what causes the switch to flip?

[Teshi]

What makes you go from a casual hobbiest, sitting around enjoying your 1-2-3 discus tanks, casual w/c that you enjoy, to deciding HEY... I wanna take on a HUGE responsibility and try to have these fish breed and take on all this extra work to fail, cull and if I'm lucky be successful breeding them?

[Orange Crush]

I did not decide to, the fish did. :D

[Trier20]

Wanting a new challenge was the switch for me.

[Second Hand Pat]

I did not decide to, the fish did. :D

Big ditto on this one. Especially when the wilds decide to breed.

[nc0gnet0]

What makes you go from a casual hobbiest, sitting around enjoying your 1-2-3 discus tanks, casual w/c that you enjoy, to deciding HEY... I wanna take on a HUGE responsibility and try to have these fish breed and take on all this extra work to fail, cull and if I'm lucky be successful breeding them?


Better yet, why do people decide to have kids?

;)

Rick

[DiscusDrew]

I love it, its a source of joy for me answering seriously. And yeah, it is part of the fishes natural cycle so its kinda like ok, why not see what else there is to this hobby and maybe make something out of it. I love to learn and this is a whole new box of worms, something new comes up each and every day that I feel I could do better, or that I understand better about my fish. Its an adventure I suppose, time consuming, exhausting at times, but yet so satisfying when at the end of it you have two tanks full of 2-2.5" fish and you look back at the work it took from a tiny little dot to make it all the way to there. Its pretty amazing in my opinion.

[ExReefer]

My switch almost flipped as I once had plans to breed a pair or two I was keeping, but then reality set in. I work long hours away from home. I also have young children and a social life. I'm sure many of you can juggle all of this and raise fry, but I just couldn't see where I would have the time. I'll return to discus soon because I do miss keeping them, but I'll probably keep 4"+ sized fish and grow them into adults. It's less demanding with sub-adults. I'd like to keep a show tank full of discus from the same strain this time around. No more "rainbow tanks". Deciding on just one strain is the tough part.:D

[Rod]

No flip of the switch for me, i had already kept other fish for 10 years before i got my first discus. My intention when buying them, was to breed them. :)

[nevsfish]

what a great answer i agree totally,raising discus from eggs to adults is to me the ultimate thrill and all the water changes and tank cleaning are all worth it to see such beautiful adult discus
I love it, its a source of joy for me answering seriously. And yeah, it is part of the fishes natural cycle so its kinda like ok, why not see what else there is to this hobby and maybe make something out of it. I love to learn and this is a whole new box of worms, something new comes up each and every day that I feel I could do better, or that I understand better about my fish. Its an adventure I suppose, time consuming, exhausting at times, but yet so satisfying when at the end of it you have two tanks full of 2-2.5" fish and you look back at the work it took from a tiny little dot to make it all the way to there. Its pretty amazing in my opinion.

[chipmunk636]

My swith is already flipped and i just got my first discus 2 days ago !!

the guy i bought them got somes nice breeding pairs with full of baby around , that's was simply awesome !

[Teshi]

Eventually when I no longer work 12hr days I may try my hand at breeding, but until then I'm really just enjoying my fish, experimenting with making food for them, aquarium colors :) those kind of things. I was just curious if it was the fish that made you choose to be breeders or if... well I guess it IS always the fish LOL in one way or another. DUH!

[Trier20]

12hr days suck! Gonna have about 4 in a row this week. Then come home and do WC's. Not enough time in a day!

[Teshi]

I work 6 12hr days in a row, but then I have 8 days off in a row too :)

[DiscusDrew]

Ugh Margaret thats rough.... and also completely incondusive to breeding discus.... Unless you basically do it like raising a baby, have the light on all night instead of all day and set an alarm every 3-4 hours to get up and feed brine shrimp.... Which is hell I can tell you from first hand experience, Ive only done it two days since Ive been breeding but there were deffinitely days I had to because of work. Fry = best with parents for sure.