Bernd Degen

[Tito]

I haven't heard anyone discussing him here. He has some really nice turqs in his book.

Did this guy ever sell his Discus?

[smsimcik]

Yes he did. I bought some from his US agent Jack Graves in Ft. Worth in 1992. They came with certificates of authenticity. I had red turks, cobalts and brilliants. They were very high quality German discus. Like the ones Hans sells now.

[Tito]

Yes he did. I bought some from his US agent Jack Graves in Ft. Worth in 1992. They came with certificates of authenticity. I had red turks, cobalts and brilliants. They were very high quality German discus. Like the ones Hans sells now.

Ok. Thanks.

[William Palumbo]

There has always been a question in the past if he was even a breeder to start with. I heard he was just a publisher, making his name on the work and labor of others...Bill

[Tito]

There has always been a question in the past if he was even a breeder to start with. I heard he was just a publisher, making his name on the work and labor of others...Bill

This sounds true to me.

[Fons_van_der_Hart]

There has always been a question in the past if he was even a breeder to start with. I heard he was just a publisher, making his name on the work and labor of others...Bill

Not true.

Based on his breeding experiences he started writing his first book. After the first book was published he kept breeding for a long time. At this moment he is not breeding at all. He travels around the world giving lectures, promoting his company and the Discus Hobby.

[Roxanne]

Didn't he write books with Jack Wattley?

[Fons_van_der_Hart]

Indeed he wrote a book with Jack Wattley.
He also wrote a book with Axelrod and Burgess.
About ten books of him are available in English, even more in German where he also runs a magazine.

[William Palumbo]

Thanks for the clarification Fons. I have most of his books, and his one book with the silver colored cover was my first Discus book. Me and my Discus buddy did purchase some EXCELLENT Degan Discus from Jack Graves back in the day, which were of a standard I don't see much of today...BILL

[Tito]

Ok so all this answers my questions.

So....

Can someone please start breeding Turq like Degen and Whatley again please...

those are nice discus.

[smsimcik]

Bill, You know I never cared if Degan really bred the fish he sold or not. But I always assumed he did. I just came across an old article in the Feb. 1991 TFH written by Degan about his discus breeding. There are pictures of him standing in his fish room in his house in front of grow out tanks and breeders. That's why I always believed he bred his own fish.

Like you, I was very impressed with the fish I got, whoever bred them.

[William Palumbo]

I was the same way too Steve. I just liked them, and when I had a chance to get some, I did, no matter if he bred them or not. I think about the time I got my first order of his Discus, was when I first started to hear that he was not a breeder...Bill

[Jhhnn]

Thanks for the clarification Fons. I have most of his books, and his one book with the silver colored cover was my first Discus book. Me and my Discus buddy did purchase some EXCELLENT Degan Discus from Jack Graves back in the day, which were of a standard I don't see much of today...BILL

Maybe we were were just more easily impressed back then...

Which is not to talk down about Degen's fish, or Schmidt-Focke's fish, at all, but right now I'm being wowwed by the Forrest blue scorps I bought from Kenny...

I may have to make the next batch turks, just to see how they compare to what's in the ol' memory banks...

With Degen, I'm sure it's pretty much impossible to travel the world lecturing, interviewing, writing and collecting in the Amazon while keeping up with one's own stock...

[CliffsDiscus]

I received some Degen Discus from Jack Graves when it was first advertised in FAMA or TFH.
Jack also sent some free Discus too that saw because he knew the condition were not up to par. Bay Area Discus breeder of Degen Discus was Curtis Holmes(Strictly Discus) anyone can go cherry fry as Curtis said he was the only one in the U.S. breeding
that solid blue. Quality would fall between a Schmidt Focke
Number 5 and the Number 7 solid, and the offspring were fix
in color too. Of course when Sonny Low came out with the
picture of the Blue Diamond on the cover in the TFH most
solid blues took a back seat.

Cliff

[CliffsDiscus]

Thanks for the clarification Fons. I have most of his books, and his one book with the silver colored cover was my first Discus book. Me and my Discus buddy did purchase some EXCELLENT Degan Discus from Jack Graves back in the day, which were of a standard I don't see much of today...BILL

Hi Bill,
Were in the Chicago Area back when Joe Gargas had his hatchery?

Cliff

[William Palumbo]

Hi Cliff... Yes I went to, and purchased several adult Discus from Joe. He had a nice small set-up in his basement with some really nice fish. But I also remember he was expensive...but in the 80's, most fancy Discus were. I also visited and met another breeder not too far away from Joe, named Rich Annunziata, who had some really nice Wattleys..which I did buy 6, and some nice Schmidt-Fockes strain 5 or 7 I think...Bill