The Future is????????????

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,

I wanted to write up a post here about something that is very important to the future of this forum. Forums today are in decline thanks in part to social media like facebook but also just because consumers of online information have become more and more accustomed to brevity. We text now in broken sentences and emojis and slang. We consume information in "tweets" which are constrained to an arbitrary 280-character limit. We have been conditioned to using the "like" button. Instead of engaging in dialogue, we have been spoon fed content through video services like You-tube and my personal non-favorite, Tiktok. Even the content we consume is curated for us by mega info brokers like Google. I find all this disturbing but it is what it is. That's where we are today, tomorrow will be something else I am sure.

Where then does a forum fit in? Honestly it doesn't. Its a totally different creature. Its a place where you can have a detailed discussion on topics of interest. Its a Place where you can re-visit discussions that happened years ago and pick up where you left off. Its a place where you can search for information and read it, without some power hungry tech firm determining what content you get in your searches based on their ad revenue or marketing goals. Its a place where though you can post pictures and videos, the real value is in the information and discussions. That is why a Forum is called a Discussion Forum.

So whats so important about a discussion forum. Its one of the few places left where you chose the content and you choose the way you express your views. Its a place where you can make a point and link to content or upload content that helps you get your point across. Its also a place where you can discuss differing opinions. A good forum will have rules of etiquette in place that help keep the conversation civil.

The greatest strength and weakness of a forum is in its membership. Members drive the content and dialogue. Depending on how they post and what they post it can determine the direction and tone of the forum. It can also determine how active the forum is and its staying power.Ultimately the forums membership determines if a forum will thrive or will wither away . I know that many people read here daily, I can see the logs. I can't see what members are searching but I can see that they are searching..which is great as that means the forum is meeting one of its goals...the persistence of information and Discussions relative to Discus and aquarium keeping. The problem, though, is because of the things I have presented in this post the flow of information is one way now. Members have largely become consumers. Very little new content has been generated and when members do generate new content, the communities response and participation is lackluster at best. Even pictures of beautiful discus barely generate dialogue. I'm sure that its a complex problem and thereis more to than I have posted here. I am sure there is also information overload because social media has gotten so pervasive in our lives.

So my question is a stark one. "The Future is ?????" Whats the future of this forum and others like it? I honestly don't know. I do know what would make this forum healthier is less apathy and more involvement. I'd really like to see members do more than just read a thread. I would really like to see members post more, share their hobby and interact in discussions. I would really like members that are reading here as guests and not logging in and posting content to realize they are harming the forum's future by doing this. To survive so that the forum is here for them to read, it requires their support and involvement.

So ultimately the forums future is up to all of you. As the forum's owner I will try to drive content and improve the forum. We have several very supportive Team members here too.. Fellow admins Pat, and Brian, Mods Liz and Jake have really kept the forum going for a long time now and we all want that to continue. SimplyDiscus went online in 2002. Thats a really long run for a forum. I would like to see that run continue for years to come... but it won't unless members want that as well.

Thanks for reading,
Al

[Iminit]

Well forums are getting old. Unfortunately what you’re looking for is new younger users. I must say the like button may be the answer. The only other fish forum I’m on uses the like button and a series of awards and a small group of standard emojis to use. But this works! This brings in youth that at first participate by liking things. Next they ask or answer a question which is then greeted by likes letting them know it’s been read. Instant gratification :). Then they get more involved.

[Iminit]

There is a ton of information and knowledge on this site. When someone has a problem the answers are there and step by step instructions given. I’ve mentioned this site many times on Facebook. Very few come. It’s sad the lack of info and the misinformation on most Facebook sites is huge.
Next it just seems that breeding is way more important than the general keeping of discus. Most of the most experienced people here are breeders. Their long term tanks are rarely mentioned or shown. Most new people who have discus want to be keepers not breeders. So more on keeping, life expectancy of discus best ways to show and keep discus are here but few and far between . On all discus sites you rarely see pics of older discus. Myself I’ve only seen a life expectancy of about 2-4 years. I’ve seen many come here. Stay around for awhile and just give up. Many show up on the other site now keeping different fish. These fish are very hard to keep.

[brewmaster15]

Tom, I appreciate your views here and your input. I'm not in agreement with you on the focus of the forum being on breeding though. Most of the forum boards are geared towards keeping discus as a hobby..

We have a board dedicated every aspect of keeping Discus from beginners to advanced. We have a board for novices, a tank journal board, a board for planted tanks and displays... one for understanding water etc.. We have a disease board. We pretty much have one covered for all aspects of discus keeping. As for most of the older members being breeders... one of the things that keeps people in discus is the joy of watching them breed and the associated challenges. I think you will find that many if most of long term keepers have tried to breed their discus or actively do. Its often what drew us into the hobby in the first place and for alot of us its what keeps us here.

Im not surprised many discus keepers move on to other fish.. There are alot of different pretty fish to fill an aquarium with and people often want to try other ones. On ebay right now theres a guy selling a "Tearing down my established 180 gallon wild discus tank/aquarium to make it a saltwater tank. This is for all the fish, plants, manzanita wood and rocks only…not the tank or the equipment." Theres 12 wild greens in the tank. The tanks looks very nice. This is a display tank.. well established by the look of it. No idea why they are movig away from discus to make it a marine tank.. Ironically I did the same thing in reverse when I started keeping discus decades ago. I started with a pair I was given that bred for me...from that day on I was hooked. Discus are pretty fish... but theres lots of pretty fish out there and not all discus keepers will stay with them for various reasons.. They are not difficult to keep if you keep them the way they need to be kept.. but they are extremely difficult if a hobbyist tries to keep them the way the hobbyist wants to keep them without regard for the fishes needs. Some fish are more flexible to various conditions in a tank... Discus are more challenging because they do best under more narrow parameters . That most discus only last a few years in captivity is largely because they are not being kept in ways that allow them a long happy life. Many of my discus collection right now is going on 5- 6 years old and are happy and healthy.. Every fish I have at this point is also one I have raised from my own fry. I would expect several more years if I dont screw it up with them. I still have my group of discus from the 2018 forum growout challenge and am currently breeding them. The male of the pair that gave us those 2018 fry is still with me and doing well. My point here is discus can live a long time....but people need to give them what they need to do so.

I would very much like to see members post more in the various forum boards here on their display tanks..I.would also like to see them.document what they do in them regularly so others can see what works and doesnt. Unforunately many peoples display tanks are not stable.. people add to them all the time, change things, add fish, lose fish. Many dont quarantine properly when they do. I see this alot with members transitioning from keeping other fish to keeping a discus tank. Just as there is a learning curve with breeding discus, there is one with keeping them in a display tank or planted tank. Its got ti be frustrating when you run into problems with a display tank that you spent alot if time and money on.

As for the "like" system...its a possibility. Forum software can also be intergrated with facebook. But I am not really sure that is a fix... and making a discussion forum more like facebook may give us more activity but will it add content? Im not sure. I participate on another forum for photography and they use the like button... When posts I made there are "liked" its a momentary recognition but its also confusing. What about my post did you like? I much prefer when some takes a moment to quote me and says" excellent point..or agree 100%.. etc. It feels more personal.. There is also an inherent flaw in the like system.. Long term members inherently get more likes than new members which can make new members feel unwelcome. Its an option to explore more though..so thank you Tom!

[LizStreithorst]

I've tried to post twice now and my reply disappeared. It was my own fault. My wrists are lazy and I hit God knows what and poof...my writing disappears. I will try a 3rd time, but not now. I'm tired of my disappearing words.

[farebox]

I'm a longtime member here on SD and also used this forum to increase my knowledge on how to keep these fish healthy. Yes, other forms of social media seem to dictate all kinds of info on fishkeeping and sometime could be misleading to discus keeping. Seen a lot of the old timers gone who help me get started in this hobby. Hope in the future new people will come and join and show their tanks, new and old. I myself had my 125-gallon tank running since joining SD, over 12 years. Stay strong SD.....

[Vanman]

I will post more in a few days when I feel better as I am very sick at this time.

[LizStreithorst]

Get well soon, Greg.

[mleibowi]

As a "newbie" to discus having kept them for only 1.5 years, I can say I have learned a lot from this forum. I disagree with Tom- no likes, thumbs up etc... That stuff drives me crazy. Al- one recommendation is to post your talk about discus. There's so much good information there and can really help a newbie. I watched it several times before my first discus tank and a few months in. I probably should watch again!

[pbhonl]

I am guilty of being a "lurker" on this forum for many years without posting a great deal. I am quite old and retired. I bought my first aquarium as child from a Sears catalog back in the late '50s. I would like to share a book I am reading that i think anyone who has been in the hobby for a while will enjoy. It is "Confessions of a Tropical Fish Addict" by Ross Socolof.

135340

[LizStreithorst]

A fellow old retired person, Cool! Thanks for the recommendation. I look forward to you posting more.

[brewmaster15]

I am guilty of being a "lurker" on this forum for many years without posting a great deal. I am quite old and retired. I bought my first aquarium as child from a Sears catalog back in the late '50s. I would like to share a book I am reading that i think anyone who has been in the hobby for a while will enjoy. It is "Confessions of a Tropical Fish Addict" by Ross Socolof.

135340

Glad to see you posting then! Thank you for the book tip! I will have to read that one... I suspect I will be able to relate.:)

[brady]

Al, I think one of the reasons that more people, young and old alike including me, is the astronomical prices that
the suppliers are charging and the ridiculous price for shipping.
There was a time where they were selling 2" fish for 25$ now they start at 31/2 to 4 " for 75$ to 90$ or more.
Not many people especially newbies are willing to part with 600$ or more and have them die in 6 months.
Thank God we have folks on this forum who sell fish at a reasonable price.One person that comes to mind, namely
Liz. I bought fish from her last Sept. at nickle-quarter size, now they are 5-5 1/2 healthy , beautiful fish.
I think if more people on the forum would try to breed fish and put them up for sale it might insure the future
of the forum.
Jay

[LizStreithorst]

Good point, Jay. And thanks for the plug.

[brewmaster15]

Al, I think one of the reasons that more people, young and old alike including me, is the astronomical prices that
the suppliers are charging and the ridiculous price for shipping.
There was a time where they were selling 2" fish for 25$ now they start at 31/2 to 4 " for 75$ to 90$ or more.
Not many people especially newbies are willing to part with 600$ or more and have them die in 6 months.
Thank God we have folks on this forum who sell fish at a reasonable price.One person that comes to mind, namely
Liz. I bought fish from her last Sept. at nickle-quarter size, now they are 5-5 1/2 healthy , beautiful fish.
I think if more people on the forum would try to breed fish and put them up for sale it might insure the future
of the forum.
Jay

Jay I hear you loud and clear. Couple of comments. First on the fish size... I too have noticed very few commercial sellers are even bringing in 2 inch fish any more for resale. ...I think thats. A loss for alot of hobbyists. Smaller fish mean smaller boxes which brings down the shipping costs of orders, and of course makes fish themselves less expensive. Obviously there are benefits to the larger fish.. it allows sellers to sell fish that are well past the fragile ages so survival rates are better . Additionally it allows the seller to sell fish that look like they will look like adults. Lastly it lets sellers bring in less fish overall which means they can also do so on a regular basis. Commercial sellers are also plagued by high shipping rates. Freight from over seas has gotten ridiculously expensive for importers as well...and it all trickles down to consumers.
I would love to see importers offer small 2 " discus but I fear those days are gone.

I would also like to see more hobbyists breeding fish and selling them but its hard there too.I have bred and shipped alot of fish. There really only a few options for shipping discus and they are all expensive.. If you are selling .homebred discus you are probably going to be facing some expensive rates to ship your fish... customers then blame you when you pass along a quote. Its a bit defeating. I honestly hate shipping fish. I hate worrying about if the freight carrier loses the box or its delayed. I hate not knowing if the customer really knows how to handle the fish when received and I really hate how many peoples idea of Quarantine is very different than mine. Shipping fish to me is one of the least pleasant aspects of the hobby. But yes.. more hobbyists here breeding would be a good thing for the hobby and forum.

[brady]

Good point, Jay. And thanks for the plug.

Well Liz you did pay me 50$ plus 10% of your sales for the plug. LOL
Jay

[LizStreithorst]

liar liar pants on fire :p

[brady]

liar liar pants on fire :p

Now, that is funny.
Jay

[Darren's Discus]

Hi Al,
Whilst I have been missing in action for many years, It's always nice to come back to the forum! It feels like an old friend.

[brewmaster15]

Hi Al,
Whilst I have been missing in action for many years, It's always nice to come back to the forum! It feels like an old friend.

Im glad Darren, Its always great when I see members like you checking in. Nice to see you here again my friend.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I love Discus. Had 'Pete's Skany Basement O' Fish' for a while in Upstate NY and Simply was where I got all of my information. However, once we adopted the 'Most of the time in Mexico and sometimes in the USA' lifestyle, it became very challenging to keep fish at all. I was limited to collecting wilds and releasing them. Fast forward 14 years, Covid, as well as a series of accidents/surgeries, grounded us and forced us to remain in the USA for 30+ months. Guess what? I constructed the whole fully automated 'Sonoran Desert Fish Nook' in my homeoffice in Southern Arizona. I also joined and continue to serve on the board of the Desert Aquarist Society (desertaquaristsociety.org, basically the Tucson Fish Club ;) .. sign-up for the monthly newsletter... I serve as the editor.. LOL ) That re-engagement in the hobby saw me return to 3 of my favorite forums from the past: SimplyDiscus.com, PlantedTank.net, and BarrReport.com.

Now, as of Nov 2022, we are back to more of a '50/50 Mex/USA' lifestyle. Therefore, the Fish Nook has been replaced by a setup that handles our travels. It's a 40 breeder in our home in Arizona and a 90P in our residence in Sonora. Fish, shrimp, plants, and some equiment (UV Ster, RO Unit, Doser, DIY Fish controller) move back and forth every 6 months. I acquired another 90P and that will replace the 40breeder in AZ.. So the capacities will match in each location. Presently, I'm stateside and working to improve the transportability of the flora/fauna and the equipment.

So, what does that have to do with simplydiscus.com and forum participation? Well, I'm toying around with the idea of keeping 4-6 Symphysodon Aequifasciatus (Curipera) Discus or 4-6 Pterophyllum Altum (Orinoco) Anglefish. Just need to see what I can do with 50 gallons of water (40 gallon nominal tank volume when substracting out substrate and hardscape displacement + 10 gallons that would be in the sump) and the aforementioned transporting. I'll need to give these twin setups a name and start blogging about the effort. Funny, when I was documenting the Fish Nook, I got far more interest here on simplydiscus.com than I did on plantedtank.net, despite the whole setup featuring only planted aquariums with no discus! I always come back to SimplyDiscus.com , but I'll make it a point to log-in each time instead of visiting as a guest.

Thanks for reminding of us that the Simply Discus Discussion Forum is a real gem!

[brewmaster15]

I love Discus. Had 'Pete's Skany Basement O' Fish' for a while in Upstate NY and Simply was where I got all of my information. However, once we adopted the 'Most of the time in Mexico and sometimes in the USA' lifestyle, it became very challenging to keep fish at all. I was limited to collecting wilds and releasing them. Fast forward 14 years, Covid, as well as a series of accidents/surgeries, grounded us and forced us to remain in the USA for 30+ months. Guess what? I constructed the whole fully automated 'Sonoran Desert Fish Nook' in my homeoffice in Southern Arizona. I also joined and continue to serve on the board of the Desert Aquarist Society (desertaquaristsociety.org, basically the Tucson Fish Club ;) .. sign-up for the monthly newsletter... I serve as the editor.. LOL ) That re-engagement in the hobby saw me return to 3 of my favorite forums from the past: SimplyDiscus.com, PlantedTank.net, and BarrReport.com.

Now, as of Nov 2022, we are back to more of a '50/50 Mex/USA' lifestyle. Therefore, the Fish Nook has been replaced by a setup that handles our travels. It's a 40 breeder in our home in Arizona and a 90P in our residence in Sonora. Fish, shrimp, plants, and some equiment (UV Ster, RO Unit, Doser, DIY Fish controller) move back and forth every 6 months. I acquired another 90P and that will replace the 40breeder in AZ.. So the capacities will match in each location. Presently, I'm stateside and working to improve the transportability of the flora/fauna and the equipment.

So, what does that have to do with simplydiscus.com and forum participation? Well, I'm toying around with the idea of keeping 4-6 Symphysodon Aequifasciatus (Curipera) Discus or 4-6 Pterophyllum Altum (Orinoco) Anglefish. Just need to see what I can do with 50 gallons of water (40 gallon nominal tank volume when substracting out substrate and hardscape displacement + 10 gallons that would be in the sump) and the aforementioned transporting. I'll need to give these twin setups a name and start blogging about the effort. Funny, when I was documenting the Fish Nook, I got far more interest here on simplydiscus.com than I did on plantedtank.net, despite the whole setup featuring only planted aquariums with no discus! I always come back to SimplyDiscus.com , but I'll make it a point to log-in each time instead of visiting as a guest.

Thanks for reminding of us that the Simply Discus Discussion Forum is a real gem!

Peter Thank you and good to hear from you! I like that idea you have of the discus and angels set up.. I'm going to be looking for that write up! My wife and I have toyed with Rv -ing it in our latter years... only thing holding me back is my Discus.:)

take care,
al

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Actually Al, I got thinking about one small thing that would help the site... Increase the TTL on the sign-in. (Time to Live).. That's the amount of time that elapses before the site signs you back off. If it could stay for at least 24hours, that would be good... Folks would be more inclined to contribute if there wasn't the need to re-sign in every few hours or so. Just an idea.

[LizStreithorst]

I never sign out. Why bother? I'm here all the time.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I never sign out. Why bother? I'm here all the time.

I don't sign out either. I get automatically signed out after about 2 hours. Might be different settings for you being a Moderator?

[LizStreithorst]

No. It's always been that way. I leave the tab up. Do you?

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Yes I do. If I don't close the Tab, it will still log me out after a few hours of non-use. It's always been that way for me on Simply, regardless of the browser used.

[LizStreithorst]

I wonder what the boss thinks about this?

[fljones3]

Before you sign in, do you check the “remember” button which puts a cookie on your computer?

[Iminit]

Yeah I’m nobody and I’m always signed in :).

[LizStreithorst]

Trust me, Tom. Nobody is a nobody around here these days. You're a diamond to us. You just think you're a lump of coal. Right, Peter?

[LizStreithorst]

Trust me, Tom. Nobody is a nobody around here these days. You're a diamond to us. You just think you're a lump of coal. Right, Peter?

[pastry]

Jay... Al...

It's time for all of us to become crack manufacturers and dealers. Our sponsors are here for a loaded menu & quality... but we need "Operation Make Babies" --> hobbyists do at at least a 1- or 2- time effort for breeding a pair and raising fry to quarter size. Sell cheap as balls with the intent of seeing if we all can grow the number of discus addicts back to a healthy stock (and telling buyers, "If you don't want to suck, get on the SD forum...")

Sounds funny, right? But anyone else have a good idea?

This forum is the only forum I participate/indulge in. It's a huge bucket of valuable lessons learned that must stay. Time to become "discus drug dealers". Might take 10-25 buyers of hobbyist bred, quarter sized discus just to get 1 hooked hard enough.

[brewmaster15]

Before you sign in, do you check the “remember” button which puts a cookie on your computer?
Franks got it here.. if you check this box you will always be logged in unless you clear yoyr browsers cookies or if you have your browser set to clear cookies at a certain interval.

If. You dont select the box ti be remembered you will get Logged out Peter.. If you do select the box to be remembered and get logged out..its a web
browser setting .

Hth,
Al

[brewmaster15]

Trust me, Tom. Nobody is a nobody around here these days. You're a diamond to us. You just think you're a lump of coal. Right, Peter?
Amen.:)

[brewmaster15]

Jay... Al...

It's time for all of us to become crack manufacturers and dealers. Our sponsors are here for a loaded menu & quality... but we need "Operation Make Babies" --> hobbyists do at at least a 1- or 2- time effort for breeding a pair and raising fry to quarter size. Sell cheap as balls with the intent of seeing if we all can grow the number of discus addicts back to a healthy stock (and telling buyers, "If you don't want to suck, get on the SD forum...")

Sounds funny, right? But anyone else have a good idea?

This forum is the only forum I participate/indulge in. It's a huge bucket of valuable lessons learned that must stay. Time to become "discus drug dealers". Might take 10-25 buyers of hobbyist bred, quarter sized discus just to get 1 hooked hard enough.

I love the idea... operation " Breed to make Need" works for me! I would love to see tons of homebred discus for sale on the board... i will do my part.:)

[Vanman]

A new friend of mine told me I was a "nobody" in the Discus community a few months ago.:D

[pastry]

Al... mine will probably suck... but I'm in

Gary... you can be be somebody to me, big guy <3<3<3

[FischAutoTechGarten]

It might be that I don't always remember to select Remember me... and it maybe that my browser deletes cookies when it's closed.. but I didnt' think that applied to individual tabs, but the whole browser.. I'll look deeper into it... funny I've been logged on all day today!

On the breed for the need... I got hooked on Discus by 4 home bred Wattley Turquoise Discus in the Albany NY area that I paid $5 a piece for sometime around 1990. Ed Duncan of Eddies Aquarium got them from a local hobbyist and when I walked into his store one day he told me that I was ready for the next level of fishkeeping and offered those 4 Wattley's for $20. Man time flies...

[pastry]

Peter, I loooove hearing stories like that. My mother made the mistake of getting me a 2.5 gallon hexagon tank for my room when I was 13. I got a betta and book. Within 3 weeks I had biked 4 miles to the LFS for a female, set up a hidden 10 gallon tank, and watched my first betta fry hatch. By Christmas (5 months later), I had convinced "Santa" for a bigger tank and 4 adult wild green discus with plenty of Herbert Axelrod, Edward Schmidt-Focke, and Bern Degen (sp?)

[mleibowi]

Al- as a new member in my early 40’s (not sure if that’s “young”), I think more posts showing people’s tanks and fish would be great. Also, the grow out contests looked like fun too. I must say, have you active again is fantastic. I really like this forum and check in once a week if not more depending on my work schedule. I have so much tank envy and want a 180 like Tom. Do we have tank build sponsors?

[Sabrina]

Jay... Al...

It's time for all of us to become crack manufacturers and dealers. Our sponsors are here for a loaded menu & quality... but we need "Operation Make Babies" --> hobbyists do at at least a 1- or 2- time effort for breeding a pair and raising fry to quarter size. Sell cheap as balls with the intent of seeing if we all can grow the number of discus addicts back to a healthy stock (and telling buyers, "If you don't want to suck, get on the SD forum...")

Sounds funny, right? But anyone else have a good idea?

This forum is the only forum I participate/indulge in. It's a huge bucket of valuable lessons learned that must stay. Time to become "discus drug dealers". Might take 10-25 buyers of hobbyist bred, quarter sized discus just to get 1 hooked hard enough.

Hahahahaaa, loved reading this Elliot!
Classic :idea:

[Sabrina]

Hi all,

I wanted to write up a post here about something that is very important to the future of this forum. Forums today are in decline thanks in part to social media like facebook but also just because consumers of online information have become more and more accustomed to brevity. We text now in broken sentences and emojis and slang. We consume information in "tweets" which are constrained to an arbitrary 280-character limit. We have been conditioned to using the "like" button. Instead of engaging in dialogue, we have been spoon fed content through video services like You-tube and my personal non-favorite, Tiktok. Even the content we consume is curated for us by mega info brokers like Google. I find all this disturbing but it is what it is. That's where we are today, tomorrow will be something else I am sure.

Where then does a forum fit in? Honestly it doesn't. Its a totally different creature. Its a place where you can have a detailed discussion on topics of interest. Its a Place where you can re-visit discussions that happened years ago and pick up where you left off. Its a place where you can search for information and read it, without some power hungry tech firm determining what content you get in your searches based on their ad revenue or marketing goals. Its a place where though you can post pictures and videos, the real value is in the information and discussions. That is why a Forum is called a Discussion Forum.

So whats so important about a discussion forum. Its one of the few places left where you chose the content and you choose the way you express your views. Its a place where you can make a point and link to content or upload content that helps you get your point across. Its also a place where you can discuss differing opinions. A good forum will have rules of etiquette in place that help keep the conversation civil.

The greatest strength and weakness of a forum is in its membership. Members drive the content and dialogue. Depending on how they post and what they post it can determine the direction and tone of the forum. It can also determine how active the forum is and its staying power.Ultimately the forums membership determines if a forum will thrive or will wither away . I know that many people read here daily, I can see the logs. I can't see what members are searching but I can see that they are searching..which is great as that means the forum is meeting one of its goals...the persistence of information and Discussions relative to Discus and aquarium keeping. The problem, though, is because of the things I have presented in this post the flow of information is one way now. Members have largely become consumers. Very little new content has been generated and when members do generate new content, the communities response and participation is lackluster at best. Even pictures of beautiful discus barely generate dialogue. I'm sure that its a complex problem and thereis more to than I have posted here. I am sure there is also information overload because social media has gotten so pervasive in our lives.

So my question is a stark one. "The Future is ?????" Whats the future of this forum and others like it? I honestly don't know. I do know what would make this forum healthier is less apathy and more involvement. I'd really like to see members do more than just read a thread. I would really like to see members post more, share their hobby and interact in discussions. I would really like members that are reading here as guests and not logging in and posting content to realize they are harming the forum's future by doing this. To survive so that the forum is here for them to read, it requires their support and involvement.

So ultimately the forums future is up to all of you. As the forum's owner I will try to drive content and improve the forum. We have several very supportive Team members here too.. Fellow admins Pat, and Brian, Mods Liz and Jake have really kept the forum going for a long time now and we all want that to continue. SimplyDiscus went online in 2002. Thats a really long run for a forum. I would like to see that run continue for years to come... but it won't unless members want that as well.

Thanks for reading,
Al

Al, it saddens me to read this post, but at the same time, I feel it needed to be said for all to see and feel appreciation for this forum and its service to the world.
I'd just like to thank you for providing somewhere for us to go when in times of need with our fish, in times of joy & celebration, what ever the occasion!
Well done, 21 years strong :)
I have already mentioned this site to 1 other discus owner this week in my return here after 4 years away from the hobby, I will continue to guide others here and post as often as I can..
If we could raise some money to update the server with a fresh look, and easier navigation system perhaps, maybe that would bring more followers..
We all know how much Discus are worth, so I am sure we could all find a way to chip in and get something happening, perhaps a go fund me or the like?
Sabrina

[LizStreithorst]

On a more optimistic note...There are more people who care posting more often than when Al first started this thread.

[brewmaster15]

Al, it saddens me to read this post, but at the same time, I feel it needed to be said for all to see and feel appreciation for this forum and its service to the world.
I'd just like to thank you for providing somewhere for us to go when in times of need with our fish, in times of joy & celebration, what ever the occasion!
Well done, 21 years strong :)
I have already mentioned this site to 1 other discus owner this week in my return here after 4 years away from the hobby, I will continue to guide others here and post as often as I can..
If we could raise some money to update the server with a fresh look, and easier navigation system perhaps, maybe that would bring more followers..
We all know how much Discus are worth, so I am sure we could all find a way to chip in and get something happening, perhaps a go fund me or the like?
Sabrina

Thank you Sabrina! We are committed to upgrading the software here and will hopefully do that soon. Its abit of a time investment on my part but we will make it work once we figure out what we go with for software. I like your idea of fundraising and maybe we give that a try once we can tell everyone exactly what we plan on doing.Helps is always welcome!

al

[brewmaster15]

On a more optimistic note...There are more people who care posting more often than when Al first started this thread.

Liz is correct here and nothing makes me more happy than seeing members posting and participating.It gives meaning and life to the forum and is critical for our future. WE have had alot of great threads and discussions recently. We also fixed our email system which has helped with new members being able to easily join. All in all I think we are leagues ahead of where we were just a short while ago.

al

[Sabrina]

Thank you Sabrina! We are committed to upgrading the software here and will hopefully do that soon. Its abit of a time investment on my part but we will make it work once we figure out what we go with for software. I like your idea of fundraising and maybe we give that a try once we can tell everyone exactly what we plan on doing.Helps is always welcome!

al

Excellent Al, sounds great! Keep us in the loop, maybe once its all sorted send out emails to all members about the upgrade to the site and any fund raising details perhaps :)

[Disgirl]

I hope SD continues a long time! Before it, I had thought for many years that I could not have Discus because of my hard, high ph tapwater. How good it was to find out I had been wrong. Have been keeping Discus since about 2005 when I found out otherwise, HERE! I have learned so much at SD and made many friends too, a real bonus. Please excuse my recent absence.
Barb

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

Al, As someone who has had Youtube at his disposal since it came out I can say this with confidence: I was overwhelmed. All the opinions and information and views all varying from the last if not slightly then drastically. Even today I'm seeing "Skip water changes forever" all over youtube. This forum provides a sense of comfort in the sense of cases and points.

As you mentioned above, you can go back and look and see what worked for certain individuals in different situations. This forum is always going to hold a place of resource for me just for the sheer amount of personalized information available at a few clicks. You can go one step further and do what I'm attempting to do and put your recordings out there for others to see what and how. This gives people all of the information for your unique situation and allows the information to be much more personal in regards to your tanks. Especially such a niche culture as this one.

I cannot speak to others taking this effort upon themselves but the ability to get such personable information is one reason that I believe this forum will continue for years to come.

As a matter of fact I'd like to take the time to show my appreciation for maintaining such a well run forum for all these years: The effort will never go unnoticed.

Hope to one day be a part of all the functions and meet and greets but for now I offer my words as my introduction,
Kyle

[LizStreithorst]

Kyle, a donation to the forum always helps and also shows your appreciation for what we offer here.

[MichiganDiscusEnthusiast]

Kyle, a donation to the forum always helps and also shows your appreciation for what we offer here.

I definitely plan on donating, gotta save my pennies though. I managed to get something together to help Brian out but want to help the forum itself as well.
You guys have been a sort of home away from home for me and I want to give back, for now I can offer my traffic to the site and patronage.

[LizStreithorst]

That's good enough, Kyle. Thank you for what you do. I know that Brian thanks you, as well. Because of few spare pennies to spare I have yet to be able to even help him. but like you, I do what I can here for now.

[B&FGuy21]

I joined SD several years ago when I first was exploring setting up a discus aquarium. I only have a few posts here but have come back to read and learn numerous times over the years as the “discus bug” has never left me. Being in a position now to explore discus again, I am grateful for the resources available here and hope to become more active on the forum. I’d love to get to know other members and even support a fellow hobbyist breeder by purchasing my first discus.

[LizStreithorst]

Welcome back B&FGuy21. We're all looking forward to read and see what your plans are. What kind of tank or tanks are you planning? Where will they be in the house? We enjoy watching someone starting anew or starting after a long absence. It's great fun to read about someone's adventure.

[B&FGuy21]

Thank you, happy to be back! The tank is a 48”x18”x24” Marineland 90 gallon with 31 gallon sump. It previously housed my high tech planted tank. I will be completely re-scraping the tank for the Discus. May keep some Java Fern and Anubias to attach to driftwood and maybe a potted valisneria or crypt. It is located in my basement fishroom which also serves as a pseudo living room. In the planning stages now and getting inspiration for aquascape! I will be creating a journal to document my progress (and ask questions too!).

[Steve_Gurule]

I am looking forward to following your progress! I’ll tell what I miss about the forum, pictures! There used to be so many pictures of beautiful discus every day.

[B&FGuy21]

Thank you! I’m looking forward to sharing. I’ve been combing through the site for inspiration as well as checking out the sponsors discus for sale. I’ll be starting a journal soon.

[brewmaster15]

I am looking forward to following your progress! I’ll tell what I miss about the forum, pictures! There used to be so many pictures of beautiful discus every day.

I too wish people would post more of their fish pics, but sadly they don't. I think its just easier to be a consumer of social media where there are professional sellers and breeders posting videos that are accessible at a click than be a producer of content. There is has also been a trend that even when someone does post pics, they get few replies... lost of reads, but no replies..which sends a message the pics are either not good, or the fish are not good or the membership really couldn't be bothered. These things then discourage future posting. I do believe its also tied to social media overload. What used to be a novelty (posting pics) is now commonplace to the point people are numb to it. Add to it the increased use and consumption of video media... pics just don't really matter as much to alot of people. All strictly conjecture on my point, of course.



al

[brewmaster15]

Thank you, happy to be back! The tank is a 48”x18”x24” Marineland 90 gallon with 31 gallon sump. It previously housed my high tech planted tank. I will be completely re-scraping the tank for the Discus. May keep some Java Fern and Anubias to attach to driftwood and maybe a potted valisneria or crypt. It is located in my basement fishroom which also serves as a pseudo living room. In the planning stages now and getting inspiration for aquascape! I will be creating a journal to document my progress (and ask questions too!).

Welcome Back!:)

I am looking forward to reading that journal thread! and your questions!

al