Disease resistant discus

[FishFanMan]

Without the wonderful breeders in the discus world, we would not have the awesome discus that we enjoy today. And I want to thank you for your efforts to preserve and advance the discus stock.

My question is have there been efforts to breed disease resistant discus? Consensus seems to indicate discus immune system is weaker than other species of fish. I think if discus didn't get sick so often more people would keep them and our hobby would expand considerably.

I've read that with domestic breeding, we now have discus that can thrive in harder water and much higher pH. I think breeding disease resistant discus would be a great advancement to our hobby. Just my 2c.

[Filip]

I think that humanity's first priority in this field would be to create a disease resisting humans first .
Discus would be way down on this priority list in creating disease resistant creatures IMO :)

[eugenefish]

:
I think that humanity's first priority in this field would be to create a disease resisting humans first .
Discus would be way down on this priority list in creating disease resistant creatures IMO :)

:o

[brewmaster15]

Koji,


Consensus seems to indicate discus immune system is weaker than other species of fish. I think if discus didn't get sick so often more people would keep them and our hobby would expand considerably. I have to disagree with the consensus. I do not believe that a discus Immune system is weaker. Its actually extremely robust and does what it is supposed to do. Even in our domestic I do not believe we have bred the immune system to be weaker as many say.

Think of all the Discus that you see that survive for months on end in inadequate conditions and slowly waste away. If their immune systems were weak they would be over come with disease and die quickly.

The problem is we need to breed hobbyists that will give Discus what they need to thrive :)...too often we have hobbyists that force the Discus to live in conditions that they did not evolve in, to share tanks with species they are not compatible with... No amount of genetic manipulation by us can really fix that in Discus.

Educating hobbyists better at things like the best way to raise Discus, on Quarantine etc.. these will expand the hobby as members that use these techniques will enjoy their fish more as they will not be dealing with illness.

Discus are not hard to keep. They are not hard to breed. But we must treat them like Discus... not like guppys, angels or gold fish...but like DISCUS.:) When we do... They are easy Fish.

IMO,
al

[Disgirl]

Very well said Al, and I completely agree. Just give them what they need and they will thrive! Clean clean clean warm water and excellent foods. It is what I do.
Barb

[slicksta]

I disagree.
I believe that in the quest for the perceived best looking largest discus their gene pool has been compromised.
If more people accepted that a healthy fish was just as important I think that the bred discus of today could be a stronger.
I've read on here too many times that people often cull all but the largest and roundest fish... I don't think that mass feeding a fish to enormity equates to a healthy fish with a diverse gene pool.