Why do craigslist discus look sooo icky?

[JustinKScott]

It doesn't happen very often, but on occasion a discus shows up on my local craigslist. Whenever I see it, I feel compelled to go visit the fish. I visited one tonight, and out of my mouth popped "Ahhhh... Poor discus". I was soo embarrassed, the owner wasn't happy; and I left quickly.

4/4 of the listings have been really NASTY looking fish. I'm not just talking dark & clamped fins, I'm talking strange skin blotchiness.

What on earth has happened to these poor fish?

[Darrell Ward]

Poor care are the root cause of most problems. It's amazing how many people buy discus without first learning about their needs.

[bmalick]

Yea it's really sad because most discus, even if the strain is a little lesser than most, it can look great under the right conditions. I have also been to a few craigslist houses trying to sell with just "sad" looking fish. These people probably manage to take pretty healthy discus along with other freshwater fish and slowly poison them with dirty tank water. This one guy called his tank a "grow out" tank doing one 50% water change every 2 weeks and he wanted to get rid of his discus and a few loaches because he was not pleased with the way they were "growing out"...

Sometimes I wish I could call the ASPCA on these people trying to save on there water bill...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JustinKScott]

Really kinda sad, people put them on tubifex or bloodworm only diets thinking thats somehow best. Keep them with angels and feed once a day, and are really proud of their weekly water change schedule... I'm like really? Perhaps you shouldn't just make things up as you go.

[wadewc]

I have never seen Discuss for sale on Craigs list here in Oklahoma. I thought you could not sell live animals on that site. Guess I was wrong.

Wade

[JustinKScott]

You can sell in the community..pets section.

[wadewc]

Thanks for the info Justin!

I will give it a try. I have been posting in the daily paper.

Wade

[rdiscus]

ah, next on craigslist ... should be yours ...
Move to Dallas ... Discus everywhere ... lol

[wadewc]

Maybe in Texas but not Oklahoma. I am just have a few left I am trying to sell. Went to Craigs list to post and this is what was stated; no animal sales or breeding, maybe it is just for Oklahoma. What a bumber.

Wade

[JustinKScott]

I get flagged from time to time when I post fish in the "for sale" section. But I make a habit of not playing by the rules and just repost. ;).

iPhones craigspro makes it easy to repost.. So it's almost a game for me. I'm flagged and removed, 10min later ive reposted & have top spot. I'm actually happy they flag me; better advertisement. Besides, it's just local hippies flagging you.. Not craigslist employees.

[wadewc]

I get flagged from time to time when I post fish in the "for sale" section. But I make a habit of not playing by the rules and just repost. ;).

iPhones craigspro makes it easy to repost.. So it's almost a game for me. I'm flagged and removed, 10min later ive reposted & have top spot. I'm actually happy they flag me; better advertisement. Besides, it's just local hippies flagging you.. Not craigslist employees.

LOL just local hippies. I grew up in the sixties some called me a hippie with hair to my shoulder thought I was cool. I left it long even though I was loosing it until my dad said dam son you are starting to look like Galager. Know I have hardly any hair. Heck I put the shaver on level two give the dog a hair cut and cut what little I have left. Thanks for the info, I will give it a try.

Wade

[JustinKScott]

Its ok mate, my wife has me on all organic food.

[Bill63SG]

Maybe in Texas but not Oklahoma. I am just have a few left I am trying to sell. Went to Craigs list to post and this is what was stated; no animal sales or breeding, maybe it is just for Oklahoma. What a bumber.

WadeWe have them for sale here in Il.,but some people do a "giving away for free" and charge a re-homing fee.

[John_Nicholson]

because they suck.....and because they never found simply.

-john

[Jennie]

Ive sold adults over CL, and some folks got a smokin' deal..killed me to do so..I post the actual pics of the fish that day..they get what they see in photo.
Ive seen photos of some that look very stunted out of Denver, thin and sickly and the peeps ask top dollar. Works for me tho cause its denverites that drive an hour north to buy mine.

[roundfishross]

It doesn't happen very often, but on occasion a discus shows up on my local craigslist. Whenever I see it, I feel compelled to go visit the fish. I visited one tonight, and out of my mouth popped "Ahhhh... Poor discus". I was soo embarrassed, the owner wasn't happy; and I left quickly.

4/4 of the listings have been really NASTY looking fish. I'm not just talking dark & clamped fins, I'm talking strange skin blotchiness.

What on earth has happened to these poor fish?

fwiw you had better be carefull going to see " sickly discus" you may bring something home and then you will have "sickly discus" too!

[JustinKScott]

fwiw you had better be carefull going to see " sickly discus" you may bring something home and then you will have "sickly discus" too!

Hehe.. I have 8 now; so I'm past the "Ooh pretty!" phase. Ill bring them home if I legitimately think they are nice fish. But thanks for the warning!!

[jlcoop277]

Here in the Dallas area I see them all the time, most have a "re-home fee" but from what I've seen most look pretty good.

[roundfishross]

Hehe.. I have 8 now; so I'm past the "Ooh pretty!" phase. Ill bring them home if I legitimately think they are nice fish. But thanks for the warning!!

you dont have to bring home any discus to bring home the funk! it can be viral and transmitted through air or water

[JustinKScott]

you dont have to bring home any discus to bring home the funk! it can be viral and transmitted through air or water

?? You mean if I stick my hands in their nasty fish water? Eww.

[roundfishross]

all it takes is a drop of water. wouldnt nesscesarliy have to put your hands in the tank.

[Sean Buehrle]

all it takes is a drop of water. wouldnt nesscesarliy have to put your hands in the tank.

Yep that's the truth.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jhhnn]

Ive sold adults over CL, and some folks got a smokin' deal..killed me to do so..I post the actual pics of the fish that day..they get what they see in photo.
Ive seen photos of some that look very stunted out of Denver, thin and sickly and the peeps ask top dollar. Works for me tho cause its denverites that drive an hour north to buy mine.

I think it's sometimes difficult for us to realize that keeping discus really is a rarity in this country, and that very few people have what it takes to do so successfully for any period of time at all. There's actually been a decline in the hobby in general, and more so wrt fresh water than salt.

Craigslist anything is a crapshoot, discus even more so, simply because most people who buy them have no idea how to care for them well. Hell, most people who sell them know even less, meaning that discus are often damaged goods before the average hobbyist ever sees them, and the potential from bringing home some dread disease from all but the most reputable sources too large for me to even consider.

Most Craigslist discus around here are offered by people who've decided that they're a way to make money or by people who have been unsuccessful selling off the remaining few that have survived. On one occasion a few years ago, a long time fancier up north somewhere felt he needed to sell his stock because his changing employment just didn't allow him the time to take good care of 'em. His fish looked solid from the pics, but I never made any actual inquiries, having just received a second shipment from Kenny....

I'm sticking with our sponsors and other simply members purely out of self defense. Now that I have big, fat, healthy & highly amusing bonehead discus , it just seems to me that introductions from unknown sources could easily be a helluva lot more trouble than they'd ever be worth... I need to work on breeding mine, so that I won't need to take any outside chances at all.

[Scott293]

Discus on Craigslist are like any other, there are good ones and there are bad ones. You have to go see them to find out. The best thing to do is to ask questions before going to see them. I sell my Tony Tan fry on Craigslist and the nice thing is that I am able to sell them locally without having to bother with shipping. I was going to advertise mine for sale on SD and even got the equipment to start shipping them. But no reason to ship them now because they have been selling on craigslist fine. I've actually had a good time talking with the people who are purchasing them. Some have been long time local hobbyists who have tried breeding discus and are wanting to learn.

Yes I have seen the typical stunned, skin and bone, buggeyed sickly discus on craigslist. But where else do you have to sell if you are not shipping fish? And even if you are shipping fish why not offer them to your local stores or hobbyist on craigslist also? I have even had them coming back for more and many asking me to put them on my list to call as others have spawns. I have two new pair that I have only raised a few fry from so far. People are even telling me "I will pay whatever you want for those babies when you have them". So I have spawns not yet hear already sold.

I guess what I am saying is. I don't understand that there is anything at all wrong with craigslist. Like anything else you need to see what you are getting before buying. Whether it be pictures or in person. Myself I would rather see it in person. The sponsors on SD have a good reputation, and it wouldn't bother me to get fish from them sight unseen because they want to keep that reputation. Almost all of my adults are from SD sponsors. No matter where it comes from it needs to be quarantined before mixing with your fish. But I am sure there are fish just as nice on craigslist. I am selling them there. I posted a spawn of mine on here and no one asked about buying them. So why should I bother on here. The adults came from a SD sponsor, now I have juveniles spawned from those fish. What makes theirs better than mine is my question? And mine are listed locally on craigslist.

[Darrell Ward]

It's funny, but I once had a guy respond to an ad I put on craigslist to sell some really nice domestic pairs I needed to move. I live in Northwestern North Carolina, and this guy drove all the way from somewhere in Georgia to pick up these fish. He said he got 2 speeding tickets on the way as well. It was kinda shocking to me someone would drive that far to pick up fish.

[TURQ64]

I routinely drive 200-250 miles each way for fry, tanks, and related supplies..sometimes 350 each way..doesn't suprise me a bit.....

[John_Nicholson]

It's funny, but I once had a guy respond to an ad I put on craigslist to sell some really nice domestic pairs I needed to move. I live in Northwestern North Carolina, and this guy drove all the way from somewhere in Georgia to pick up these fish. He said he got 2 speeding tickets on the way as well. It was kinda shocking to me someone would drive that far to pick up fish.

Caddo Mills, TX to Baltimore and back. I have also Caddo Mills to Kansas City.

-kpjm

[Scott293]

Caddo Mills, TX to Baltimore and back. I have also Caddo Mills to Kansas City.

-kpjm

Now that's a long haul. I haven't gone that far "yet". I did have a very nice couple from Louisville come up to Cinci last weekend for fish from my CL add.

[Jhhnn]

I drove to the airport once to pick up fish from St Louis, but the fish really weren't as advertised. I don't drive anywhere for discus anymore- if I want more, I'll call Kenny. FedEx puts 'em on the porch. Well, I might drive as far as Ft Collins if Jennie or Paul had any I was terribly interested in...

[Jennie]

Im trying john! Wish me luck on this next group..btw..u r welcome here anytime and paul would feel the same!