my main tank (in my comfortable price range that is). Because I am still learning I don't want to buy 100+ dollar discus only to lose them. I am doing daily water changes in both tanks and learning a lot as I go, I still just dont feel comfortable with the full investment at this point in time.

Don't feel like you are alone in this. As much as I want top quality Discus like the ones Kenny carries, I simply can't afford it and have gone the route that many here on SD would advise against. If you like it, and have the heart to follow through, go for it. Just be ready if and when they come down with something. Have a few popular meds on hand and who knows, you may become the next one helping others and giving advice in no time.

[sammy]

I still think it looks like a super fish! I'd buy him in a second.

[Curt]

S,
Here is a problem I see. Your main display is only a 55 gallon in which you have 3 four inch fish allready. Plus you have two more in qt. So unless you get a larger display tank once grown you would be pushing a 55 to the max with 6 fish. An if you were doing that you would deffinitly need daily water changes. How big are your stendekers? If they are 3" and have sucsefully gone through qt put them with your other fish and change the tank setup a bit to blur any teratory lines. And you should be fine. My fish all very in size from 3-5" in the same grow out tank and all seem to be doing fine and are pigs.

Just dont be like me, I started with $25 pet store stock. After i lost close to $250 worth in fish I was down and about ready to give up with discus. I know it dosent seem like you can afford to spend the money for quality stock, but after i lost that much buying lfs stock it made my first order from one of the sponsers here down right cheap for quality stock.

If you had tank space i would say give him a shot but dont expect much other then to try to give him a good life.

But my 2cents hold off for now.

Curt

[Baygon]

[QUOTE=SejRamkas;976802
This being said, the only reason I have even considered this fish is because it is only 25 dollars for a 3" pigeon and my selection is also very limited in AL.[/QUOTE]

In Panama Discus are so limited that LFS are selling $80.00 each even the very common type.

[Baygon]

As Shawnhu said, take it home and stock yourself with necessary meds just in case and take VERY good care with it. I bought a bad discus when I started this hobby but thru patience I was able to make this bad boy into one healthy motherdiscus...daily WC, hours of research, dump big $ on meds, and pray God that this $80 creature won't die.

[Kal-El]

I've learn not to waste my money on LFS Discus or unknown source. The amount of money you spend just trying to treat the fish back will likely add up to cost you as much as buying a heathy quality Discus from a good source like our sponsor plus shipping.

[White Worm]

As Shawnhu said, take it home and stock yourself with necessary meds just in case and take VERY good care with it. I bought a bad discus when I started this hobby but thru patience I was able to make this bad boy into one healthy motherdiscus...daily WC, hours of research, dump big $ on meds, and pray God that this $80 creature won't die.
This is why I wouldn't do it. Discus keeping is meant to be fun and I enjoy using my time watching healthy and happy discus in my tanks compared to the work involved with, extra money, meds and stress to keep something alive. Doesn't sound like much fun to me.

[-gb-]

Discus keeping is meant to be fun and I enjoy using my time watching healthy and happy discus in my tanks compared to the work involved with, extra money, meds and stress to keep something alive. Doesn't sound like much fun to me.

+1

[Wes]

This is why I wouldn't do it. Discus keeping is meant to be fun and I enjoy using my time watching healthy and happy discus in my tanks compared to the work involved with, extra money, meds and stress to keep something alive. Doesn't sound like much fun to me.
+2................ but if you use this fish as a learning experience it may be worth it. We all will have a sick fish if we do this long enough and learning about meds on a 25$ fish is worth it over learning on a 200$ fish.
This is a LFS fish 2 years ago a 25$ fish. Btw the only discus I ever bought from a LFS.
http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n622/xeriod/Picture175.jpg




This is him now
http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n622/xeriod/DuPage-20121021-00114.jpg

[PP_GBR]

A $25.00 fish is not worth 1/2 of my shipping cost. If the fish does get sick, then do not spend the $ on the meds but instead treating him with heat and salt. If he does not make it then the opportunity cost is $25.00 + tax and ultility.

[sammy]

Why wouldn't you buy that fish??? BTW it's probobly already sold. He looks healthy - You know that gift horse saying? You know, NOT every LFS discus sucks. I think he is a steal.

[White Worm]

With so many high quality options in the discus world, why would you? If you search long enough, you will eventually find someone in your area that is a discus breeder. Here alone, there are 10 or more sponsors that supply top notch discus at decent prices. Starting with inferior fish tends to frustrate new people to the hobby. LFS's don't have the time, facilities and many times the knowledge to properly take care of discus. Why is there only 1 discus and not tankfuls of discus at Petco? Because they don't deal with discus on a regular basis. Petco IMO is not even considered a LFS. They run a central filtration system that means spreading disease. Once you have been keeping discus for years, you learn to really appreciate the characteristics that discus are known for and you strive to breed, grow and keep those characteristics.


Why wouldn't you buy that fish??? BTW it's probobly already sold. He looks healthy - You know that gift horse saying? You know, NOT every LFS discus sucks. I think he is a steal.

[sammy]

With so many high quality options in the discus world, why would you? If you search long enough, you will eventually find someone in your area that is a discus breeder. Here alone, there are 10 or more sponsors that supply top notch discus at decent prices. Starting with inferior fish tends to frustrate new people to the hobby. LFS's don't have the time, facilities and many times the knowledge to properly take care of discus. Why is there only 1 discus and not tankfuls of discus at Petco? Because they don't deal with discus on a regular basis. Petco IMO is not even considered a LFS. They run a central filtration system that means spreading disease. Once you have been keeping discus for years, you learn to really appreciate the characteristics that discus are known for and you strive to breed, grow and keep those characteristics.
You are absolutely right that you have a better chance of getting a high quality discus from one of our sponsers...however he'd look absolutely awesome in my stunt tank! and if he grew!!!!

[shawnhu]

+2................ but if you use this fish as a learning experience it may be worth it. We all will have a sick fish if we do this long enough and learning about meds on a 25$ fish is worth it over learning on a 200$ fish.
This is a LFS fish 2 years ago a 25$ fish. Btw the only discus I ever bought from a LFS.
http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n622/xeriod/Picture175.jpg




This is him now
http://i1143.photobucket.com/albums/n622/xeriod/DuPage-20121021-00114.jpg

Good point and bravo on the good looking fish.

[SejRamkas]

S,
Here is a problem I see. Your main display is only a 55 gallon in which you have 3 four inch fish allready. Plus you have two more in qt. So unless you get a larger display tank once grown you would be pushing a 55 to the max with 6 fish. An if you were doing that you would deffinitly need daily water changes. How big are your stendekers? If they are 3" and have sucsefully gone through qt put them with your other fish and change the tank setup a bit to blur any teratory lines. And you should be fine. My fish all very in size from 3-5" in the same grow out tank and all seem to be doing fine and are pigs.

Just dont be like me, I started with $25 pet store stock. After i lost close to $250 worth in fish I was down and about ready to give up with discus. I know it dosent seem like you can afford to spend the money for quality stock, but after i lost that much buying lfs stock it made my first order from one of the sponsers here down right cheap for quality stock.

If you had tank space i would say give him a shot but dont expect much other then to try to give him a good life.

But my 2cents hold off for now.

Curt

The two Stendkers I have are about 2.5" and the ones in the display are probably pushing 4.5" range. I have one blue diamond in there that is just plain MEAN. I wanted to keep the little guys separated and give them a chance seeing as they ARE the best quality discus I have bought since starting the hobby. Ive tried everythig with the fish in the tank to ease aggression when introducing new fish such as changing scenery and what not but its no use. I have had a fish die due to lack of eating because this one runs them off every time food hits the water. I'm just nervous about putting them in the main tank til they are bigger and stronger.

[SejRamkas]

Also, I am doing daily water changes on both tanks currently, so this wouldnt really be much of a change from my current routine. I also just assembled all the pieces to start my water aging barrel. This is the last thing I need in order to be a completely responsible discus keeper.

[Ryan]

IMO, you're having aggression issues because of the number of discus you have. There's a reason I (and lots of other people here) recommend getting a minimum of six fish to grow out. If there's not a large enough group for the pecking order to be spread out, one or two unlucky individuals are going to catch all the aggression from the dominant fish. This usually results in stessing them to the point of illness or (as you've already seen) death.

There are a lot of hobbyist breeders out there raising decent quality fry who will ship. If you want starter fish, you don't even have to go to someone like Hans or Kenny. Check out our Buy, Sell, Trade section or post a thread in "Hey I'm Looking For" and see if you can get some nice looking, home-raised pigeons or red turks. Good, healthy stock can be had for a great price if you're willing to look for it.

I do not buy discus from chain stores because in most cases they are A) not good quality, and B) mixed into tanks which are on central filtration systems. This exposes discus to all sorts of stuff. I have a local Petco who routinely has discus and they are often covered in ich because they're kept in cold water. It seems odd to support a store by buying inferior quality fish. This leads to them ordering more of said fish. If people didn't buy discus from chain stores, chain stores wouldn't stock them anymore.

It also seems odd to suggest that someone buys a $25 and then stocks up on meds to treat it. By the time you factor in the cost of meds, now you're dealing with a sick fish that actually cost you way more than $25, when you could have just put that money toward a better quality fish from a reputable source.

If you do want to bring new fish home, regardless of the source, a quarantine tank is a must. Why risk killing all your other stock?

[Skip]

it seems strange to me how some are supporting PETCO discus..

[troysdiiscus]

++1

I have bought all my discus from sponsors on this sight and food and couldnt be more pleased with the support and help you get. WILL never buy elsewhere...

it seems strange to me how some are supporting PETCO discus..

[John_Nicholson]

I did not read all of the responses and now I wish I had not read any of them...Whats wrong with some of you people? There is no good reason on Gods green earth to buy discus from petco. What you know as facts is they are on a central system so the water is probably 72 degrees...the other fact that is known is it has been exposed to everything that every other fish in that store has been exposed....the best that you could hope for is to buy the fish, spent 3X the money on meds, hope you don't kill your other fish, and if it all goes in your favor you will end up with a average fish. What kind of idiots does it take to suggest that to someone?

Run from this fish. Buy some healthy ones from a local hobbyist of buy from one of the sponsors here. When you take into consideration all of the money that if takes to raise a discus (water, food, heat, etc...) the difference in buying a crappy $25 dollar fish and a nice healthy fish is nothing....

-john

[SejRamkas]

I did not read all of the responses and now I wish I had not read any of them...Whats wrong with some of you people? There is no good reason on Gods green earth to buy discus from petco. What you know as facts is they are on a central system so the water is probably 72 degrees...the other fact that is known is it has been exposed to everything that every other fish in that store has been exposed....the best that you could hope for is to buy the fish, spent 3X the money on meds, hope you don't kill your other fish, and if it all goes in your favor you will end up with a average fish. What kind of idiots does it take to suggest that to someone?

Run from this fish. Buy some healthy ones from a local hobbyist of buy from one of the sponsors here. When you take into consideration all of the money that if takes to raise a discus (water, food, heat, etc...) the difference in buying a crappy $25 dollar fish and a nice healthy fish is nothing....

-john

Thanks for your valued opinion John. I have seen many posts by you that I have learned a lot from, and I have to say its nice to see you on this one. I have to say I agree with you on this one and that's why I was originally reluctant/hesitant to purchase this fish. I knew it would be on a central system with the other fish and therefore at a temperature that is much too low (hence the slight ich), and also exposed to many possible diseases. I now agree its not worth the 25 dollars considering all the money I would probably have to spend on medications. I learned this recently when I noticed my blue diamond began having problems, and recently lost a pigeon blood because of this after spending all that money on medication (the BD recovered fine but the PB was not so lucky). I would hate to see that happen again, which is why I posted this fish on here in the first place.

[SejRamkas]

Maybe people can read this post and learn that although a discus may be a good price and look ok (even by many member's standards) it still might not be a good idea. Then again I have already seen many posts similar to this and it seems people just don't ever listen.....

[-gb-]

Sing it John - you speak the truth :)

[John_Nicholson]

SejRamkas justed wanted to make sure you knew that my response was not directed to you for asking the question. It was directed at some of the answers that you received. Glad you have enjoyed some of my past advice.

-john

P.S> Thanks gb

[Larry Bugg]

SejRamkas justed wanted to make sure you knew that my response was not directed to you for asking the question. It was directed at some of the answers that you received. Glad you have enjoyed some of my past advice.

-john

P.S> Thanks gb

Too many Internet Experts out there!!! I agree with John and Ryan's advice 100%. There are just toooooooo many opitons out there, at different price points, to take chance like this.

[Ryan]

I thought I was alone in my thinking but luckily John came in and reinforced what I was trying to say. Thanks, John. ;) Maybe we're just both crazy. lol

[krislewis3]

In my limited experience, if the fish is a juvie, the pattern should fill in!!




Yes Petco orders from Segrest. I used to work for a local chain pet store who ordered from Segrest, so I know what their fish selection is and its identical to Petco's.... plus the segrest boxes I see laying around on truck days are a dead giveaway...

So you guys think this little guy would be worth rescuing? You can see in the first picture he has a tiny amount of ich. I also saw him doing a little bit of dancing about in the tank that leads me to believe he has some kind of external parasite. I really almost bought him just to save him. Dont worry if purchased this fish will be quarantined for a rather extended period before being introduced to my display tank.

I am not interested in breeding them or anything like that, I just want healthy discus. Anyone think that rear section will fill in with pattern? I'd rather have one with a good pattern, and if this one isnt going to fill in I may pass til the next shipment.

[John_Nicholson]

LOL...Ryan I don't think we are crazy just experienced....I also think we need a bigger drum...the one that we are beating is not making near enough noise.

-john

[pastry]

If it were 6 of them for that price and you had a tank just for them then yeah, why not if you don't mind giving up a tank that could've been dedicated to a heck of a lot more trust worthy breeders/sponsors. Otherwise, with the investment in other fish that you already have, I wouldn't take the risk. You can't even keep the fish happy by itself in it's own tank forever. Yeah, feel bad for the fish that someone put that fish in a Petco tank, but it's safer not to be the "Captain-Save-a-ho" in this case.

Also, you can't just look at the price of the fish... you have to look at the fact that the fish will take the place of a fish that you could've had from a more trustworthy source that would be a safer bet for the time, $$$, and water that you're going to put into it. At the same time, I'm pretty much a hyprocrite and have done the same in the past but with my current stock from Harry and Kenny/Forrest, you won't see me give it a second thought. Even if QT'ing the heck out of the fish. I've been fine with fish like that in the past but I've also lost great fish due to the same situation and it's not worth it. I don't learn the hard way.... I learn the hard way several times until I finally budge.

[MyUsernameIsDiscus]

$25? Take it before some kid gets to it and kills it:D

[tonytheboss1]

I did not read all of the responses and now I wish I had not read any of them...Whats wrong with some of you people? There is no good reason on Gods green earth to buy discus from petco. What you know as facts is they are on a central system so the water is probably 72 degrees...the other fact that is known is it has been exposed to everything that every other fish in that store has been exposed....the best that you could hope for is to buy the fish, spent 3X the money on meds, hope you don't kill your other fish, and if it all goes in your favor you will end up with a average fish. What kind of idiots does it take to suggest that to someone?

Run from this fish. Buy some healthy ones from a local hobbyist of buy from one of the sponsors here. When you take into consideration all of the money that if takes to raise a discus (water, food, heat, etc...) the difference in buying a crappy $25 dollar fish and a nice healthy fish is nothing....

-john

:bandana: +++++11111 Not sure about you but I don't have a whole lot of money & often even less time. None of it can be wasted. Save yourself the angst & agita. Start w/ premium stock & invest your time, money, energy & a little love for maximum enjoyment!!
Courtesy of "Hans"
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/bb95/tonytheboss1/IMG_0027.jpg

[tnguyen9]

pecto's discus are very questionable sometime

[Trier20]

pecto's discus are very questionable sometime

Very questionable at best

[TRINID]

I bought a few from Petco in AL as well. They have all survived and I actually have about 25 fry currently (A cobalt and a Hans brilliant turq). As far as the pattern, in my limited experience with pigeon bloods, at that size, what you see is what you get.

[Sweet2heart4]

Just browsing when i ran into this thread. My boyfriend and i had to run to Petco just yesterday for piping. Our petco has had a 40$ pigeon blood that sold like a week or two ago, and a Cobalt for $90 and its been there for about 3 months. We've been watching him and yesterday when we went into there we looked at him and it was the saddest thing ever. His fins where clamped and you could see how thin he was. We see dead fish everywhre from walmarts to petcos and this was sickening to look at. We asked someone to come over and told them to quarantine this little guy or else hes has less then a few days lefted in him. i truely hope they take our advice man. Poor little guy, worse looking discus ive seen... if he wasent so pricey we would have saved him months ago..

[Discus-Hans]

John N. and Ryan shut up............... if they want to try to save those "Petco" Discus let them go, this is what keeps my business running, people taking risk and kill their Discus = needing new ones!!!!

They probably never heard the horror stories some of us had to go trough when buying Discus was just a crap shoot. I know people who had Discus they wanted to "save" in an other part of their house and still infected their main tank. They saved the "Petco" Discus but............ killed all their others = great for my business.


ohhhh and although my signature says I'm most of the time kidding, here I'm for the most part serious,

Hans

[John_Nicholson]

Yes sir...shutting up.....LOL.

-john