If you can re-do just one thing?

[johnny313]

In the many years or even months of keeping discus... Whats the one most important thing you should have done differently?
I'm not sure if this has ever been asked or not....

[David Rose]

Studied harder in the sciences so that I could have directed my career in order to work in a state or national aquarium :D

[Eddie]

I wish I would have had my water conditioned correctly for my first few batches of fry last year. ;)

[johnny313]

I guess i could even put my 2 cents in here since I have a 2 tanks.
Get the best equipment first! even if you have to save a few more weeks or months to get it. dont settle for something you can JUST afford because eventually you will want to buy the more expensive item sooner or later. which you will spend more money down the road.

[ZX10R]

I wish I would of learned how to do a better QT in the past. Would of saved me from killing some fish.

[Discus master]

I guess i could even put my 2 cents in here since I have a 2 tanks.
Get the best equipment first! even if you have to save a few more weeks or months to get it. dont settle for something you can JUST afford because eventually you will want to buy the more expensive item sooner or later. which you will spend more money down the road.

Buy from a qualified breeder first time around, buy healthy discus fish to start with, take the extra time to both find breeder which in my case happend only to be an hour and twenty minutes away as oppose to uying from the LFS were they do not care for their discus the way a breeder or my self would. Secondly practice what I know I should have Quarinitne new fish so one fish does not end up killing 3 and getting the rest sick when QT would have solved the problem from the begining finally bought all at once saved oney and bought them all at once like I fially did in the end from the breeder after spending 100$ learning these valuable lessons heart ache and feeling like a faliure and just wanting to throw in the towel but did not. These are the things I learned in the first 4 months of keeping discus.

I did my research for about 5 or 6 months prior to start but was in a hurry did not save bought one a week did not qt and did not look for a breeder, I have kept tropic frehwater for about 5 or 6 years prior to discus and never had these problems now I am trying to do things the rite way, I am still a little impatient though, but I am learning.

[Disgirl]

Good question! I have lots I could list. But the biggest one was my mistake, for 10 years, believing that the only water discus could live in was neutral to acid water and soft! I could have had discus all that time even though our water is hard and alkaline here. Now I know that discus will live great, maybe not breed though, in almost any clean, warm water!
Barb:D

[Cevoe]

When I refinished my basement last winter I would have geared the set-up to discus as opposed to the African cichlids that were eventually sold off for more discus.
Who knew.

[acroken]

stop selling off my equipment when i am getting burned out. it gets expensive to re buy all this stuff over and over again. It took me a few times but i figured it out.

Kenny

[johnny313]

acroken.....I totally agree. Whenever I sell a tank I always throw in power heads, heaters and anything else I could think of. Then when I buy another tank I have to buy a heater, powerheads.....never fails

[Disgirl]

Studied harder in the sciences so that I could have directed my career in order to work in a state or national aquarium :D

David, you can always do like I do and work as a volunteer at one of them! Granted, $$$ would be good to receive where I work every Wed. but the fun is worth the free work!
Barb:)

[Greenheinie]

I would've never started with discus. They're a bit too sensitive and time demanding for me. I don't have the heart to get rid of them though.

[johnny313]

greenheinie:

:confused:

[Kiro]

I wish a got a bigger/more tanks! :P

[mmorris]

I should have married wealthy. :elvis:

[kitykatfunkiehat]

Martha, as I am still young, I think I'm going to take your advice. :)
My boyfriend and I have a deal if either of us gets rich: he gets a nice car (typical), and I get a fabulous tank!

[ZX10R]

Speaking of nice cars this pulled up next to me all Walmart yesterday. Didn't even know they made it in green but WOW!!!! I love green vehicles

http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac101/sig4s/untitled.jpg

[Chad Hughes]

I wish I would have built a bigger fish room. :D

[Lillee]

Automate water changes from day one!

[Dan]

eliminated chinatown in NYC as a source for discus. cestodes anyone?