First Annual Discus Hobbyist Challenge...the winner is...

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,

I have an idea for a fun little contest..

"The First Annual Discus Hobbyist Challenge"


Heres what I am thinking... I have an abundance of F2 alenquer fry that are about 6 weeks old now... Some may even carry albino genes.... I was thinking of holding a contest....

I would give away random groups of 6 fry to 5 hobbyists for free.. They would have to pay the shipping... Each hobbyist would then compete to see who could raise the biggest and best discus from the batch. in X amount of time..... That time is 6months-8 months (exact time to be determined). Contestants would have to do biweekly or monthly updates (to be decided) and share all the info on their foods and water changes etc..

We would set up a section of the forum for this and each competing hobbyist would have a section.

We are thinking the winner could have a prize like an award or I could make a special t-shirt for the occasion. Of course the real award is the recognition by the forum, and you get to keep the fish!:)

I can only ship to USA but if it goes over maybe we could have similar contests in other countries..


So heres the way The contest is looking so far... subject to change...

If you are in the USA and want to participate you must do the following...

1) Submit a pm to me here on the forum....in which you describe why you want these fish, How are you going to do this? Feeding, tank size, water params, qt....
How will these fit in with current stock? What plans for the future with them, if any, breeding/pet etc..
What do you hope to get out of this, what do you expect to learn/improve on type thing. We will pick the hobbyists from the pool of submissions.

2) You must be able to give bi-weekly photo updates, complete with a log entry as to how the fish are doing, any issues, what you have been feeding etc.

3) You must accept all fees associated with shipping these fish...The fish are free..the shipping is on you.

4) The fish raised in this contest will be your property from the moment you receive them, how they turn out is in your hands.. These fish are still young and will be randomly chosen ... don't expect a perfect group of 6 at the end of the contest. I have been really pleased with the genetics of these fish so far...they are some great stock... but Be realistic in your expectations...and lastly don't blame me for how they turn out!:)

5) Deadline for submissions is Dec 3, 2007

The winner will be picked after 6 months-8 months(to be determined).. and will recieve acknowledgement with some custom Simplydiscus merchandise/and or trophy (our choice)..We will have the fish judged by the university staff, and there will be a People's choice award that will be based on the forums vote.



We will select the contestants based on the submissions to me by PM...Our decision will be final. Experience level is not necessarily a factor in being chosen.

So... is there any interest in this? If there is , feel free to post your comments here... but send me your submissions privately by PM.

You can see the parents and fry here...
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=59962
I will post some updated pics of the fry here shortly..Please realize...these are the wild type...not the albinos I am giving to this contest.

-al

[phidelt85]

This is so awesome of you, Al! Great idea, I'm diggin' it.

[brewmaster15]

okay everyone....

Here the pics of the actual fry.. These went free swimming on 10/10/2007 and they currently are eating me out of house and home..:D They are being fed 5-6 times a day. They eat beefheart mix( which is what they are attacking in these pics I just snapped..), seafood mix, Frzn blood worms, frzn brine, NLs spectrum and ocean nutrition pellets...

-al

[Tropical Haven]

That is a really great idea AL, this is very nice of you to do this now send me my fish!!! :D

[Darren's Discus]

Al,
what a fantastic idea.Mate i have a group of cobalt juvies 6 week's old if any one from oz want's to send you submissions and be included in this i will offer the same deal as you.


cheers

[April]

thatd be great of you darren..theres lots of aussies who have signed on lately.
great contest and fun.

[brewmaster15]

Hey Darren,
Thanks Mate! Your always one to step in and try to help out with something around here...:)

If you would be able to do that with the fish..I'd definetly make an Aussie contest just like the USA one...prizes and all....The fish will be judges separate from these alenquers.. we'll call it The Aussie Division and USA Division....... maybe have the Peoples choice award for both Divisions combined since these fish are pretty comparable in age.. WE can talk about that...Lets see if any Aussies are interested...


If you are from Australia and want to participate......Please send a Private message to both Darren and I with your location and the details requested above.... If we get a couple of you, we'll set it all up..

As for the USA... Get those entry applications in... we already have a couple of eager members that have sent theirs in.

Thanks,
al

[Kenny's Discus]

Great way to kick off the holidays Al and Darren! :thumbsup: This is both very generous of you and will be educational. Have fun guys!:)

Kenny

[B-O-F]

Wow, what a fantastic idea. great fun and the potential for a real learning comparison experience.

Almost makes me want to move to the US :)

[phidelt85]

Wow, what a fantastic idea. great fun and the potential for a real learning comparison experience.

Almost makes me want to move to the US :)


Come on over, there's room for ya here! :D

[alxjss]

Wow AL. That is one generous gesture. That would be awesome. Too bad i just won the auction. I would have loved to have gotten these babies:( Good luck to all. Great idea al!!!

[Jason]

I'll volunteer to be the controll group :)

[brewmaster15]

Sent you a pm Jason.:)

-al

[RichieE]

I'm to busy to participate Brew but that is an awesome idea on so many levels. Great idea for beginners and advanced discus keepers. Rich

[Kindredspirit]

I agree ~


But I have no energy, time or space:(

[C_of_Discus]

Man I have time and a New 90 gal BB waiting … but sadly I live in Canada.
Good luck to you all I can’t wait to see everyone’s different growth rates.
I have done this in the past with other cichlids and it is a blast.

Great Idea!

[brewmaster15]

If you can pick them up at a fedex station on the US side... you can still enter.:)

-al

[Tropical Haven]

Hey Al, I can participate in this experiment. I have an extra 70 gallon empty and waiting. :D

[brewmaster15]

I don't see why not scott..:) send me a submission:D

-al

[dpt8]

Great going Al. That is so awesome of you.. I wish I had more tanks but I DO have to concentrate on my discus I presently have :9) Thanks, David T

[brewmaster15]

I wish I had more tanks but I DO have to concentrate on my discus I presently have :9) Thanks, David T Yes David.. you most certainly do my friend.:)
-al

[Darren's Discus]

Hey Darren,
Thanks Mate! Your always one to step in and try to help out with something around here...:)

If you would be able to do that with the fish..I'd definetly make an Aussie contest just like the USA one...prizes and all....The fish will be judges separate from these alenquers.. we'll call it The Aussie Division and USA Division....... maybe have the Peoples choice award for both Divisions combined since these fish are pretty comparable in age.. WE can talk about that...Lets see if any Aussies are interested...


If you are from Australia and want to participate......Please send a Private message to both Darren and I with your location and the details requested above.... If we get a couple of you, we'll set it all up..

As for the USA... Get those entry applications in... we already have a couple of eager members that have sent theirs in.

Thanks,
al
Al,
alway's happy to help out on simply anyway i can.So come on aussie's come on !!


cheers

[Ardan]

Very generous of you Al and Darren!!:):)

Those Alenquers look awesome!:) Healthy, active and growing fast.
Great idea!
Ardan

[Green Country Discus]

Al, Angela and I were just talking about how sweet your offer is and decided to offer the US (University Choice) winner a plaque. This contest is a great idea and should be a lot of fun to follow.

[Wahter]

Excellent idea Al. It'll be interesting to see how the fish grow out in different conditions. :)



Walter

[Discus-Hans]

GREAT IDEA !!!!

Good job everybody involved!!!!!

Now see or I've a free tank lol

Hans

[GrillMaster]

What an awsome idea for the holidays!! Kudos to ya Al!!:thumbsup:

Darren good on ya bud for jumping on the bandwagon an making things a lil more interesting!

Oh BTW....PM sent :D

tc
Mark

[phidelt85]

Al, Angela and I were just talking about how sweet your offer is and decided to offer the US (University Choice) winner a plaque. This contest is a great idea and should be a lot of fun to follow.

Hey Andrew, you know how to spell my last name right? :D :D

[Kindredspirit]

Nope. He does not. BOB can not spell, Jose:D

[phidelt85]

Nope. He does not. BOB can not spell, Jose:D


LMAO!!! :D :D

[brewmaster15]

Al, Angela and I were just talking about how sweet your offer is and decided to offer the US (University Choice) winner a plaque. This contest is a great idea and should be a lot of fun to follow.

WOW!!!!!!:shocked2::shocked2::shocked2:
Andrew and Angela, Thats an awesome and generous gesture on your part! Thank you so much !!!:):):):):)
Thanks!
-al

[mench]

Hi ya Al,you may not remember me as I haven't been on in a while..my name is Mench and I am a Discus-a-haulic...LOL
As luck would have it,I have a couple of tanks sitting idle and as I am retired with nothing but time,at least that is what the bride tells me,I think this would be fun...

Mench

[brewmaster15]

this is going well so far...

Hey I have another announcement as well..

I received an anonymous but generous donation of $100 to help with the shipping of these fish.. I am not quite sure how this will be used yet exactly...but I thought I would share that and say thanks to the donor....

thanks everyone,
-al

hey mench... remember you? how could we forget you!;)

[Darren's Discus]

Al,
I thought i would sweeten the deal a little i will include shipping for any aussies taking up the challenge in exchange all they have to do is make a $50 donation to simply discus.So that's 6 Cobalt juvies including freight for a $50 donation.I will also throw in a plaque for the aussie winner !



cheers

[pcsb23]

Darren, does the free shipping include shipping to the uk ;)

It's a very generous offer mate :) You're a star.

[brewmaster15]

Darren!!!!:) You are amazing!


Now.. where are all those Aussies.. Darren, Rod...start spreading the word:)

thanks again!
-al

[Darren's Discus]

Thankyou Al and Paul,
I always try to help out any small way i can as this site has helped me in so many ways.here is a picture of the cobalt parent's try and post pics of the juvies over the weekend.


cheers

[pcsb23]

They are gorgeous fish Darren.

[Green Country Discus]

Sweet looking pair Daren, now get some in the mail to OK :D. Great deal you are offering your fellow Aussies ;) ! Who could pass this up??

[Kindredspirit]

Darren, does the free shipping include shipping to the uk ;)

.

How about Cali:D

[AmberC]

That is an awesome idea! Its going to be very fun to follow!

Amber

[Christina]

This is a really neat idea.

As a newbie to discus, seeing results from something like this where people use different techniques, etc, would be really educational.

I hope that you choose someone who plans on trying a non-traditional method, just for comparison.

I'll probably try to grow some juvies out in a low tech planted tank, since that's what I have, but it would be cool to be able to see a comparison in a semi-controlled experiment, so I could see what to expect.

I'll start my tank before this challenge ends, but it might help other newbies when they start out.

I can't wait to see what happens!

[Vinny]

Hehe, this is a great idea. Such a generous offer. ;)

[Discus-Hans]

Darren, I'm proud of you, great job my friend,

Hans

[Kenny's Discus]

Great job Andrew, Angela, Darren; I applaud all of you for your generosity and your love for this hobby!:thumbsup:

Kenny

[alxjss]

Great job Andrew, Angela, Darren; I applaud all of you for your generosity and your love for this hobby!:thumbsup:

Kenny

DITTO!

[phidelt85]

I have to agree, Al, Darren, A&A you all are class acts in my book! I hope one day I'll be able to help fellow hobbyists the way you all do.

[wolfbane]

When would the shipping date be? After the Holidays?

[Dennis The Mennis]

When would the shipping date be? After the Holidays?This is a good question. I thought about appling for this, but I'll be gone for a week or so around the holidays.

[brewmaster15]

I'd like to ship all fish before christmas.. I plan on shipping everyone the same day.

Fedex is gonna love me.:)
-al

[renae]

OMG...this is an amazing competion,Al and Darren you both have left me speechless...;)

[Cosmo]

Those are some sweet looking fry Al ~ some folks are in for a very special Christmas package :)

[Darren's Discus]

OMG...this is an amazing competion,Al and Darren you both have left me speechless...;)

Don't be speechless Renea,set up a tank and take the challenge !!


cheers

[two utes]

What an amazing bunch of people!!! Real keen enthusiasts if you ask me, and also very generous. Well done.

[Darren's Discus]

Joe,
mate take the challenge,have sent you a PM.


cheers

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Just an update..

We have 13 submissions for the US contest at this time and 3 for Australian one..

Theres still time to get your submission in and a real good chance that you will get picked.

-al

[Dolphin Dip]

Hi all,
Just an update..

We have 13 submissions for the US contest at this time and 3 for Australian one..

Theres still time to get your submission in and a real good chance that you will get picked.

-al

man, i really wish i could, but with water prices skyrocketing out here, and my grandmother paying the bill, i jsut couldn't justify the water changes. it's too bad, alenquers were the strain i initially wanted when i started keeping discus.

[alxjss]

how many entries so far Al. Want to no what i am up for. That would be awesome if i got chosen. Have a tank cycling for my new fish from dan. thro them all together @ the same time, could do both:D

[brewmaster15]

I think we have 14 submissions now.

-al

[Darren's Discus]

Here we are come and get us !!!!!



cheers

[Kenny's Discus]

Darren, you're lucky that I don't live close to you my friend:D; I'd have cleaned out your tank in a min lol... j/k Great job!

Kenny

[Rod]

Here we are come and get us !!!!!



cheers

Nice work Darren, great looking tankful of fry.

[bikhu]

I wish everyone taking part in this a great time! I have seen Al's fry in person and was so taken by them! They look awesome. I just wish I had the tank space and the time to raise them properly myself. I am so jealous of those who are taking part in this! jk...

Al and Darren,
Your generosity here is inspiring! It really speaks to what this forum is really about... hobbyists who love to promote the hobby and help one another do so. Imagine if people all over the world put aside differences and looked for their commonalities. Imagine if they sought to extend good wishes and support for each other based on those commonalities! Imagine if they found joy in simply taking part in providing joy for others. Imagine...

Thanks you guys! I am truly touched with your generosity and love for this hobby!
peter

[rlong]

This challenge is great! Thanks so much Brewmaster and A1!
I have sent in my submittion and hope to be selected to partisapate and if not, well then I look foward to the challenge posts.

Thanks again for this great offer and opertunity.

Randy

[asim amjad]

i wish i had lived in america !! :( :( this is a really great idea!

[Vinny]

I think the important part of this contest is not who gets picked, but instead the assurance that there are some trusting and generous people in the world. It think its great to know that. :D

Vinny

[GrillMaster]

I wish everyone taking part in this a great time! I have seen Al's fry in person and was so taken by them! They look awesome. I just wish I had the tank space and the time to raise them properly myself. I am so jealous of those who are taking part in this! jk...

Al and Darren,
Your generosity here is inspiring! It really speaks to what this forum is really about... hobbyists who love to promote the hobby and help one another do so. Imagine if people all over the world put aside differences and looked for their commonalities. Imagine if they sought to extend good wishes and support for each other based on those commonalities! Imagine if they found joy in simply taking part in providing joy for others. Imagine...

Thanks you guys! I am truly touched with your generosity and love for this hobby! peter

Very nicely put Peter!!

Also to all the others that have stepped up! Hats off to ya... This forum is top notch an run by the same! :thumbsup:

I cant wait to see the pics that derive from this lil competition! :)

tc
Mark

[reelay0]

Who's ExCiTeD???

[Elite Aquaria]

Al,

Who are the lucky 5...

[phidelt85]

I'm chompin' at the bit to find out!!!

[alxjss]

anticipation:(

[Kenny's Discus]

Be patient guys...:)

Kenny

[brewmaster15]

Easy does it everyone... we have about 15 entries to go thru..:)
-al

[limige]

so al when you shipping my fish?

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
The Moderators and admins here have all voted on the candidates and I have to say it was a close run in for many... Very hard to chose from so many great submissions..

I asked the mods to evaluate based on submission content and based on trying to find a broad range of candidates experience levels.


Then I tallied everything up... It was really close...So close in fact that I decided to add another Group of free fish....:) so we have 6 contestants going into this plus a control group to be raised out by Jason in canada.

The selections are as follows...

Phidelta85
mench
Kjofan
alxjss
seastep
jeep


I wish I could have given fish to all of You that took the time to submit... Its my sincerest hope that this contest will lead to more of a similar nature....I think its a great way to learn, have fun and really enjoy the hobby.

I'd like to ship these fish out to the winners this up coming week...and with that I also would like to thank another anonymous donor that has offered to pay all the shipping fees here... if the contestants will donate $50 to the forum... So thanks to this generous offer... To get these fish to the winners will only cost $50 per contestant.
Donation info is here...
http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/billspaypal.php?


On another Note...we'll be announcing the winners of the Australian contest latter today:)


Congratulations to those chosen to participate,,,... please send me a Pm with your shipping address and telephone number ...Ideally I want to ship Dec 11, for arrival on the 12th.


Thanks everyone,
and Good Luck!!!:)

-al

[Seastep]

WOW!!!

I cannot tell everyone how excited I am to be selected. I think this is going to be a fun experience. My "assistant" (my two-year old son) is ready to welcome more "Daddy Fish" to the household!

[reelay0]

Congratulations to everyone that was selected!

I look forward to the threads that ya'll will be submitting for your updates. Should be a great learning experience!

Ray

[jeep]

Wow, thank's Al!! I'll get a tank set up this weekend and keep you all updated on thier progress!!!

[Kenny's Discus]

Congrats to all participants you're all WINNERS! :thumbsup:

Kenny

[Tropical Haven]

Congrats to all of the winners, I know these fish will be a great addition to all of your tanks. Myself and all of the other Mods will be anxiously waiting for all of those updated pictures to arrive once you recieve your fish. This was a very difficult decision to pick the winners and everyone who submitted deserved to get these fish. I would like to personally thank everyone who submitted their responses for this and good luck and keep all of your discus healthy. :D

[Ryan]

Congratulations everyone! It was a really close vote. I will be setting up a special section just for the contest winners to post updates and pictures of their fish.

[KJoFan]

Wow, thanks Al and everyone who made the final decision. This is an awesome opportunity you've given us and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I can't wait to get started! This is a really neat idea you've come up with. :thumbsup: And I would say this even if I hadn't been chosen. ;)

I'm sure glad I spent all those long hours in the fishroom this past weekend getting things rearranged and setup more to my liking, now all I have to do is fill a tank up and I'm ready to go! :)

[phidelt85]

WOW!! Thank you Al and everyone else involved in the selection process. You don't know how excited I am to be selected (I wonder if this is what if feels like to win the lottery :) ) I greatly appreciate the opportunity you all have give me.

[alxjss]

WHEW HEW!!!! I can't believe it. I never won anything before. Especially some great fish, I am sooooo excited. Be ready all, cause I will have the biggest and best discus, :D lolj/k
Thank u Al for this opportunity. I feel very special that u and ur team gave me this chance. I am honored. To think, only been keeping discus for 6mo. I hope to be close to u vets when this is done!!!!!

[cktrimble]

Congratulations everyone! This will be very interesting to watch and learn from. I am happy for each of you and can't wait to start reading all of your updates and seeing the pictures!

Al - this is a great idea and very gracious gift and I would like to personally thank you for making it happen. This is truly going above and beyond. Heck, you already do that with just maintaining such a wonderful site. Hats off to you!

Take care,
Kevin

[AADiscus]

Congrats to all the winners! Now my question is who will be the first to post pics of fish in the shipping box, bags, etc. lol Wonder what the time zone is for everyone, who will get there fish first. :D I'll have to stay logged in all day on wednesday just to see. ha ha

Thank you to all that submitted for Al's contest.

This is truly gonna start the new year off right!

[C_of_Discus]

Congrats to all the winners! Now my question is who will be the first to post pics of fish in the shipping box, bags, etc. lol Wonder what the time zone is for everyone, who will get there fish first. :D I'll have to stay logged in all day on wednesday just to see. ha ha

Thank you to all that submitted for Al's contest.

This is truly gonna start the new year off right!


Will there be a Arrive alive warranty? What happens if all the fish arrive DOA?

[BOBT00LS]

Congrats to all that were selected !! Im looking forward to following this challenge. It should be very interesting to see how these discus progress being raised in different parts of the country, different water parameters, diets, and everything else that goes along with this. Good Luck to All !!

BOB

[brewmaster15]

Tim,

Will there be a Arrive alive warranty? What happens if all the fish arrive DOA? I'll pack them and ship them as best I can...

If a theres any issues with the shipping I'll deal with them as fairly as possible. I've yet to ship an order of fish that arrived all DOA...but it can happen.

...keep in mind ..these are all siblings I am giving away specifically for this contest.... theres only so many fry availible or I would have given them to all those that submitted entries.

Hopefully everyone will receive their fish in good order.

hth,
al

[Lisachromis]

Dang... missed out. :(

[C_of_Discus]

Al,

I'm sure everything will be Ok.

I didn't mean any disrespect I have only heard the most complementary things about you and your Discus.

I really wanted in on this Contest but I was too worried about the safe arrival of them to Canada.

I have purchased some Discus from Club Auctions and after the discus have been in a bag all day and handled by upteen people and the water Ice cold. I have always had an up hill battle ( 2 weeks) just to get them back on track.

[brewmaster15]

No offense taken..:)
-al

[alxjss]

Tim,
I'll pack them and ship them as best I can...

If a theres any issues with the shipping I'll deal with them as fairly as possible. I've yet to ship an order of fish that arrived all DOA...but it can happen.

...keep in mind ..these are all siblings I am giving away specifically for this contest.... theres only so many fry availible or I would have given them to all those that submitted entries.

Hopefully everyone will receive their fish in good order.

hth,
al

I have the utmost confidence in u al. I am sure u wouldn't do anything to harm ur babies;) R these culls al?

[reelay0]

Lol

I doubt they're culls=) But that would be funny.

[brewmaster15]

Culls!!!? not yet they aren't...but soon that will be out of my hands and into yours.:)

-al

[alxjss]

Culls!!!? not yet they aren't...but soon that will be out of my hands and into yours.:)

-al

Sorry, didn't mean to offend u. That was a good laugh.:p

[fredox]

Good luck to everyone that was chosen. And for those that weren't look at the thread title. I'm sure Brew is hoping this will continue for a long while. Who knows there might even be a UK section in a couple of years when I'm not just dreaming about keeping discus.

[brewmaster15]

And now...with great pleasure I announce the winners of the Australian division of this contest...

RENAE
TWO UTES
TONYMACCS

Congratulations to you all and as you know , Darren has generously offered not only the fish but will also cover the shipping... alls he asks is you donate $50 to the forum..

I believe a 4th group of fish will be raised out by Rod Lewis as control if he can find the tank space :)

Ryan and I will set up a section for everyone to follow along on how these fish do as well..

Thanks everyone for participating..

-al

[alxjss]

And now...with great pleasure I announce the winners of the Australian division of this contest...

RENAE
TWO UTES
TONYMACCS

Congratulations to you all and as you know , Darren has generously offered not only the fish but will also cover the shipping... alls he asks is you donate $50 to the forum..

I believe a 4th group of fish will be raised out by Rod Lewis as control if he can find the tank space :)

Ryan and I will set up a section for everyone to follow along on how these fish do as well..

Thanks everyone for participating..

-al

Congrats to u all! Good luck on those beauties;)

[renae]

Thanks Al and Darren for giving all of us the the privelidge to participate and congratulations to everyone that has been selected.
Renae :)

[Darren's Discus]

And now...with great pleasure I announce the winners of the Australian division of this contest...

RENAE
TWO UTES
TONYMACCS

Congratulations to you all and as you know , Darren has generously offered not only the fish but will also cover the shipping... alls he asks is you donate $50 to the forum..

I believe a 4th group of fish will be raised out by Rod Lewis as control if he can find the tank space :)

Ryan and I will set up a section for everyone to follow along on how these fish do as well..

Thanks everyone for participating..

-al
Excellent,good luck to you all.


cheers

[alxjss]

U r the man Darren. That was cool of u. great job:) Santa will be good to u this yr;)

[brewmaster15]

U r the man Darren. That was cool of u. great job:) Yes Eileen, it was very Cool of him...Darren's been a great friend to the forum and I'm proud to say...to me.:)


-al

[Darren's Discus]

Yes Eileen, it was very Cool of him...Darren's been a great friend to the forum and I'm proud to say...to me.:)


-al

Thank's as alway's i like to help out the forum that help's so many in this great hobby.


cheers

[ken25]

Good luck to everyone that was picked. Looking forward to see how the fish do under different conditions. Also thanks to everybody that has put time and effort into getting this done. Ken

[renae]

I have to agree with you guys..Darren provides a good service here in Aust..the best service I should say:)

[alxjss]

Yes Eileen, it was very Cool of him...Darren's been a great friend to the forum and I'm proud to say...to me.:)
-al
U no, that is wonderful to no u have friends like this, even in oz;)

Thank's as alway's i like to help out the forum that help's so many in this great hobby.
cheers
And u do an excellent job Darren:)

[GrillMaster]

Congrats to all the winners. :thumbsup:

Good luck all with the contest! Its not everyday a forum steps up with an oppurtunity like this!! :)

Cant wait to read the threads.

tc
Mark

[Kindredspirit]

Congrats to all! Nicole!!!!!!!!! You go girl!! Hopefully, I will catch the next challenge;)

[renae]

Thanks Marie :)

[Discus-Hans]

Congrats to everbody on both side of the BIG water.

I'm looking forward to the pictures how this all will go.

Great job guys,

Hans

[two utes]

What a beauty!!! Thanks Al and Darren for this great opportunity. Also congratulations to all the others picked in Australia, and America. I feel priviledged to be apart of this forum, and the challenge. What a BUZZ!!!!

My donation is on its way.

Thanks guys!:D:D:D:D

[Kenny's Discus]

Al,

I'm sure everything will be Ok.

I didn't mean any disrespect I have only heard the most complementary things about you and your Discus.

I really wanted in on this Contest but I was too worried about the safe arrival of them to Canada.

I have purchased some Discus from Club Auctions and after the discus have been in a bag all day and handled by upteen people and the water Ice cold. I have always had an up hill battle ( 2 weeks) just to get them back on track.

:)Remember years ago in one of his threads Al used to show us how to ship fish step by step. I was very impressed by his detailed description of how the whole process is done. So no worries my friend.

So glad to see everyone is so excited about this and that includes me! (Whoops Al I didn't win?:D) j/k

Kenny

[phidelt85]

Congrats to all the winners. :thumbsup:

Good luck all with the contest! Its not everyday a forum steps up with an oppurtunity like this!! :)

Cant wait to read the threads.

tc
Mark


Mark, I can't agree with you more. This is one class act forum, and the congratulations should go to Al, Ryan, Darren, and everyone else who helped bring this challenge to fruition. If it weren't for this site and the folks I have had the honor to meet and speak with, I'd have given up on discus after my first few deaths. Thank you all!!:thumbsup:

[rlong]

Hi all,
I don't know whether to disapointed or relieved that I didn't get selected. ...seigh...

Oh well, there is alway next year, I'll be better prepaired.

Still loking foward to seeing the posts. There should be a new catigory here just for those posts so we can find and follow along more easly.

Randy

[Eyecandy]

Hi... Just wanted to say congrats to all the winners and sponsers of the challenges...
Hopefully by following the progress of everyone lucky enough to be chosen I will learn enough to be able to try and participate in the next annual challenge. This is a wonderful forum with great folks and this is truely a fantastic opportunity for all.. Good luck to everyone involved and let the pics start... Sue :angel::angel:

[Tropical Haven]

:)Remember years ago in one of his threads Al used to show us how to ship fish step by step. I was very impressed by his detailed description of how the whole process is done. So no worries my friend.

So glad to see everyone is so excited about this and that includes me! (Whoops Al I didn't win?:D) j/k

Kenny


Hey Al I missed this thread, can you send it to me I would love to read it.

[White Worm]

Congrats and good luck to all. The best thing is that you are all guaranteed to start off with healthy stock. Start taking pics when you receive them because we would like to know the process from when they came in the door. It would benefit everyone to know acclamation, QT, shipping/arrival time, etc.

[kjmillerfw]

What a fantastic idea Al...This will be fun to watch!

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
I just want to confirm with all the competitors that fish will be shipped this week.....so please send me a Pm with your shipping info and lets square up on the shipping donation if you haven't already.

Please confirm by pm that you can receive the fish on Wednesday, Dec 12...I have at least one person that will be getting them Friday, Dec 14 so that would be your other choice if wednesday does not work for you.

thanks,
al

[brewmaster15]

Hi everyone,
As you all may know we lost a very special friend earlier this week... Barb Newell passed away.:(

http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=60945


I've been talking with alot of members here and many have expressed interest doing things to memorialize Barb, and thats exactly what we want to do...Theres a few things here and there in the works that I'll bring up elsewhere as I can.....but one thing that I thought was an excellent idea was proposed by Angela and Andrew of Green Country Discus... They would like to name the award for this Hobbyist Challenge in Barb's Honor.. and thats what we are going to do.:)..maybe we can inscribe it to that affect.

Barb deserves this award to be named after her because of all the hobbyists I have known, she embodied what a discus Hobbyist should be, IMO..... In order to explain this I have to give you some personal history about Barb which I have been thinking about alot lately.

Years ago I Met Barb on another forum, before Simply was in existence....She had just gotten into Discus and had bought a group of very sick fish...They were not curable.. we even sent the fish to Labs... they were infested with intramuscular nematodes that could not even be identified.., not to mention many other issues....Her compassion was so great for these fish that she tried everything...one by one they died and as they did...her desire to keep discus did.. Many tried to help her here (Mat will remember I am sure).. I spoke with her by email, by pm, by telephone many hours....She was devastated.... most hobbyists would have given up.....but she didn't... and soon with the help of Cary Strong at Great lakes Discus...she got into discus again and gave it another try.

She and I became friends thru all this and when SimplyDiscus was started she came here, and eventually became a moderator.... She spent hours helping people here and shared what she had learned... She went from being devastated to becoming one of the finest hobbyist Breeders out there... She had the touch when it came to Discus...

Thru the years she never lost that passion for this fish... even when she was diagnosed with Cancer,, she fought it and as soon as she could, was right back there again.

She Loved that flat fish, understood what it needed to thrive, and she made alot of friends along the way as she shared what she learned and tried to help people.

We'll all miss her greatly...:( but We can all learn from her example as well and remember her.

And that is why I agree we should dedicate this contest to her as she was one of the finest Discus Hobbyist out there...and alway will be.

Thank you,
al

[bikhu]

Awesome idea! This so exemplifies Barb's love for the hobby and all that she contributed to the hobby. Good lookin' out!
peter

[alxjss]

Very nice gesture. It is an honor for me to raise these fish to the best of my ability for her. Thank u again.

[phidelt85]

That's a great idea Angela and Andrew; I agree it would be a great way to honor a lady that had such a great passion for this hobby amongst other things I'm sure.

I agree with Eileen; it is an honor to participate in such an important moment for everyone on here.

[Darren's Discus]

Andrew and Angela and Al,
Great idea,I too will award the downunder winner of the challenge the Barb Newell Award.



cheers

[AADiscus]

Andrew and I think it is the least we can do. I hope that her children and Keith know that she is loved by many all over the world. It doesn't mean you have to know someone in person, but just being there for so many means alot. I want to keep this tradition going in her honor. Even if the contest is different every year but still in her name. She is still with us everyone, she will always be with us. Just watching over us. She is simply an angel to to simply. TRUE ANGEL

I was thinking of making the plaque to the USA winner the Barb Newell angel award. (with Al's approval) I will start planning the plaque soon. Everyone that won......your challenge starts now!

[White Worm]

Fantastic idea! I only knew her from here but every day I see others pop up and then we find out that she was not just a huge help here but many other forums. She touched more people than we know. Its what you do when you are here...and....she did alot for many so it is fitting that a discus award be named in her honor. It is a beautiful tribute to her as someone who was well thought about all over the world....literally. :angel:

[Ardan]

An absolutely awesome idea!:)
Al, you are right on when you describe Barb.

Andrew and Angela, Thank you for your generosity and kindness, it shows what a top notch couple you are:)

Ardan

[pcsb23]

It's a lovely idea, and typical of the kind thoughtfulness of Angela and Andrew.

[GrillMaster]

How appropriate!! Giving an award to someone that has raised their discus to the best of their ability in honor of Barb who always did the same. :)

Excellent idea Angela an Andrew! Kudos to you! :thumbsup:

tc
Mark

[tag]

Al, I too remember how things were at Barb's start and how grateful that she remained to you and to Cary like it was only yesterday. She wasn't a quitter, sometimes she frustrated me with not allowing me to quit either :)

Barb promised that if I put forth the love and care that I would experience things through the Discus that I would cherish for all my life and she was right :)

When there was illness, Barb spent many many nights staying awake doing waterchanges and medicating because there might still be a chance.

She was amazed of the discus that she bred for their shape and size and pattern/colouring and also for Pineye, Butterball, Buddy, Angel, Julie, Rose Red and her other one eyed,stunted adoptees that Barb took in when people stopped caring.

She has a special corner of her yard designated to Julie and Rose Red lavished with clematis, lights, yard decor because although they weren't with her anymore....her admiration and love for them continued.

Barb did have the touch and I have to smile for times when hobbyists would say..."hey, send me some of your water" or "send me some of those magic pots you have". She could have kept her knowledge to herself but Barb was a giver...god how she loved to give.

Dedicating this award to Barb is an amazing way to remember what Barb contributed to the hobby, thank you.

I know Barb would agree when I say....this, your thoughts, your kindness, your remembrance of Barb and who she was IS the Simply Discus community.

Thank you all for everything you've done for Barb, for her family.

Take care all

Tina

[thang45]

That a great idea. I cannot wait for the results. We can learn a lot from this challenge.

Good luck to all contestants.

[Squiggy]

I can't believe I missed this oppertunity.....Great idea, Al.

Joe

[alxjss]

Al, I too remember how things were at Barb's start and how grateful that she remained to you and to Cary like it was only yesterday. She wasn't a quitter, sometimes she frustrated me with not allowing me to quit either :)

Barb promised that if I put forth the love and care that I would experience things through the Discus that I would cherish for all my life and she was right :)

When there was illness, Barb spent many many nights staying awake doing waterchanges and medicating because there might still be a chance.

She was amazed of the discus that she bred for their shape and size and pattern/colouring and also for Pineye, Butterball, Buddy, Angel, Julie, Rose Red and her other one eyed,stunted adoptees that Barb took in when people stopped caring.

She has a special corner of her yard designated to Julie and Rose Red lavished with clematis, lights, yard decor because although they weren't with her anymore....her admiration and love for them continued.

Barb did have the touch and I have to smile for times when hobbyists would say..."hey, send me some of your water" or "send me some of those magic pots you have". She could have kept her knowledge to herself but Barb was a giver...god how she loved to give.

Dedicating this award to Barb is an amazing way to remember what Barb contributed to the hobby, thank you.

I know Barb would agree when I say....this, your thoughts, your kindness, your remembrance of Barb and who she was IS the Simply Discus community.

Thank you all for everything you've done for Barb, for her family.

Take care all

Tina


Tina, That was the best speech i have ever heard. I wanted to say something else but can't spell it:o I didn't know Barb, but what u just said makes me feel a little closer. I sure missed out on a wonderful person, and its my loss. :(
I will try my best to raise these fish to the best of my ability for her. I want to be the Proud owner of this plaque to say my standards meet hers.
I must say you are all lucky to have known such an exceptional person. You are the lucky ones. Keep her in your heart forever and cherish the memories you have of her. She may be gone physically, but she will never be gone permanantly:angel:

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
just a note to let everyone know that we have postponed the shipping until this upcoming week because of the bad storm that hit the mid west and its remnants coming east now to hit us...

I am hopefully going to be able to ship out the contest fish on monday..

-al

[Darren's Discus]

Hi all,
I will be shipping the Oz fish out tomorrow,I changed from cobalt's to royal blues as they were slightly larger,They are 3 months to the day on saturday here is a pic of some siblings of the parent's,will post pic of the juvies when i send them out.

cheers

[GrillMaster]

They look awsome Darren! I would be proud to have em in my tank! :)

tc
Mark

[renae]

Darren they look great :)

[AADiscus]

I am glad the shipment is postponed because I know it is bad here (in Oklahoma) however I am very anxious to see everyones fish in there tank. This is gonna be so much fun for the next 6 months. :D Everyone keep us informed and have your cameras ready. I know Jose is chopping at the bit. However he has no power but running on generator right now.

[tonymaccs]

That's a nice looking group of discus. Interesting variation in colour and markings.

[GrillMaster]

I am glad the shipment is postponed because I know it is bad here (in Oklahoma) however I am very anxious to see everyones fish in there tank. This is gonna be so much fun for the next 6 months. :D Everyone keep us informed and have your cameras ready. I know Jose is chopping at the bit. However he has no power but running on generator right now.

I hope Jose weathers the storm!! In Oklahoma...Thats just insane!

Its gonna be a long winter I am afraid... Not that I am complaining or anything. ;)

I am anxiously waiting for the first pics though! :)

tc
Mark

[phidelt85]

WOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I'm back on the grid. Feels good to get back on Simply in my warm, lit, room. I did lose some fish but none were Discus (although I may have some issues there, but that's for another thread); unfortunately, one was my son's clownfish "Nemo" and some coral.

Anyway, back on track, hopefully. Anxiously awaiting Tuesday's arrival :D and getting my storage tank and tanks back in service.

[Seastep]

Phidelt -

Your situation has inspired my next fish room project!! I've got to get some kind of power backup for my tanks.... I live in the midwest too and I'd hate to be sitting in a cold, dark house trying to huddle next to my fish tanks to keep them warm!!

[phidelt85]

LOL, Seastep!! Glad I can help. It's really not somewhere you want to be. Granted I was more concerned for my family but it sucked just watching some of my fish just deteriorate and die. A generator is definitely the way to go, but I have read some folks on here using batteries wired up in series to run just the essential air pumps and heaters. I will definitely be attempting to streamline my emergency power system in the near future.

[Kindredspirit]

back on track

:)

[alxjss]

Well, i am anxiously waiting the arrival of both sets of fish. Dan has been holding on to mine waiting my tank cycle. It is scheduled for Sat. I have been testing waters almost everyday. Man, a watched pot never boils:mad:
As for Al's fish, i am ready since he is sending me a seeded sponge:o
My tank is full of water, but no fish. ugh:( I hope the east coast doesn't get tooo blasted.
Jose, u r lucky u had that gen. The weather here is fine. Sunshine. We only got a little freezing rain, but other than that its been real frustrating waiting....:(

[Darren's Discus]

Friday,
i sent out 3 lots of juvies 1 to go,Tony and Rod received there's ok unfortunately Renea's missed their second flight and were held up for 40 hours and one died,here is a pic when i sent them out.



cheers

[renae]

Darren these are very nice little juvies..and as Darren mentioned I had an awful experience with the feight but am pleased to say 4 out of the six are swimming around beautifully and look very happy and allready eating..I'm amazed at how round these little fellas are..and am just happy to finally have them in a tank.
Renae.

[two utes]

I am eagerly waiting for my fish to arrive over the next couple of days, as l have been interstate to Townsville visiting my daughter and new grand daughter. I was very fortunate to catch up with Darren for the first time and was overwhelmed with his set up and beautiful fish. Thanks Darren!!!!
I love my wife so much that l set up the new tank for this challenge in the bathroom, so she can watch them as she relaxes.
The tank is situated close to drains and taps to make water changes easy. Wishing all fellow competitors the best of luck and FUN through out this challenge.
Thanks again Al and Darren.

[Darren's Discus]

Joe,
their new digs look great. !


cheers

[Ardan]

Nice job Darren!:)

Ardan

[Kindredspirit]

Great, Darren! Joe, Nicole..........Have fun and learn much!!:D

[brewmaster15]

Great job so far Aussies!:)

Now I guess its my turn...Tomarrow everyones fish here will go out for tuesday delivery, unless I get hit with another storm;)... Should be alot of fun!

We'll be setting the sections of the forum to monitor the progress of everyones fish....


al

[Organic Farmer]

Good luck to all , sounds like a BlAST

[Dolphin Dip]

i'm excited and i'm not even getting any fish... this should be interesting.

[brewmaster15]

okay everyone, fishes are going out today.... Bags are made up, boxes set up... heat packs ready to go.. and a little latter today We'll start bagging them up.

The way we will do this is we'll bag as many of the best fish from the tank as we can...We will not rule a fish out for broken bars. We'll be sorting by shape and removing any that have deformities... I have had to cull very few from this group. The "we" in this group is my highly skilled 4 year old son, Ethan.

Once I have bagged all the fish, Ethan will randomly pick from the pool of bags and we'll box them up....and ship them out..


Ryan has set up the forum section for the contest... each contestant has their own section to post their photos, notes, etc... members can not start threads in these sections...only the contestants can...but members can post in the threads that are started by contestants.

http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?f=128

You'll note we have dedicated this to Barb Newell.

Thanks all,
al

[Kindredspirit]

Al, I have a question...what is the "control group"......?

[brewmaster15]

The control group is raised by a hobbyist with many years experience... It gives everyone a reference point when they look at how they are doing.

hth,
al

[brewmaster15]

off to fedex I go..

-al

[phidelt85]

Woohoo!!!! I'll be anxiously waiting. Let us know if they give you a ballpark delivery time. Although I'll be here all day cleaning up all my fallen trees from the ice storm.

[greyhoundfan]

How exciting.. Makes me feel like this is the INDY 500 of Discus raising. Good luck ALL!! I know you'll do well. May the force be with you. I'm sure you folks are just giddish like a bunch of school girls at a rock concert...

[alxjss]

OMG!!!! I can't stand this. I am going nuts!! I looked @ the fedex link 3 x's already since i got my pm from al. I am estatic:bounce:
That is sooo cool al, u have a little helper. Nice job getting the little guy involved. Huh, wonder what he is gonna do when he grows up?;)

[cktrimble]

You are way TOO cute Eileen. :D

[alxjss]

You are way TOO cute Eileen. :D

awh. thanks:o

[Jason]

I'm ready

[alxjss]

Thats great Jason. Goooood Luuucccckkkk:D

[KJoFan]

Al,

What's the pH of your tanks? I ask because mine is pretty high (8.2) and want to know if I need to do some acclimation, or start with an R/O mix to bring it down or what.

Thanks. :)

[Discus-Hans]

WAuwwww Jason are you 4 year waiting for these Discus, think the tank is ready after 4 year cycling lol lol

Hans

[Ryan]

Al,

What's the pH of your tanks? I ask because mine is pretty high (8.2) and want to know if I need to do some acclimation, or start with an R/O mix to bring it down or what.

Thanks. :)

Karen,

My pH is around 7.8 or so and I've never had a problem with fish from Al. I scoop them from bag to tank.

:D

[KJoFan]

Ok good to know. :) I know alot just do the "drop and plop" method, but I'm always hesitant knowing that they're probably coming to a much higher pH in my tanks. I'll have to see how I feel about it when they arrive tomorrow. :)

[alxjss]

Ryan, I didn't get the chance to say what a great job u did w/the forum. U put alot of time and effort in this and i want to say THANK U for all ur efforts.:angel:

[April]

heh..jason..that hose looks familiar.lol. i have the same...the amazing thing is..is jason got his camera going!! congrats to you all. this is gonna be fun. so..everyone needs a loonie or twoonie..or a cd taped on the glass to measure as they swim by. ok..well..i guess you americans dont have a twoonie. what size are they now brew?

[phidelt85]

Ok good to know. :) I know alot just do the "drop and plop" method, but I'm always hesitant knowing that they're probably coming to a much higher pH in my tanks. I'll have to see how I feel about it when they arrive tomorrow. :)

Your at more of a hazard going from high pH to low.

[alxjss]

Whats wrong Jose, can't sleep either?:o

[phidelt85]

Whats wrong Jose, can't sleep either?:o


It's going on two and still awake. :D I just added a light above the tank in question. Should've done that a while back but I'm a big procrastinator at times. :)

[alxjss]

oh u poor guy:o I finally fell asleep around 1 am ish. Man, this is crazy:crazy:

[renae]

Eileen what time is it there???

[alxjss]

It is now 5:48 am. I am off to work. Have to be there by 6:25. What time is it in oz?

[renae]

Oh...for some crazy reason I thought it was about 3 or 4 in the morning and you were too excited to sleep!!!
Its 10pm here...Have a good day and I hope it goes fast for you :)

[brewmaster15]

Everyone thinks the hardest part of shipping fish is the bagging and boxing... for me its the waiting.:( I hate the wait to see how the fish made the trip..

so far looks like everyones fish are on track... half the crew gets them this am...the other this afternoon after work.


best of luck all.

-al

[BSW]

This is one fantastic idea !
The most fun thing I have ever experienced on a fish forum. I will definitely stay tuned in, and best of luck to all the contestants !
B

[blue acara]

This is one fantastic idea !
The most fun thing I have ever experienced on a fish forum. I will definitely stay tuned in, and best of luck to all the contestants !
B

Totally agree, its genius!

[KJoFan]

Hey Al,

Does "bi-weekly" updates mean twice per month or twice per week? Maybe I'm the only one, but I'm always confused what bi-weekly means. :o

[brewmaster15]

I mean't every two weeks as a guideline....but if people want to post more often thats cool too...:)

-al

[KJoFan]

Ok. :) I imagine once things settle updates will be somewhat less frequent...less to update about and all.

[phidelt85]

Ok. :) I imagine once things settle updates will be somewhat less frequent...less to update about and all.

Yea, I'll have to agree once the excitement of new babies wears off . :D

[brewmaster15]

Jose,

Yea, I'll have to agree once the excitement of new babies wears off . :D I'm hoping peer pressure keeps you all on your toes and the updates are frequent as a result.;)

-al

[Kindredspirit]

I'm hoping peer pressure keeps you all on your toes and the updates are frequent as a result.;)

-al

Exactly:D

[phidelt85]

I think I need the Mystery Mobile to come over. Don't know how to solve my next mystery. :(

[AADiscus]

I would just like to say to everyone in the contest. Keep your patience!!!! I can not stress that enough. Just because a few might be having a little issues is sometimes to be expected. The best thing is to keep lights off and try to avoid stressing them out even more than they might already be. I know it is hard to not treat them like your normal tanks but sometimes you have to. You have got to get them used to YOUR setup and YOUR water. Hang in there everyone. There is light at the end of the tunnel. ;)

Al, you have done a great job and my hat is off to you.

[phidelt85]

Point taken, Angela! ;) I'll have to agree with you on Al. Andrew and I were just talking about how much of a class act Al is.

[alxjss]

I would just like to say to everyone in the contest. Keep your patience!!!! I can not stress that enough. Just because a few might be having a little issues is sometimes to be expected. The best thing is to keep lights off and try to avoid stressing them out even more than they might already be. I know it is hard to not treat them like your normal tanks but sometimes you have to. You have got to get them used to YOUR setup and YOUR water. Hang in there everyone. There is light at the end of the tunnel. ;)

Al, you have done a great job and my hat is off to you.

I can't tell u how hard it is to keep patient. I rush home from work everyday to check on 2 sets of little guys. Even tho i have one set
(6pcs)for a challange, really, i have 2 sets w/ the ones i got from Dan. I have 2 wks off for the holidays, and i will be much better letting them get to know me.

[GrillMaster]

Sooooooo....who's collecting the bets anyways? ;) :D

[alxjss]

Sooooooo....who's collecting the bets anyways? ;) :D

Bet on ME! Cause i am gonna win..lol

[GrillMaster]

Bet on ME! Cause i am gonna win..lol

Love yer confidence!! :thumbsup:

tc
Mark

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
I thought I'd bring this thread back up to the top.:)

If you've been following along in the contest you'll know that its been an interesting one... Theres been alot of great husbandry going on, and some problems encountered along the way....all in all, I think there was much learned by following along.:) Which was really what I hoped for more than anything.... I'm pleased to see that there have been some really nice discus grown out too though!!!!

The contest has been running now a little over 6 months and I am thinking of carrying it to September where we will pick our winners.

What I'd like to ask is all contestants to go back thru their photos over the last 6 months and try to put together a little recap for everyone on how their fish have grown, and what problems they encountered along the way. I'd like to have these posted in their contest boards...I think having this will really get members back into contest swing of things. If a contestant has been "lax" in posting, nows a good time to turn it around...hint hint:)

Contestants should also start to Identify which fish in their group they will be submitting. Keep that info to yourselves for now though;) ..You've got two months to bulk up, color up, grow out and build a champion.:)

Thanks all,
and Good luck.

-al

Ps.. I've enjoyed doing this greatly and hope we can again...if I get another large group of fry, we'll try something similar again, build on what we've learned and refine the contest.. :D

[happygirl65]

It has really been amazing followingal the contestants. I know I have learned a lot! It is an amazing process and reading them all makes me want to get a bunch of younins and raise them to adulthood. :)

[brewmaster15]

Hi all,
Well Its over folks.. The First Annual Discus Challenge has ended and we have a winner..

Before I post that information though I'd like to thank all the contestants that participated here... I set this contest up to show just how hard raising a group of fry to adult is.. Its takes a lot of work and dedication...and I think we have a great group of hobbyists here that put their hearts into this.. Somehad some rough starts...others had some rough finishes... There were accidents, fish losses, problems, Personal issues along the way that all in some way came together and resulted in some interesting conclusions at the end of the year... I congratulate all of the contestants here... and really do thank you for sharing all your ups and downs with rearing these fish! I have gotten alot of private messages from people that have been watching and learning thru your hard work...you've helped others here that you don't even know...but thats the point of a forum like SimplyDiscus!

We also have to thank all the moderators and University experts that rated these Fish..They did their best to be fair but honest about each submission....and We couldn't have offered this contest without their help.

We have a special thank you also....Andrew and Angela of GreenCountry Discus have generously donated 2 award plaques, one for the Australian Group and one for the USA group. We also had 2 donors financially contributed a large amount to the shipping costs.

Please Keep in mind that this contest is dedicated Barb Newell, We miss her greatly...she truelly embodied the spirit of this hobby and was a friend to all in this hobby.


Here are the Entries... We Started with 6 Contestants and at the end of the year have 5 still in the contest..

[brewmaster15]

Entry A.... Eileen

[brewmaster15]

Entry B....Brian

[brewmaster15]

Entry c...Jose

[brewmaster15]

Entry D....Karen

[brewmaster15]

Entry E...Scott

[brewmaster15]

The above Fish were Judged by the photos submitted... The Judges did not know the identity of the the person that submitted the fish... We had 13 Judges score these pics... Each entrant was allowed up to 5 pics per entry fish.

The Grand prize winner for the USA Contest , based on the points awarded is Scott (Entry E)..:). The results were largely very close and all entrants should be very proud!!

[brewmaster15]

Additonally we had an Australian Contest that started with 3 Entrants...,. Of the three, a year latter we had only one in the running... Therefore the default winner here was Joe!!:)
Joe has had an excellent Chronology of his fish development here......http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?f=140 (http://www.forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?f=140)

As you may remember Darren of A1Aquarium World (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?f=113) donated the Australian Contest Fish (thanks again Darren!!) Rod Lewis raised a control set of these Fish..

Joe will be receiving one of our Award Plaques and a commemorative T-shirt as well!

Nicely Done Joe!!!

-al

[brewmaster15]

To all the contestants in the USA and Joe in Australia... Congrats again... Please send me by Pm your mailing Address and t-shirt size so I can send you out a contest t-shirt.... Darren and Rod, Andrew and Angela... you guys too!

Scott and Joe... we'll post what your plaque looks like when its completed...but it will have this written on it...



The Annual Discus Hobbyist Challenger Award
Year 2008

Name...



This award recognizes a Discus Enthusiasts Dedication to the Hobby...It is proudly given by Simplydiscus.com in honor of Barb Newell (1957-2007)

[pcsb23]

Well done guys :) Many congrats to the winners, Scott & Joe. I enjoyed following the adventure!

[tacks]

Hello and congrats to Scott and Joe. Everyone did a great job as all the fish looked super. Ed

[two utes]

Congratulations Scott. Well Done!
Also, would like to congratulate Eileen, Brian, Jose, and Kareen, for their commitment to the challenge
A big thank you to Al and Darren, and the Simply Discus Team.

I think the American section of this first challenge was a real success.
I for one learnt alot not only from my participation, but from following what the other contestants were up to. Even in their times of gloom and doom.

Thanks again to everyone involved.

[Rod]

Congratulations Scott and Joe, and everyone else who completed the challenge. :)

[Darren's Discus]

A big congratulations goes to Al for arranging such a great comp,I know i enjoyed watching everyone's updates with pictures,webcams and videos.To Joe and Scott welldone for winning but i also think Eileen, Brian, Jose, and Karen are winners who now have some beautiful fish. A big thanks to Rod for being the aussie control.Once again a big thankyou to Al and Ryan for providing us with this great forum.Al you know my friend if you ever want to do this again count me in !:)

ps thanks to Andrew and Angela for donating the plaques.

cheers

[Eddie]

Congrats Scott and Joe, excellent Job! The competition was tough, all of the fish were extremely nice big and round. Everyone did a great job!

Eddie

[Ardan]

Congratulations Scott and Joe!! Well done:):):)
Thank you to all the contestants for all the hard work with the fish and the posts:):):) I enjoyed it and know it took a lot of time.
A big thankyou to Darren, Rod, Andrew, Angela, and Al for making this possible and going the extra mile. :):):):):):)

It was very interesting and some very beautiful fish were raised!


Ardan

[alxjss]

Congrats JOE !!! I am soooo happy u won. U deserve it. U put in sooo much effort and dedication throughout the contest. U ROCK!!!!
Scott. I must say, Congrats. It was fun and tedious, but if there is another contest, good luck to the ones who r chosen and read and learn.:p

[GrillMaster]

Congrats Scott and Joe! :)

I have to say it was great folllowing the trials and tribulations of the contestants! Well done...:thumbsup:

[Kenny's Discus]

Congratulations to Scott and Joe, and all the participants who took part in this challenge! I think in the end it shows us that although raising juvenile discus to become nice and healthy adults does require commitments, it can be done the right way and the satisfaction that comes with it in the end is truly priceless.:)

You are all winners and thanks for all the updates you've been posting for us all to see!

Kenny

[blkrob]

Congrats to the winners!

Thank you to all participants.:thumbsup: I have learned a great deal and enjoyed seeing the process, trails and achievements. Job well done by all, to include everyone who made this happen.:sun:

Robert

[TankWatcher]

Congratulations Scot & Joe :thumbsup:

[forrest]

congrats to the winners, Scott & Joe.
thank you to all participants who took part n let everyone of us enjoy n seeing the process.

best rgds,
forrest.

[Seastep]

WOW! I cannot tell you what a thrill this is for me!! Even better, I got the news while at my brother's house for Thanksgiving, so my entire family was gathered around the computer screen to see the results.

I think all of the Challenge Fish competitors did a great job. I certainly learned some things reading my fellow challengers posts over the past year!

Al - Thanks once again for your generosity in putting this contest together. I have had a great time participating and received some truly top-notch discus out of it too!

I hope the contest becomes and annual tradition. I would be happy to contribute in whatever way I can to make that happen! For someone like me who is just starting out in the hobby, it was a great way to learn and get acquainted with all the great folks here at Simply. I would love to see that continue.

Thanks Again!!

-- Scott

[Cosmo]

Congratulations to Scott & Joe - and everyone else who participated in the competition! Good work :)
Jim

[ShinShin]

Congratulations to the winners. Looking forward to yet another.

Mat

[jeep]

Congrats to the winners and participants. We all benefited from this little venture and I know I ended up with some nice fish!!!:)

[mench]

Congrats to the winners,and I think we were all winners getting such great fish!!!
Thanks again Al for the fish and for all your work on setting up and running this contest.

Mench

[Tropical Haven]

Congrats to Scott & Joe on the wonderful job raising your discus. But I would also like to add that all participants in this contests are all winners in my eyes. Everyone worked really hard with their fish and have all done a terrific job in doing this so you all should be proud of yourselves.

[White Worm]

Way to go everyone!

[AADiscus]

Congrats to you both!

Everyone has done such a great job thru out the whole year on these fish. You should all be proud of yourselfs.

[VIOLIN33]

hey is it to late...