Dang it

[Second Hand Pat]

Guys, Al needs to hear from you. Running this place can take a heavy toll with time taken away from family, the kids...plus the emotional burden of dealing with flame wars, trolls and ex-sponsors and all over ten plus years this place have been alive.

So do you place any value on Simply? Has it helped you to keep your fish happy and healthy and given you a place to purchase nice, quality fish? plus the food and supplies to maintain them properly. A place to come for advice on sick fish, breeding and other numerous questions dealing with discus fish keeping.

Has it had a huge impact on fish keeping here in the US and perhaps other places. Basically an international site

So let's hear from you :D

[jaykne]

Right on Pat, lets see what member thinks here. This is your chance to tell Al what SD means to you!!!

[Discusdude7]

I am very new to this forum (joined a day ago) but it has helped A TON. I got responses within 5 minutes of posting a thread, and that to me is amazing. This forum has shown me that there are some reputable breeders out there (which I will buy from in the near future). My only regret is that that I should have joined earlier, and if I had I wouldn't have been ripped off on a few discus that I bought from a guy that I thought was reputable.

[Elliots]

It was incredibly helpful. When I last keep fish I did not know about even cycling tanks. I had Discus back then but I did not take what is now proper care of them. I even used to read TFH starting maybe as early as 1960? I am not sure when but I was a kid. I first kept fish in 1958-9.

[MKD]

SD is a big U.S. Discus family and im very happy to be part of it. It's a friendly and great information place to hang around every day. This is best place I ever been and very active. Big THANK YOU to Al, Sponsors, Tech team, Mods, and everyone helps/works in silence to keep SimplyDiscus going.

I love it, love it and love it,

Tony

PS: to those buggers go somewhere else.

[Kenny's Discus]

Almost 10 years ago(time flies) I was fortunate enough to run into Simply/Al and all the great past moderators/members there and like everyone else I was hooked from day 1.:)

We all know Simply has great content, friendly and knowledgeable staffs and members that are always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone in need; but personally what caught my attention the most right from the get-go was how this placed was/is run with great ethics, and let me say that the first time when I had the honor to talk to Al our forum owner, I came away so impressed that I've told Al and others numerous times that he is by far the most fair, kind, ethical person I've had the privilege to get to know especially when he deals with so many....I've worked in the casino industry for years and have come across ppl from all walks of life; Al is truly the real deal.

Personally I value all the friendships I've had with all the great members here, and I sure appreciate the opportunity to sell our fish on this forum over the years. I've given 110% effort in things I do but without Simply, where would I have been? And you?

As I mentioned on the other thread just now...Al, your great effort in building and providing the best discus forum possible didn't go unnoticed by us all. I can assure you on that my friend and I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

If anyone can come up with some great ideas to show great appreciation for Simply/Al please count me in. I'm working on that myself as well atm.:)

Kenny

[Bud Smith]

Simply was and is very helpful to me in keeping discus. Al, I still maintain my statement to you in a PM awhile back. I realize what you do and how challenging it must be to organize and maintain this sight for all to enjoy. When things on the surface go smoothly we forget sometimes what it takes to make it that way. Thank you Al and everyone else that keeps this sight going.
I think the most enjoyable aspect of the forum to me is the friendships you develop through the forum. I live in a area of Ohio where as far as I know I am the only one in my immediate area that keeps discus and I am very appreciative of the friends I have through Simply.

[Second Hand Pat]

As far as many members are concerned I am a relative newcomer and with the help and this forum, Al and many of you I never would be where I am with my discus. Not only do I have great wild fish from the sponsors here but have received help from many of you guys and I thank you. However none of this would be possible without Simply being here in the first place and Al making it the great place it is today. Thanks Al and it is my pleasure to serve on your Simply Discus Team.

[JOSNNGUYEN]

Absolutely this place is a great place to learn and hang out. I met a lot of great people here. Always help me when I am in need despite not knowing me or meet me for the first time. Can't thank you enough for all the thing that you guys do, especially Al, he taking a lot of his own time to run this website and helping out many newbies like us. We are appreciate it and thank you so much all the sponsors here that are provide us not only the best fishes, equipments and knowledge for us to continue to build or expand our fish collection. I can't say it for all of but I know I would love and always support this website for years to come.:o

[Discus-n00b]

I will of been on this site for 10 years coming up in a month. If I have internet, there is a Simply Discus window up in my browser. Some of the best people in the hobby are right here on this site, and I wish I was closer to more of them. Its by far the best discus website on the internet.....not just the US, for the world. And I would stand behind that any day. This site is an asset, not just for individuals but the hobby as a whole (especially the small discus corner) in this country.

Thank you Al for providing such a place. Thank you to Ryan and all of the other admin/mods that help keep it running, clean, and friendly as well. I know its rough sometimes Al but you have a good team backing you up, as well as a great membership to stand with you as well.

If these posts recently on this subject are caused by a certain EX sponsor's actions then it makes me sick. I'd stand shoulder to shoulder with you ANY DAY to kill this situation Al. He makes my stomach churn.

[lizziotti]

Absolutely love this forum. I'm on it several times a day I can't imagine life without it. I've learned so much and continue to do so everyday on this forum. I have so many people to thank for their knowledge and of course Al! I'm also so glad that I purchased my discus all from sponsors I can't be more happy with my purchases and I wouldn't have known where to go without SD! Thank you so much!:)

Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk 2

[Kal-El]

This site was the reason I was able to meet local members/breeder and build relationship/friendship with those folks... On top of that, it act as my main information resource hub on everything I needed to know about Discus keeping... Because of this site I was able to gain the knowledge to be a successful hobbyist. It also help me save hundreds of dollars of Discus from my noob mistakes... No other sites has meant more to me than Simply. For this reason I made the investment to upgrading my account to a premium account in order to show my appreciation to this site. one year ago I came to this site seeking information and now I'm an active member trying to help others the same way they have help me.

[ashtricks]

A different perspective.... Just think of the number of discus that SD has helped save from being stunts, disease ridden, back from the dead and what not !!!
Al and SD team ... Hats off....

[Nu2Discus]

I'm new to the site, and to discus, and have to say the site is outstanding. So much information and experience in one place. It would take one person, even someone who's been keeping discus for years probably two life times to cobble together all the know how contained here by themselves. Yet here it all is, in one neat little package.

I'm very grateful to have found this site. Even more greatful to Al for maintaining it. Things are never as easy as they seem to an outsider or to someone who doesn't know, but there's a lot involved to keeping a site going. So thank you very much for the info as well as your time and effort it keeping all the balls up in the air at the same time without dropping anything.

[ktltn04]

Guys, Al needs to hear from you. Running this place can take a heavy toll with time taken away from family, the kids...plus the emotional burden of dealing with flame wars, trolls and ex-sponsors and all over ten plus years this place have been alive.

So do you place any value on Simply? Has it helped you to keep your fish happy and healthy and given you a place to purchase nice, quality fish? plus the food and supplies to maintain them properly. A place to come for advice on sick fish, breeding and other numerous questions dealing with discus fish keeping.

Has it had a huge impact on fish keeping here in the US and perhaps other places. Basically an international site

So let's hear from you :D

Yes this is 1 of the great forums about discus. The problem is not from the forum but from the one who run it. You don't have to ask those question to members if it is a great forum or not. If it is a war flame between Mods and ex-sponsor then solve it. Members doesn't have power to fix it. We can only give you advise. In the end, Mods are the 1 makes decision. I come to simply n daah almost everyday. As a hobbyist, I will always hunt the next nice fish whenever and wherever I can :). Quality and honesty are best policy for discus keeper :)

[jav31]

I'm also new to this site in the last couple months. By far, this site has giving me more information in one place than mulitple other sites combined. From the start of my discus adventure until now, I frequent this site many times throughout the day. It's the only place I look for fish information.

This site is ran and administered by top-notch and informative people and I truly feel honored to be a part of the Simply Community. Thanks Al...

[jaykne]

I am so proud to be a member here and even more proud to be part of the team. I really don't know what I would do without SD it has helped me so much and not just with my fish, I have made some really good friends here.
As a Mod I get to see what goes on behind the scenes and trust me I don't know how Al does it, he is one of the most fair honest persons I have ever met and it is a great pleasure to call him a friend. Thanks Al!!!

[REC]

For me personally this site helps keep me interested in discus and more importantly the fish keeping hobby in general. I've kept huge predator tanks as well as large reefs and several years back I was so burned out and left the hobby and sold all my tanks. This site motivated me to dive back in and has helped me so much along the way. Al has done a great job here with both providing an informative fun community forum and being a fantastic Vendor providing excellent Discus nutrition with his black worms. He has always given me the up most gratitude and respect on every order. As long as I'm keeping Discus both Al and SD have my full financial support.

[lipadj46]

This is by far the best fish keeping forum on the web period. The information contained here is priceless. As far as a community I really enjoy coming on this site and spending some down time discussing discus. I'm can only imagine the drama one has to deal with when owning a site like this is pretty draining and I would not blame Al one bit if he sold this site, I hope he does not though. The latest tirade was was pretty bizarre and is really a shame some people actually behave that way. Hopefully all that talk of lawyers and lawsuits was booze talking and level heads will prevail.

I think we have all noticed Al has been absent lately and I assume that the site has been burning him out. I hope there is something we can do as a community to help out. I know myself, even though as a teacher I don't make a ton of money I will donate when I can and have won a fish auction here when I wanted to but some Wayne Ng fish. Hopefully the bidding for the dexus fish will go high. I also appreciate Al lowering his prices for the Aus. blackworm, it would be a shame if we loose that food source for our fish. I will do whatever is needed to support Al.

[discuspaul]

Having been an aquarist for most of my (ageing) life, I did find it pretty lonely for a lot of years, being a long-time discus-keeper who knew very few other discus-keepers during that time, and who got precious little information about discus without really 'digging deep & grabbing unto' whatever I could find.

Further, my relationship with a PC, the Internet, and aquarist forums was virtually non-existent until a scant few years ago.
Then I met April Ross, who 'introduced' me to a whole other world of discus-keeping, but primarily also to SD and Al.

What an outstanding experience it has been for me to have come across so many fine people on SD, not to mention superb-discus-keepers who have given me a new lease on discus life through their friendship and open, honest and accurate knowledge sharing.
It's a real treat to be an SD member - wish I had known about it, and Al, a long time ago when the forum was first established.
I'll keep contributing to the furthering of this forum in any way I can.
Thanks for everything you have done in literally building up my spirits over the past few years, Al !

[dadecountyalan]

this site has been awesome to me since the moment i joined. i wouldn't have been successful at raising discus if it weren't for all the great info i soaked in from all the great ppl on this site.

i hope simply never leaves

[blueluv]

Let me start off by saying thank you Al, first of all for this wonderful forum and being an all around kind and generous person and thank SD staff for keeping this site running smoothly. When I think of or browse through the forum here on SD (and i mean this from the bottom of my heart) I think of two people and thats Al and Kenny. Before I joined SD i spoke to Al over the phone about fdbw and and joining SD and of course questions on discus. Al was very patient and imformative with all my questions, speaking to Al felt as if I had known him for years..it seemed as if I was talking to a friend. I can say the same about Kenny, kind , generous and always willing to help out. Simply discus has been very helpful to me and hope this site will be around for years to come. I feel that all members of SD are not just discus hobbiest but a big discus loving community. I'd it's with in my ability, I will do what I can to help out simply discus. On behalf everyone here in SD and myself we support and appreciate you for all that you do for SD.

[moon_knight1971]

I haven't been here as often as I should but I believe that's partly a testament to the quality of life that I've given to my discus based on the information I've attained from this site. Where else will you find friendly and useful information to help you succeed with these beautiful and diverse tropical fish? Truly, if Discus are the Kings of the aquarium then Simply Discus is its most trusted advisor and friend! My thanks!

[dkeef]

Its been about 3 months since I joined simply thru discuspaul and warlock from plantedtank.net
Back then I was just getting curious about discus but once I decided to go for it, im so thankful I came here.
It has taught me immense information regarding keeping of discus and im especially glad I got to know Kenny.
This is the best site for discus keepers hands down.

but I also wanna bring to attention that ive heard negative comments from people outside SD. Some felt they were belittled and some thought its SD way or youre an idiot...
I get both side tho, cuz I know ppl here are giving their best advice cuz they tried those mistakes before. and I also get those who felt they were offended. but perhaps, some of us here may be giving great advice with bad impression.

it definitely does feel like theres certain clicks in this community of old members and mods.
ive been active member of reefcentral.com for over 10 yrs before I came here and that's just how it feels. where RC feels its more public forum, this site does feel bit more private with more regulations etc.
its just a different aspect by a newbie who is getting to know ppl here and I think if constructive critisms can be addressed then this site will grow even bigger.
conflicts will occur in any forums but how we handle it will make sure this forum thrives...

Thank you Al and SD!

[Trevor W]

Simply Discus is such an abundance and wealth of information! When I first ventured into discus in the mid 90's there was nothing like this amazing forum. Information was really only shared among certain circles and discus people were the textbook snob. It was very hard and I had to learn alot through trial and error. Although I may not have an outrageously high post count I do frequent the forum almost daily. Each day I click the whats new tab and see a steady stream of people looking for advice on either there sick fish or locating supplies or fish or just general care and set-up questions. I personally credit this wonderful forum and its generous and knowledgable members with instilling the fact that discus are not impossible to keep and that all they need is clean stable water and a good diet. I feel truly greatful to have this forum at my disposal and it scares the sh*t out of me to even entertain the thought of losing it. Although people and there opinions may vary especially in such a large community as ours there is no denying the fact that when personal differances are put aside whats left is an amazing forum that does nothing but contiually better our hobby. Without there will be alot of sick stunted discus purchased and kept like oscars or goldfish.

[Tazalanche]

As so many others have stated, the wealth of information on this site is immeasurable. For that, I thank Al, the mods, the sponsors & every member that makes an effort in trying to help others here.

As an ex-superadmin &/or ex-mod of a few online games & forums over the past decade or so, to me the answer to recent events that have frustrated many is easy...

Al's site.
Al's rules.

[Scales]

I've been addicted to discus for about 9 months now! Thanks to this site. I credit my addiction to this site because I've had nothing but a positive enjoyable experience with my fish so far. I found central ohio discus on this site and have some beautiful healthy fish that are awesome. I continue to utilize the info here often. Thanks simply discus!

[James Yangzon]

Disappointments, frustrations, tuition. . . These are minimized or even avoided by newbies like me from the other side of the world simply because of Simply Discus. . .

I have 12 juvies in a 75 gallon for a couple of months now and my six blue diamond and six checkerboard pigeon are a joy to behold as they seem to grow fast and grow healthy; and this is a result of the free flowing information and tons of experience from you guys!

Simply Discus is Simply Amazing!

But most of all it is Simply Helpful and for this I am Simply Grateful. . .

[AngryBird]

I am not new here but I learn something new every time I come here. I am glad this forum exist. Thanks to Al, admins, moderators and sponsors.

[zimmjeff]

I have been keeping discus for over 20 years now but not as well as the last three years i've been here. I have been lucky to meet Al in person a couple of times. A great guy and great forum. Don't get down Al. Jeff

[Keith Perkins]

I get burnt out from time to time just reading threads and providing advice, I can't even imagine being responsible for this place. There are a lot of great people on this forum and without SD I never would have met any of them. Thank you Al for building this place, it's Simply the Best.

[Disgirl]

Al, I would still be without my favorite fish, discus, if it had not been for your forum. I mistakenly thought that discus had to have acid water, low ph and low hardness. Our new home had the opposite. So, for 10 years I went without my favorite fish until I happened to see this forum and quickly found out they will live in all water, as long as it is clean and warm. I have enjoyed this forum every day since I joined in 2009. I am also very proud to be one of your sponsors!
Barb

[discusmat]

Hey did I miss something? is this site closing or whats going on?

[Keith Perkins]

Hey did I miss something? is this site closing or whats going on?

Just read Pat's original post, it pretty much says it all. Don't jump to conclusions.

[ktltn04]

Hey did I miss something? is this site closing or whats going on?
+1. wonder what just happen.

[Kirbs]

Without this site I probably would have given up several months ago or still be purchasing inferior Discus and then watch them wither away because I thought I knew what I was doing. I can honestly say that finding this site has gotten me addicted to Discus and am planning on expanding the # of tanks. Just last night and this morning I was making a list of all the Discus I want and from whom I would get them from! It's a long list and I am developing my long range plan!

This site and the people offering advice are great! Thanks Al and everyone else for all the info that is here!

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Imagine its 1960 and you all are sitting around the TV with your family and all of a sudden, it's 10:00 and there is a screen with a an old warning sign with a loud beep to tell you its the end of local programming for the night and this will be all you will see until the next morning when local programming comes back on, well without SD it is kind of like that.

Ok maybe not so bad since we have the internet on our desktops, laptops, ipads, phones etc. The idea for me when I got back into discus for the 5th time or so was to find an avenue to get good advice, meet new people and buy some quality discus. One day I "Googled" discus forum and this was at the top of the list and I never looked back.

From general discussion to what medications to use, it was all here. The breeding section, the sponsers, the DIY's all of it right here, like a discus encyclopedia if you will. I still look back at old threads from the first couple years of the forum because it is all right here. Sure things change over the years and so do the people here but one thing has always stayed the same in my 3 years here. When you want information, within minutes, someone from the list of thousands of members will always be there to offer advice or help you get to where you need to be.

With people like Al, Pat, John N, Warlock, CozyKeith, Bill, Brandon, Bud, Kenny & Forrest, Discus Hans, Eric (Carolina Discus), Tara (TNT), Josie & Miranda (Chicago Discus) and thousands more to help you 24/7 you can't go wrong.

Sure you all can go to other forums, but the level of experience here is far greater than any forum, website or even your neighbor can offer. Although some people think what you read or hear on the internet may be true or they can't post it as the commercial says, but I must say, if you can't find it here on SD, it just might not exist!

[Tony_S]

OHhh...the 'hell' that I've raised here in past years......

If I (or he) had a dollar for every 'face palm' I ever gave the poor man...well, lets just say it would buy a tank full of pretty sweet Discus....for both of us....and new tanks....and new filters....R.O.....food....lights...lol!

Been a member since...day 2? if I remember correctly....

Impact on my life? HUGE.....more so than any but a very small # here know about, or could understand.

Such an impression, that 7 years after my last tank of Discus, I still come by every once in a while...just to see.

[zeulas1]

Simply -I don't know where I would be in this hobby without you.
To everyone who is a member here- thank you.To Al -I'm sure every member would agree -you are
the best.Thank you for all your hard work! R.J.

[Discus-Hans]

Tony_S the "old" people know how this forum had an impact on your life, good to see you're still around!!!! Hope you are doing well!!!!

For Simply, Al & Ryan, mods, members etc. the Discus World would be different without Simply.

Only people who ever ran (or were involved in running) a forum can understand what kind of impact this can be on your life. I'm (a little) grown up now but can say I was an a$$ (or call it misunderstood lol) in my days. In some way Al formed me the way I'm now (for some still an a$$ lol)

In all my ups and downs Al was one of the persons who always stood behind me and I will never forget that!!

Do we agree on everything, HELL NO!!!!! but remember (and that's partly a quote from my old friend Walter from DPH) it's HIS house, you are welcome to come in, but you live by his house rules, if you agree or not..........it's HIS house!

Hans

[Bill63SG]

To quote my wife," wow,this is the longest you've ever kept discus alive".Couldnt have done it without this site and the people I've met.

[YSS]

Hang in there, Al. You've created something great for discus keepers world wide. Don't let a few bumps in the road get you down. Best wishes!

[GrayLadyPat]

Thank you, Al...without the wonderful folks here, i would probably be raising guppies by now.

I can't even imagine how many discus I would have killed if it weren't for you. Thank you so much for everything you do!

[sdrexler078]

Its really nice coming to this forum everyday after a long day of work. Reading these threads is really relaxing and enjoyable. If anything happened to this site I'd have to print every page so I could continue to read and learn from all the experts here.

[troysdiiscus]

While new here somewhat, the information that I have gotten from here and friends I have made here with sponsors, is priceless. I could not have done what I have done with out this site. I have been an other forums and this by far is the best run forum I have been on and I am greatful to Al and the people on here. Its like a one stop shop that I can get great care, info, food and help that I could not have gotten elsewhere. Al is the best and so is this site. I know its a burden to keep up the site but you are a life link and life support for many many people on here and wouldnt know what to do without Al and the site.
Al keep up the great work and you have my full support!!! You are the best thing since sliced bread!!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup:

[Carolina discus]

Kudos to you Pat for getting this going...I just saw this now...funny as Kenny and I have been talking about this for the last 2 weeks or so....

I spoke with Al yesterday just to say hi and let him know there are many members who have his back and actually APPRECIATE all he does to keep this forum running. The members, sponsers, and admins who have been around a long time know and understand all the hard work and effort Al puts in to make this site what it is today. I can assure you that there is no financial gain on Al's part and if you consider all the extra hours and headaches he has to deal with ...I am sure he is in the red...but Al doesnt do this for the money, he truly does it for the benifit of the discus hobby.

From a sponser point of view, Al is more than fair with the way he treats all the sponsers...in fact he is alot fairer than many of us would be if we owned the site...he does not play favorites or hold any of us to a different standard. Everything is fair and we are expected to go above and beyond to offer only the best quality stock and customer service to every member. We are held to the highest standard and that is the way it should be. As a sponser I feel very fortunate to be a member of this forum and will strive to only provide the level of quality and customer service that Al expects...in addition, every sponser should treat each other with respect as many do...it's no secret about my close working relationship and friendship that I have made over the years with Kenny and Forrest but I always look forward to seeing shipments from Hans, Mike, and others that constantly raise the bar and make me work harder to keep up with them. I have often referred customers to both Mike and Hans if they are looking for something specific or something they specialize in...I can do so with confidence as I know they will be well taken care of and get some great fish.

From a members point of view, each of us should treat this forum a blessing...because it can go away very easily. I am confident that every member that has been here for many years has benifited from the knowledge and friendships that has been accumliated over the years. And absolutly NO ONE can argue that the quality of discus that are offered on the forum is the best it's ever been...period. We are all very lucky to have access to what we have today at the prices being offered.

And at times I think we all need to take a step back and realize that non of us know everything about the hobby and stop acting like many do...there isnt a month that goes by that I dont learn something new and hopefully help someone along the way as well...that is the joy of keeping discus....just when you think you know everything there is to know ...these damn fish will humble you pretty quick. Remember, we all started at the same point keeping discus and hopefully we evolved from there...the more experienced discus keepers owe it to the new members to make their experience enjoyable and help eliminate the learning curve that we all went through so that we have a base of members that grows every year. I still find it very rewarding to see or read about the excitement of a new member who has jsut recieved their first group of quality discus or solved a problem with others help. I often read the posts of members like Bill, Jeff, Tim, and Troy, Brandon to see what they are up to....or Matt and his crazy A$$ photo skills that I can never figure out, or to see what wilds Pat is working with now....and too many more to mention here....This is truly what Simply Discus is all about.

Now for my dark side :) its time all the BS stops about what has and has not happened on the forum with a few former sponsers. There is no place for it here and it's not welcome...take it some place else....this isnt the first time the old timers on the forum have been through it..we can see right through all the undercurrent, resentment, plotting, and complaining so dont think your being cute. We know what the motives are and it makes many of us sick. No one was banned from the forum or dropped as a sponser without just cause....the truth is not everyone makes the cut and that is the way it should be....so keep your mouth shut and be part of the greater good or take your BS someplace else...believe me, you wont be missed.

looking forward to the next 10 years in the Simply Family.

[terps]

If the forum is constantly giving Al health problems like maybe: stress, headaches, sleep problems, high blood pressure, etc…, then he probably should consider selling it or walking away. Life is too short. You don’t want to get a stroke or heart attack at any early age like Andrew Breitbart or James Gandolfini, especially if it's no longer fun doing what you are doing. It’s a no brainer decision if the forum isn’t generating much or any income after expenses. Find something else that you really like to do that does not negatively affect your health or interferes with family time and that earns more money. Always put your health and family first. Always.

[Second Hand Pat]

Thank you Eric for such an awesome post. To elaborate a point here when a member is banned it is always due to their own actions. Crying fowl and declaring "I'm innocent" is just plain wrong and shows a serious lack of moral fiber. People should always assume personal responsible for their own actions and quit blaming others. Regarding the pissing and moaning here, if you are not happy here then please leave. As Eric said it is not welcome.

[DiscusBR]

Just came back from a trip and saw this thread. I felt compelled to write. I will not repeat all was said about how special this forum is and I will just share my story. Three years ago I decided to go back to discus-keeping after a 2-decade interruption. Some online research lead me to SD and I read it, read it and read it. Then I asked millions of questions and was surprised to see a huge number hobbysts, some of them with outstanding experience, providing detailed and genenous advice. Based on advice provided here I set up a 80g tank, purchased 7 wild Cuipeua discus, solved many problems on the way and was finally able to breed them and succesfully raise a batch of juvies. And all this in less than two years! (I am sure Al's FDBWs were key for my success :) ). This is quite an achivement for a hobbyst here in Brazil. Let me just say that there no other reports of people successfully breeding wild discus here. People can't even keep them alive! From the five adult Cuipeuas I had to sell recently, three were dead in few weeks according to buyers. I owe everything I achieved in discus keeping to this site and I have a deep apreciation for Al and all the team. THANK YOU!

[Discus-Hans]

Now for my dark side :) its time all the BS stops about what has and has not happened on the forum with a few former sponsors. There is no place for it here and it's not welcome...take it some place else....this isn't the first time the old timers on the forum have been through it..we can see right through all the undercurrent, resentment, plotting, and complaining so don't think your being cute. We know what the motives are and it makes many of us sick. No one was banned from the forum or dropped as a sponsor without just cause....the truth is not everyone makes the cut and that is the way it should be....so keep your mouth shut and be part of the greater good or take your BS someplace else...believe me, you wont be missed.

looking forward to the next 10 years in the Simply Family.

Eric,

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Hans

[Trier20]

I definitely owe my success with keeping discus to this site. I would have killed my first batch of discus and never returned to the hobby. Hobby or obession what ever you'd like to call it this place is what has made me successfull and i greatly appreciate it. Not only has is given me success in the hobby it's also opened doors to many new friendships with great people. Thank you Al and the Simply team!

[freude88]

I am relatively new to the forum (a few months). I love it! It has been great to have the help I need almost immediately. Thanks AL

[brewmaster15]

HI everyone,
First off let me say that I am really touched by your words and support. Its always nice to know who your friends are and who supports you. I won't forget that. Thank you!

The idea for this thread was not mine, but I do appreciate a few friends trying to pick up someone that was a tad down and show their support for a forum that has been their home and that they love. Thank you very much. So why did I need some picking up? Its not because an ex-sponsor and a handful of disgruntled members are acting up because they can't get their way. Its because they know that I care about this forum so much that anytime there is an issue, I take it to heart. And they know I am a bit tired and worn out...Its been 11 years and in that course of time I have had to deal with More BS than most of you can imagine to keep this forum running as most of you enjoy on a day to day basis. It takes alot of time and energy. Add to that working and family..Its a drain. I do not feel this last event is a major one,I've been thru ones that are far more draining emotionally and mentally. But all the little things add up. Not gonna lie, I've thought of moving on from this hobby for a while, and every time I try to recharge and get back into it, some other new challenge arises. When I think of all the negative elements I have encountered over the years in our hobby it does get depressing. BUT EVEN I don't know if I will leave or when or what I will do with Simply when that Day comes. I probably just need a break.

To many out there, this is a forum, nothing more than the countless forums out there... BUT This forum is more than just a website or forum to me....Its something I own and have built from Day one from scratch with the help of many other like minded people. I have put my heart and Soul into this forum for longer than most people here have had discus.


I've been in the hobby now decades I guess...11 years ago I was part of several forums, and though they each had their way of doing things, none of them did them the way I thought they should be done. I didn't whine about it, or stir up trouble on them,I didn't try and break the rules to see how much I could get away with. I didn't try to challenge them legally when things didn't go as I wanted. I respected the rights of those that owned those forums to run them as they see fit. After all, it was their forum, their property, their hard work. Instead I left those forums with the intention of starting something that I wanted the other forums to be..I knew nothing about forums or the web... Fate by the way of April Ross, introduced me to Ryan Smith , who also was unsatisfied with the forums out there and had the technical know-how to build one... and so SimplyDiscus was born. There was of course nothing there...no content, no sponsors, nothing, no members really...just a few friends enjoying discus...that was then...now its a massive website with thousands of Discus enthusiasts of different cultures, beliefs, personalities, and motivations. Try steering something like that sometime and you will know why I am tired.

Why do I post this? Because I am sending a message to anyone here that does not like SimplyDiscus or how its run. Just Leave and start your own Forum according to what you think it should be. Don't take the easy path of trying to change someone else's dream, or to ruin someone else's hard work just because YOU think it should be different. If its so easy to run a forum, please go right ahead and try. Lets see how long you last. And remember a member here is part of this community by their own choice always free to leave.. However, as the forum's I owner I am free to admin this forum as I see fit, and I will always retain that right and exercise it. It is my Forum for better or for worse. Members won't always agree with my choices, but then again, Members don't see what I see,or know what I know. They also don't bear the burden of running a website this big, as I do, and lastly members don't know what my goals are and what my dreams are for SimplyDiscus. I try to be fair to people here and try to compromise when I can on issues...however, I need to consider a picture bigger than what most members see.

So thats it in nutshell everyone, If you like this forum and have gotten something positive from it, I am glad. If you are not happy with this community and the way it is run....then move on and make your own dream come true.Please stop being hypocrites and taking all the things this forum gives you for free , yet complaining about what you perceive as its shortcomings. Go out and make your own.

Lets get one thing straight though, and it may be hard for anyone to understand this that has not put years of work into Something... I am SimplyDiscus and it is me...they go hand in hand.

Best regards all,

Al

Ps,
I am going to close this thread now, not because I don't want to hear from you or need your support, but because I want to move on. I have a forum to run and some batteries to recharge. :) Feel free to drop me a Pm anytime if you want to help recharge those batteries.
Thank you!