Trends and new strains (long)

[rsawest]

I know that this topic may have been addressed before, but I was wondering what are your thoughts or ideas on the currently available discus strains.

Are you aware of any new strains in development? What do you think the new trends will be? What are some of your established favorites? Do you think new wild strains will be found in the near future?

But please, let's stay away from Leopards at this time. I think that topic has beaten to death this week.

For me, I can't get enough of the blue strains. Although I have some Blue Diamonds and Angel's Blue Diamonds, I'd like to get some of the other solid blue strains, such as the turqs and cobalts. I'm particularly interested in Wayne's Blue Knight and Reflection Blue.

I also really like the solid reds and yellows, especially Red Melons.

As for developing strains, I'd like to see the Red Turqs developed more. I've seen pictures in Asian Discus 2 of a strain called Giant Floral, etc.

[Ralph]

I promise not to mention Leopards.....oops.
I think wilds are again coming into popularity both because of their natural beauty, but also because of some of the problems with bred strains (kids that don't look like parents, health issues, cost, etc.).
I don't know that they'll bring in any newly discovered wilds, more likely some new natural crosses. But species are evolving and mutant strains do appear.
I have "wild" reds and like them a lot.

[gary1218]

I agree with Ralph on the wilds. When I visited Al recently at the Northeast meeting I was impressed with the pairs he had set up where one of the two was a wild. So impressed that I have reservations for fry from two of these pairs. I think the wilds will help to put some "vim & vigor" back into our inbreed strains.

During that same trip I also stopped off to Dave Weber's in NYC who specializes in wilds. All I can say is WOW!!!

GARY

[Denny]

i think wilds are the new big thing as people are tiring of chameleons and rainbows and are returning to the basics to get some stability back into their strains.

personally for me it's like a kid in a candy store. i see alot of things that i would really like but i only have so much of an allowance so that is the final determination. i will go for quality now over quantity.

denny

[Carol_Roberts]

As far as man made colors, I see more work on two and three color discus - like Koi angels. White discus with red, yellow and orange patches.
Carol :heart1:

I am with Carol on the tri-color, multi color, and pattern like the Japaness Koi. Maybe a solid red with large white spots all over. A solid and shinny black. Maybe deep purple. How about extra large scales? They got the white face marlboros now, how about a solid color body with a different color cap. Ever thought about a Zebra pattern? How about the left side having a totally different color and pattern the right side?

With so many wishes, why would any one want to go backward to the common brown? I don't get it.
Don't blame inbreeding. Blame selection.

[Lynn]

I think more work will be done on the spotted fish to stabilize the lines better. I think new developments will be involving the snowflakes......to start with pale background and add patches of color...like the koi-look Carol mentioned.
Solid red(not red-brown) too, like the BDs has always been a goal...which seems close to happening

Personally, I still love Red turks and clean PBs and I hope that these strains continue to improve.
I love wilds too. I will always have them in my tanks!
Don't think any new "true" wild strains will be found.

[paulmat]

I have been working with wilds for a long time and have been purposely trying to get interesting combinations to breed(like my WildRSG/Marlboro and Wild Green/Leopard pairs) It has been very interesting and rewarding to see the crosses that are developing from these pairings,for instance those RSG/Marlboro babies some look like each parent,but some of the crosses are looking like the wild with a very cool red tint in them and thier still very young. Who knows what further breeding will develope. I know I can't wait

Paul

i think someone will develop a completely black fish with red eyes...and i don't mean sick fish...lol

Im betting were gonna see alot more of the turk varieties(or hoping ;D) in the near future. With improved lines of the red turk, checkerboard, striated cobalt, etc.

PLEASE! no more flourescent polka-dotted white/red fish...PLEASE!! YACK!!

Old school Tony

[Willie]

Linda;

In many ways, I wish we go back to the existing strains and improve them. For example, its very hard to get a truly high quality snakeskin. The same can be said for leopards. The Blue Diamonds are very high quality already as are the red/orange types. Personally, I'd like to get my hands on an old fashioned Reflection D! I think that most people will be working on getting a stable strain of the fish SLY showed, yellow background with big red spots!

Willie

[beta]

how bout a solid red with Heckel stripes :bounce:

[BLUEKNIGHT]

i think people are moving towards the wilds and solid strains especially red. also my frieind is working on a solid red fish with a black bar he is doing a wild heckel with a red.

[DarkDiscus]

Tony,

I'd be curious to see a rebirth of popularity of some of the older turk strains as well. JMHO!

John