DarkDiscus
01-26-2004, 04:05 PM
Here we are, our January Spotlight - Paul, aka Paulio!
Q - Well, by now you know that you were selected for our interview this month! I have personally been picking you for a while now as we haven't done an importer of wilds and I personally love all the fish that you have posted.
I actually have some of your fish - through Al - and this weekend I get to see the RSGs that he and I went in together on... The pics I have seen have been AWESOME!
In a lot of ways I really envy what you are doing and think it would be a lot of fun, as well as a LOT of work!
Anyway, if you could answer these questions as fully as possible at your convenience, I'll go over it and touch it up a bit and that's it - nice and painless! Thanks again, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how you respond.
Please tell us all a little about yourself. Your name, where you live, etc. Are you single, married, attached? Other hobbies? Any significant non-discus achievements you want to brag about?
A - My name is Paul. My family and I live in Naperville, IL. Naperville is about 30 miles outside Chicago. I have been married to one of the planets most understanding women for going on 13 years. Together we have four little monsters from age 20 months to 12 years.
Q - How did you get into importing discus or fish in general. I have to assume you started as a hobbyist like the rest of us and had an idea... Tell us the whole great story!
A - Well, it started when I was probably still in diapers. My Mom was into angels and trying to breed way back then. I got my very own first tank when I was about 7. My Grandfather cleaned out his garage and come across a stainless framed 10 gallon all outfitted and ready to go. It was great! My own tank and my own Guppies! It wasnt very long before I had more fish than tank so Mom let me have a 35. This tank was also a steel framed with a slate bottom! I still have that tank although it doesnt hold water any more. I tried all sorts of fish over time in the 35 but ended up loving the Angels. When I was 12 a friend of the family ran a pet store and gave me a job pulling dead fish and sweeping. That is where I saw my first Discus... and a Wild no less! I fell hook line and sinker right then and there. I killed many many Discus and spent many many dollars well into my teen years. Eventualy as information became more open to the hobbyist things got better. I was breeding domestics for several years in the early 90s. Nothing to brag about but I was doing it. I left the hobby for a few years and then in probably 1999-2000 I was reaquainted with the Wilds. An LFS has the most beaten up and unhappy wild greens I have ever seen and I just had to have them! It all took off from there. Now here I am importing for myself and opening my first retail space!
Q - What were the major obstacles involved in setting up as an importer of discus? Regulations, fluctuating supply, competition?
A - The most difficult hurdle in importing is the language barrier. As far as lisencing etc it is mostly about paying your fees, dotting your Is and crossing your Ts. You go through a few sources until you develop a relationship with one or two that you trust and it is pretty smooth from there. Outside of the 3:00 am airport trips, missed flights, leaky boxes, nonfunctioning heat packs and all those fun things. Supply does fluctuate but everyone elses does at the same time too. That is the hurdle I hope to overcome with my shop. Having the space to house enough fish. This way I can carry over into the dry periods and keep everyone happy
Q - What regions/species do you prefer personally? What is your best seller and which fish would you (or do you) keep for yourself?
A - I like the fish from Brazil best. I absolutley love RSG! The Peruvian fish are beautiful as well but they have more of a broken striation than an actual "spot" the RSG I have gotten from Brazil have, well, Red Spots! Best sellers are nice medium young Heckels and Greens. The poor, poor Discus in my personal tanks are a motley crew. I tend to keep fish that took a lot of work to get in good health after import. Most of them have some lasting or permanent damage and are not really something I would be comfortable selling. I have fish with craters in the face from HITH and malnutrition. Fish missing pectorals etc. They are plenty beautiful for me! They have earned a nice retirement
Q - How do you keep your fish once they come into the States? Do you have a large fishroom and/or how many holding tanks do you run?
A - Right now all fish come into a facility away from the sale area. There are right around 2500 gallons there. In that space they go through deworming, and observation. I treat with Metro, Flubendazole, and Prazi over a 6 week period. All fish get 10 days on salt at 1-2 tablespoons per 10 gallons when they are new. If any other problems come up I treat with the appropriate A/B's etc. After about 8 weeks I will move them into a sale area. All my tanks are independant and run either wet dry or Aquaclears and sponges. Water is changed at 60 % twice a day. I also acclimate the fish from low pH/TDS to tap water over this time. My tap runs pH 7.8 and 350 TDS.
Q - What do you feed your discus?
A - I feed Hikari brand blood worms and mysis, (RandalB you are the man!) HBH Meat Lovers flake and Angel/Discus Flake and live earth worms. I mix my own food like a lot of folks do. I use Turkey in place of beef heart and the rest of the mix varies by what is on sale at the grocery. I always add crushed vitamins and garlic.
Q - What is your most exhilarating moment with importing? Any incredible specimens, funny shipping stories, whatever?
A - Hmmmm. It is like Christmas every time! Sure there are exceptional specimens and less than great specimens too. Thing is, it is always fun and always an adventure to open a box and know where the fish came from.
Q - What is your most frustrating moment with importing discus? (Bad shipments, etc.)
A - Missed shipments. Both in and out. I have had shipments come in days after they scheduled and I have also gotten surprise phone calls from the Airport cargo facility asking me when I might pick my fish up when I had no idea they were coming. Then of course there is the "missing" boxes. Those are fun especialy when I ship to customers and the carrier drops the ball.
Q - I know that you must check out your suppliers - do you have any stories about expeditions to the Amazon you can share with us?
A - Unfortunately I havent had the opportunity to go to South America yet. In the next year or two it is a dream of mine. Word of mouth and what they show me is how I pick suppliers.
Q - How do those in your life feel about discus and/or the business of importing?
A - Most think I am out of my mind! My wonderful wife loves to look at them but that is the extent of her interest. The kids are bored with the whole thing.
Q - Do you have any thanks or credit to give for your success with discus or importing? Any mentors or colleagues who you think deserve some kudos?
A - Jim Quarles article on cleaning up wild discus is great but I cant really nail down one name here. I truly feel that everyone on this (and other) forums has taught or will treach me things I didnt already know about Discus. From novice to veteran breeder all the folks here bring somethinng to the table and I feel very lucky to be part of such a great community.
Q - What do you see as the future of importing wild fish? Are there new fish out there to find still? What is your opinion on the impact of importing on the environment and the economy of the region.
A - This is a topic that deserves a thread of its own. It has actualy gotten one in recent months. I have to say that I have not been to South America - YET! But I do a good amount of self education. I read, talk to people that have been or are there. There being areas along the river sytems. Right now the people there (river folk) need to make a living. They need to live and prosper. I would much rather see Mr. X and his young son catching fish than poaching mahogany. There are programs and studies in place to evalute the value of fish as a renewable resource. Right now, without all the facts being in I have to say that I would rather see the harvesting of fish continue rather than the devastation of the rainforests.
Q - Can you think of anything I left out you would like to bring up -either personally or discus related?
A - I would like to say to all the great folks on the board and behind the scenes - Thank you for what you do. Sharing your time and experience is the greatest gift you can give. Above and beyond discus at the end of the day all you truly have is your heart, your soul and the people that you may have touched.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Paul
Q - Well, by now you know that you were selected for our interview this month! I have personally been picking you for a while now as we haven't done an importer of wilds and I personally love all the fish that you have posted.
I actually have some of your fish - through Al - and this weekend I get to see the RSGs that he and I went in together on... The pics I have seen have been AWESOME!
In a lot of ways I really envy what you are doing and think it would be a lot of fun, as well as a LOT of work!
Anyway, if you could answer these questions as fully as possible at your convenience, I'll go over it and touch it up a bit and that's it - nice and painless! Thanks again, and I'm really looking forward to seeing how you respond.
Please tell us all a little about yourself. Your name, where you live, etc. Are you single, married, attached? Other hobbies? Any significant non-discus achievements you want to brag about?
A - My name is Paul. My family and I live in Naperville, IL. Naperville is about 30 miles outside Chicago. I have been married to one of the planets most understanding women for going on 13 years. Together we have four little monsters from age 20 months to 12 years.
Q - How did you get into importing discus or fish in general. I have to assume you started as a hobbyist like the rest of us and had an idea... Tell us the whole great story!
A - Well, it started when I was probably still in diapers. My Mom was into angels and trying to breed way back then. I got my very own first tank when I was about 7. My Grandfather cleaned out his garage and come across a stainless framed 10 gallon all outfitted and ready to go. It was great! My own tank and my own Guppies! It wasnt very long before I had more fish than tank so Mom let me have a 35. This tank was also a steel framed with a slate bottom! I still have that tank although it doesnt hold water any more. I tried all sorts of fish over time in the 35 but ended up loving the Angels. When I was 12 a friend of the family ran a pet store and gave me a job pulling dead fish and sweeping. That is where I saw my first Discus... and a Wild no less! I fell hook line and sinker right then and there. I killed many many Discus and spent many many dollars well into my teen years. Eventualy as information became more open to the hobbyist things got better. I was breeding domestics for several years in the early 90s. Nothing to brag about but I was doing it. I left the hobby for a few years and then in probably 1999-2000 I was reaquainted with the Wilds. An LFS has the most beaten up and unhappy wild greens I have ever seen and I just had to have them! It all took off from there. Now here I am importing for myself and opening my first retail space!
Q - What were the major obstacles involved in setting up as an importer of discus? Regulations, fluctuating supply, competition?
A - The most difficult hurdle in importing is the language barrier. As far as lisencing etc it is mostly about paying your fees, dotting your Is and crossing your Ts. You go through a few sources until you develop a relationship with one or two that you trust and it is pretty smooth from there. Outside of the 3:00 am airport trips, missed flights, leaky boxes, nonfunctioning heat packs and all those fun things. Supply does fluctuate but everyone elses does at the same time too. That is the hurdle I hope to overcome with my shop. Having the space to house enough fish. This way I can carry over into the dry periods and keep everyone happy
Q - What regions/species do you prefer personally? What is your best seller and which fish would you (or do you) keep for yourself?
A - I like the fish from Brazil best. I absolutley love RSG! The Peruvian fish are beautiful as well but they have more of a broken striation than an actual "spot" the RSG I have gotten from Brazil have, well, Red Spots! Best sellers are nice medium young Heckels and Greens. The poor, poor Discus in my personal tanks are a motley crew. I tend to keep fish that took a lot of work to get in good health after import. Most of them have some lasting or permanent damage and are not really something I would be comfortable selling. I have fish with craters in the face from HITH and malnutrition. Fish missing pectorals etc. They are plenty beautiful for me! They have earned a nice retirement
Q - How do you keep your fish once they come into the States? Do you have a large fishroom and/or how many holding tanks do you run?
A - Right now all fish come into a facility away from the sale area. There are right around 2500 gallons there. In that space they go through deworming, and observation. I treat with Metro, Flubendazole, and Prazi over a 6 week period. All fish get 10 days on salt at 1-2 tablespoons per 10 gallons when they are new. If any other problems come up I treat with the appropriate A/B's etc. After about 8 weeks I will move them into a sale area. All my tanks are independant and run either wet dry or Aquaclears and sponges. Water is changed at 60 % twice a day. I also acclimate the fish from low pH/TDS to tap water over this time. My tap runs pH 7.8 and 350 TDS.
Q - What do you feed your discus?
A - I feed Hikari brand blood worms and mysis, (RandalB you are the man!) HBH Meat Lovers flake and Angel/Discus Flake and live earth worms. I mix my own food like a lot of folks do. I use Turkey in place of beef heart and the rest of the mix varies by what is on sale at the grocery. I always add crushed vitamins and garlic.
Q - What is your most exhilarating moment with importing? Any incredible specimens, funny shipping stories, whatever?
A - Hmmmm. It is like Christmas every time! Sure there are exceptional specimens and less than great specimens too. Thing is, it is always fun and always an adventure to open a box and know where the fish came from.
Q - What is your most frustrating moment with importing discus? (Bad shipments, etc.)
A - Missed shipments. Both in and out. I have had shipments come in days after they scheduled and I have also gotten surprise phone calls from the Airport cargo facility asking me when I might pick my fish up when I had no idea they were coming. Then of course there is the "missing" boxes. Those are fun especialy when I ship to customers and the carrier drops the ball.
Q - I know that you must check out your suppliers - do you have any stories about expeditions to the Amazon you can share with us?
A - Unfortunately I havent had the opportunity to go to South America yet. In the next year or two it is a dream of mine. Word of mouth and what they show me is how I pick suppliers.
Q - How do those in your life feel about discus and/or the business of importing?
A - Most think I am out of my mind! My wonderful wife loves to look at them but that is the extent of her interest. The kids are bored with the whole thing.
Q - Do you have any thanks or credit to give for your success with discus or importing? Any mentors or colleagues who you think deserve some kudos?
A - Jim Quarles article on cleaning up wild discus is great but I cant really nail down one name here. I truly feel that everyone on this (and other) forums has taught or will treach me things I didnt already know about Discus. From novice to veteran breeder all the folks here bring somethinng to the table and I feel very lucky to be part of such a great community.
Q - What do you see as the future of importing wild fish? Are there new fish out there to find still? What is your opinion on the impact of importing on the environment and the economy of the region.
A - This is a topic that deserves a thread of its own. It has actualy gotten one in recent months. I have to say that I have not been to South America - YET! But I do a good amount of self education. I read, talk to people that have been or are there. There being areas along the river sytems. Right now the people there (river folk) need to make a living. They need to live and prosper. I would much rather see Mr. X and his young son catching fish than poaching mahogany. There are programs and studies in place to evalute the value of fish as a renewable resource. Right now, without all the facts being in I have to say that I would rather see the harvesting of fish continue rather than the devastation of the rainforests.
Q - Can you think of anything I left out you would like to bring up -either personally or discus related?
A - I would like to say to all the great folks on the board and behind the scenes - Thank you for what you do. Sharing your time and experience is the greatest gift you can give. Above and beyond discus at the end of the day all you truly have is your heart, your soul and the people that you may have touched.
Thanks for taking the time to read this!
Paul