Mac’s and Elite

[Ken]

Just looking around the different web sites for discus, it looks like Mac’s and Elite mirror each other or are they the same?

Same pictures of the discus they offer, price difference is 1 cent on most of the different fish
Just interesting

[discuspaul]

If you're talking about Mac's Discus in Washington state, near Seattle, and Elite Discus in Kansas - no I don't believe they are the same. Yes, it looks like Elite sells a certain fish for $39.99, while Mac's is asking $40.00.

If you're looking to get some high quality discus, I suggest you stick to ordering from one of the sponsors here on simply discus.
They're experienced, reponsible, and very reliable - no surprises from the sd sponsors.

One supplier of high quality discus that is not too far from your location, for shipping, is Kenny's Discus in Daly City, CA.

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Not sure I know anyone on SD that has ever bought from either place.

As Paul mentioned, you're better off here with one of the sponsers.

[Ken]

I was looking around, they must use the same source for their fish.
So many choices with the same look and named alike or different names.

I have narrowed it down and was trying to find my first choices from the same source so I could get them all at once and wouldn't have to mix fish from different places, looks like I will have to be a little more flexible with the discus I would like to have.

The SD sponsors have great feed back and reputations

[terps]

Just looking around the different web sites for discus, it looks like Mac’s and Elite mirror each other or are they the same?

Same pictures of the discus they offer, price difference is 1 cent on most of the different fish
Just interesting

Yup, very interesting. They are using the same photos. The Elite site doesn't give a name, business address, phone number or email of seller(i didn't see them anywhere on the website). I'd never order anything on the internet from anybody without that information.

[John_Nicholson]

Not that it matters but you do have several really good hobbyist breeders around you.

-john

[Borderdog]

I initially thought Steve at Mac's was rebranding himself, but that's not the case. I emailed Elite with a couple of questions and the response wasn't very open. Whoever it was claimed that they breed all of those varieties and that they don't import anything. If memory serves, everything on the site was available at 2.5" at the same time. I didn't ask why he was using Mac's pictures as his own. I wouldn't take a chance on that place, given the way everything appears. Hijacking pictures from google doesn't seem like a reputable business practice to me. It's also noteworthy that I've never seen some of those varieties outside of Mac's website.

I bought some fish from Mac's in 2000. I lived in western Washington at the time and visited his hatchery. Steve was very nice and willing to spend a lot of time talking to a newbie. His facility was clean and the fish all looked great. I bought several juvies from him. Some turned out great and some turned out okay. One, a Marlboro Red, turned into an exceptionally big beautiful beast of a fish. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from him again, if I could hand pick the fish. That said, lot's of people have been on the forums and had problems with his fish. I attribute some of this to his importing fish back before importing was cool.

[discuspaul]

Thanks for posting, John - and yes, it does matter.
Forgive me for neglecting to think about you down there in Texas - You, and I'm sure there are others like you that are undoubtedly breeders of quality discus.

I'm remiss for not mentioning hobbyist breeders more often as another source for good quality discus.
Wish I had a list of good breeders in the various states at my fingertips, so that it'd be handy for referral purposes when someone asks about sources for getting healthy fish close by in one state or another.

Maybe that's another research project for me.

[discuspaul]

I also bought some discus from Steve @ Mac's discus years ago, and have to say that the experience turned out to be rather unsatisfactory to say the least.
It was only after doing so, that I learned that a number of the discus breeder farm sources in Thailand didn't, and still don't, have the best of reputations, which is where Steve was importing his discus from. And probably still does.

I understand too, from recent reading, that some of those Thailand breeders are still high on hormone usage, and more interested in the $$ - in their competition with Malaysian discus farms. I lived in Singapore for several years and had first hand knowledge of discus raisers in Singapore, Malaysia & Thailand.

[Borderdog]

I doubt he changed his source, unless he found a cheaper one. He seemed to be more of a business man than a discus man. He was absolutely unmoved by his reputation.

I wouldn't make an order and have anything shipped from him.