Dr. Eduard Schmidt-Focke Vintage Article TFH Sept. 1982

[Kingdom Come Discus]

I found this the other day in the file cabnet.

I know it is old news but I did enjoy reading it again, and again and again.

I remember looking at this when it was recent news and drooling over the pictures of these fish. Now, well.....only the colors on a few are pleasing to my eye.

Still a interesting article which shows us how all aspects of the hobby have change especially the qualtiy stock collected from the Amazon.

http://i764.photobucket.com/albums/xx287/thebisonman/TFHSept1982Issue319FrontPage.jpg

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[Eddie]

Yeah man, I'd take Schmidt focke's over any of my stock!


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[TURQ64]

I remember that edition...And I just ran across the 90's issue introducing the Gan Fish Farm..great but really dated stuff now!

[richgrenfell]

I had Gan fish back in the day. The had some really nice stuff for the time. Anyone know if any of the Schmidt-Focke lines have been maintained? I had some really nice stuff from Bing Seto too; another breeder you don't hear about anymore.

[Eddie]

Watanabe from T-Aqua in Nagoya Japan is still working with Schmidt-Focke lines. Nicest fish I have ever seen to this day!


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[richgrenfell]

are they being shipped to the states Eddie?

[Eddie]

are they being shipped to the states Eddie?

Not presently but I'm telling you, he has the nicest fish in the world, hands down!


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[richgrenfell]

Not presently but I'm telling you, he has the nicest fish in the world, hands down!


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I agree, that's why I was asking. I am a big fan of the classic strains and the pioneers of the discus hobby. I often wonder where guys like Bernd Degen and others are now?

[TURQ64]

Bing Seto is still messing with fish; importing in Alameda.....

[Eddie]

I agree, that's why I was asking. I am a big fan of the classic strains and the pioneers of the discus hobby. I often wonder where guys like Bernd Degen and others are now?

Degen is judging all over the world. He told me at Aquafair that he had one discus, in his daughters tank or something like that. Lol He is a very funny guy.


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[Eddie]

Bing Seto is still messing with fish; importing in Alameda.....

Discus, not last I heard. Dick mentioned that Bing was out.


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[Kingdom Come Discus]

I remember that edition...And I just ran across the 90's issue introducing the Gan Fish Farm..great but really dated stuff now!

I would love to have that issue.


I had Gan fish back in the day. The had some really nice stuff for the time. Anyone know if any of the Schmidt-Focke lines have been maintained? I had some really nice stuff from Bing Seto too; another breeder you don't hear about anymore.

I can remember the Gan Fish too. I thought the tiger turquoise he developed was the most awesome fish I had seen. What size did Gan's fish get for you?

[TURQ64]

Discus, not last I heard. Dick mentioned that Bing was out.


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Hmm, interesting..I'm no longer in the area, but this link still works...
http://www.discusworld.com/index.htm

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Finally, I got the whole article up. I have never had such trouble. It seems photo bucket always locks up my computer.

[Eddie]

Hmm, interesting..I'm no longer in the area, but this link still works...
http://www.discusworld.com/index.htm

Very old site, it only partially worked in the past. Don't think you can order discus from him.


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[TURQ64]

Oh well, everyone needs a littlr retirement.......

[Eddie]

Oh well, everyone needs a littlr retirement.......

Hey, I would buy fish from him if he still had his lines. Loved his fish!


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[Larry Bugg]

Thanks for sharing that Kraig!!!

[richgrenfell]

I would love to have that issue.



I can remember the Gan Fish too. I thought the tiger turquoise he developed was the most awesome fish I had seen. What size did Gan's fish get for you?

The Gan fish got quite large, I had some greens from there that got really big. i also had some vertical patterned ones (remember those?) that got really big as well. That was of course before eveyone had a digital camera in their back pocket!

I got some nice turks from Bing too that was back in 2000 or so.

[richgrenfell]

Very old site, it only partially worked in the past. Don't think you can order discus from him.


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I called the number on the website. It's still valid, I got his wife who said that they don't have any fish right now, but plan to start up again in a year or so.

[TURQ64]

cool beans....

[Eddie]

Dude, if Bing starts up again, that'll crazy cool!


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[Kingdom Come Discus]

I sure would dig it. I used to dream about the red and blue Turquoise on his site.

[TURQ64]

I bought a whole bagful of red turquoise fry he had dropped of at Fairy Lake..Herman hadn't even popped a rubber band off, and Bing was still in the shop..He was surprised at how fast that went. It was the 'good old days' of flying back and forth from SF and various Asian points with fish in your carry on's..everyone was doing it....Got some nice fish of Sunny's that way; big buggars they were!..

[Eddie]

I bought a whole bagful of red turquoise fry he had dropped of at Fairy Lake..Herman hadn't even popped a rubber band off, and Bing was still in the shop..He was surprised at how fast that went. It was the 'good old days' of flying back and forth from SF and various Asian points with fish in your carry on's..everyone was doing it....Got some nice fish of Sunny's that way; big buggars they were!..

Did you know Samson from I think it was Universal Discus?


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[TURQ64]

No sir, never met him....

[Eddie]

No sir, never met him....

He was breeding alot and had some amazing fish out there in the Bay Area. I got my first online order from him, back in the late 90's. Funny huh, 90s are the history moments for some of us young folks. LOL

[yogi]

Kraig thanks for posting the article. I do want to point out that it's almost 30 years old and look at the shape of the discus, they are much closer to looking like wilds. Today and f-30 later domestics are rounder and higher body. People don't realize that breeders have changed the shape of discus, most seem to think it's for the better, but a real discus (wild caught) is not round.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Did you know Samson from I think it was Universal Discus?


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I bought fish from Samson in the 90s. Very nice man, he gave me a new strain as he called it to try out, it was the white butterfly. Very nice fish. He had some outstanding ring leopards too, but I could never afford those.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

Kraig thanks for posting the article. I do want to point out that it's almost 30 years old and look at the shape of the discus, they are much closer to looking like wilds. Today and f-30 later domestics are rounder and higher body. People don't realize that breeders have changed the shape of discus, most seem to think it's for the better, but a real discus (wild caught) is not round.

Your welcome Jerry, I just love those old articles and remembering the old days.

I know you and I agreed last summer on the wild discus not being round but my opinion has change somewhat and that is one reason I posted these pictures. Many of the wilds I got from Hans, especially the giant ones are very round and even high bodied. I figure the old timers had not reached some of the collection points where todays wilds are being caught. But what do I know I am not a expert on collecting these fish and I know you have been on a few collection trips yourself if I am not mistaking. Let me know what you think about Hudson's round wilds.

[TURQ64]

I bought a lot of 'auction Discus' in the early nineties in the Bay area, so I may have aquired some of his fish..I was found of garage and auction fish...The 80's-90's sure had a lot of nice fish around!...Peruvian Greens...Ahhhhh!

[Kingdom Come Discus]

I bought a lot of 'auction Discus' in the early nineties in the Bay area, so I may have aquired some of his fish..I was found of garage and auction fish...The 80's-90's sure had a lot of nice fish around!...Peruvian Greens...Ahhhhh!

Your not joking about the Peruvian Greens. I live in a very small town in Central Kentucky. One day as I was visiting one of the many very nice LFS of the 80s and 90s I was shocked when I saw eight discus in a 55 hex. There were three Red Turquoise and three Peruvian Green/Wattley Turquoise cross. I have never to this day seen such color on a discus. I spent two weeks pay and went hungry for a week to buy a pair.

[Eddie]

I bought fish from Samson in the 90s. Very nice man, he gave me a new strain as he called it to try out, it was the white butterfly. Very nice fish. He had some outstanding ring leopards too, but I could never afford those.

Yup, his golden diamonds were unreal! Some of the nicest fish ever!


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[vera]

not sure if this page is from the same book , but made me smile when i read of their "problems " at that time which are the most desirable feature this days :)

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5100/dscf3029f.jpg

[yogi]

Actually I have never been on a collecting trip, so hopefully one day I go on one. Living in South Florida has given me the opportunity to visit many South American importers over the years, both commercial and private. The wilds we are seeing this year from Hans via Hudson and from Snook are some of the best I have seen. They are both getting the handpicked top quality fish. So yes we are seeing rounder, larger and higher bodied wild discus. On a whole thou the wild discus shape is not as round or high bodied as the f20 or f30 generation domestics. There is a difference in the shape of the far heads. Generally the wild heckels seem to be the roundest and the wild greens the least rounded.

[Kingdom Come Discus]

not sure if this page is from the same book , but made me smile when i read of their "problems " at that time which are the most desirable feature this days :)

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/5100/dscf3029f.jpg

Yes Vera I remember the days when no one would by the old Heckels in the pet store. Just too bland they would say. LOL


Actually I have never been on a collecting trip, so hopefully one day I go on one. Living in South Florida has given me the opportunity to visit many South American importers over the years, both commercial and private. The wilds we are seeing this year from Hans via Hudson and from Snook are some of the best I have seen. They are both getting the handpicked top quality fish. So yes we are seeing rounder, larger and higher bodied wild discus. On a whole thou the wild discus shape is not as round or high bodied as the f20 or f30 generation domestics. There is a difference in the shape of the far heads. Generally the wild heckels seem to be the roundest and the wild greens the least rounded.

I agree Jerry these are the best Wilds I have ever seen. I am sorry to have been mistaken thinking you took yearly trips to the Amazon. I figured Marc Weiss got you started doing that. I guess I better stop figuring.

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Gan had a purple gold Discus too.. is was pigeon based.... the peppering actually added to the allure.... it was large....6" in Body (not TL).

[aequifasciatus]

I believe Dr. Schmidt-Focke's "Strain #4"-a heckel cross- is one of the prettiest discus I have ever seen.
It appears in the April, 1984 TFH edition. Another superb article.

Robert

PS Thanks again for the memory jog Rod

[CliffsDiscus]

Hi Rich,
I still have the Gan and Bing also, what ever happen to Discus Resource?

Cliff

[CliffsDiscus]

Robert, correct all of Schmidt Focke Numbers were on Aquarium Rio's price list. Regal Discus in the U.S. were also selling the #4 too.

Cliff

[Heiko Bleher]

Hi guys,

nice that some of you like what the doctor did, and also that aequifasciatus diged out the 1984 April issue article, which tells even more of his work and his developed strains, as the 1982 article was translated and edited and many pictures inserted by the editor not from his place or his fishes. In 1984 only his established strains - still today the most natural strains existing and from which most of the Discus around the globe come from - are can be seen.

We worked together for over 30 years, living very close to each other. His wilds came all from me, and he bred them all - only the very best and only by selective line-breeding. He had the patience unmatched to work for years (normally nearly 1 decade) to establish a new, perfect, strain. Who does that today? Hardly anyone has the time nor the patience to do it (nor the money).

After he passed unfortunately away, his wife found an unpublished manuscript, which he had written, and she said to me "You are the only one to deserve this" and I was so fortunate to be able to publish it for the first time this year. This made me very proud and it is a real nice, unforgettable, discusfish-memory making him also immortal...

Keep up the good work, all the very best to all of you,

always
Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com
www.aqya-aquapress.com

[Kingdom Come Discus]

What a awesome experience it must have been to live this.



Hi guys,

nice that some of you like what the doctor did, and also that aequifasciatus diged out the 1984 April issue article, which tells even more of his work and his developed strains, as the 1982 article was translated and edited and many pictures inserted by the editor not from his place or his fishes. In 1984 only his established strains - still today the most natural strains existing and from which most of the Discus around the globe come from - are can be seen.

We worked together for over 30 years, living very close to each other. His wilds came all from me, and he bred them all - only the very best and only by selective line-breeding. He had the patience unmatched to work for years (normally nearly 1 decade) to establish a new, perfect, strain. Who does that today? Hardly anyone has the time nor the patience to do it (nor the money).

After he passed unfortunately away, his wife found an unpublished manuscript, which he had written, and she said to me "You are the only one to deserve this" and I was so fortunate to be able to publish it for the first time this year. This made me very proud and it is a real nice, unforgettable, discusfish-memory making him also immortal...

Keep up the good work, all the very best to all of you,

always
Heiko Bleher
www.aquapress-bleher.com
www.aqya-aquapress.com

[Apistomaster]

TFH Magazine and publications were always really sloppy when it came to matching the right photos with the right captions.
It caused years of confusion.
I never could understand how a discus with a prominent fifth stripe was considered undesirable; I thought they were among the most beautiful Discus.
@Kraig
Thank you for going to the trouble of letting us see and read about the state of the art in Discus back then.