Discus breeders in and around Virginia?

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TNTDiscus

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Jan 3, 2012
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Reptileguy that has to be the dumbest logic for fishkeeping I have ever heard. You do realise that the fish sent to MOST lfs are actually culls from those pampering fish farms you are warning people to stay away from. The reason most lfs get these fish IS because they are so cheap; because they are culls. Most lfs do not have the proper setups to care for and maintain discus once under their care so they get stunted and sickly. And yes even in the so called good fish stores they do not get the care needed...the proper nutrition, water quality, or even the correct temperatures as most fish stores are on a central filter system. So why would anyone want to buy something most fish farms sell at a dime a dozen when they can get a true representation of the species from the same exact place for might I add the same or even cheaper price from a breeder or importer. That has also not been exposed to god knows how many kind of parasites or diseases that are within the system of a lfs.
 

livebearerfreak

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May 31, 2005
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Reptileguy that has to be the dumbest logic for fishkeeping I have ever heard. You do realise that the fish sent to MOST lfs are actually culls from those pampering fish farms you are warning people to stay away from. The reason most lfs get these fish IS because they are so cheap; because they are culls. Most lfs do not have the proper setups to care for and maintain discus once under their care so they get stunted and sickly. And yes even in the so called good fish stores they do not get the care needed...the proper nutrition, water quality, or even the correct temperatures as most fish stores are on a central filter system. So why would anyone want to buy somethin most fish farms sell at a dime a dozen when they can get a true representation of the species from the same exact place for might I add the same or even cheaper price from a breeder or importer. That has also not been exposed to god knows how many kind of parasites or diseases that are within the system of a lfs.
i agree with everyone but with this one statement, how do you know in a (good) LFS they dont get care? in my LFS they have discus in great shape.. great care... so you cant put down all LFS just cause you seen the ones you been to mistreating fish... but besides that i agree with everyone else...
 

TNTDiscus

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Jan 3, 2012
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i agree with everyone but with this one statement, how do you know in a (good) LFS they dont get care? in my LFS they have discus in great shape.. great care... so you cant put down all LFS just cause you seen the ones you been to mistreating fish... but besides that i agree with everyone else...
Because to take care of a discus properly it does take more money in upkeep which cuts into selling costs quite quickly. Yes they might look good for the week they come in or maybe the week after that...but keep watching the fish that stays there the longest. Watch how their health starts to deteriorate or in juvies cases how they become stunted. To run a business you have to keep costs low which mean the longer the fish stays in thier care the more it costs the store. There are the rare stores yes which take great care of their discus. But they are very few and far between.
 
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stephcps

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Jun 2, 2009
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There are also several hobbyist breeders in the virginia area that post on simplydiscus. Please buy from someone who has a decent reputation...you will have much better fish. Discus are difficult enough...don't add bad quality as well. I have bought from many hobbyist breeders and have almost always been more than happy.

I am totally agreeing with all the good advice from Rachel, Rbishop and subrosa....plus by the time you buy a discus from your LFS with the INCREDIBLE mark-up in price....you could have paid shipping and have some really nice fish!
 

Lillyan

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Jan 26, 2010
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Ok, you guys need to stop arguing! This is why I didn't go to a specialty forum, I know they will go loony over this topic, but you guys are rivaling their...'spirit!'

I will not be 'spoiling' or doing stupid water changes all the time. I know they are hardier than their wild relatives and don't need to be assisted in every way.

I will go to the store one day and look around. I've got an 'impulse buy' issue like some others do, too, but at that distance, its a little worse! Lol. But if none look good in any way to what I am seeing all over of 'good vs bad' then I'll sulk while driving home alone.

I'm on the fence with both sides. You cannot breed in too many good qualities at a time and some may be lost. Feeding top notch food and changing water constantly does not make for an actually HARDY fish, it makes for a spoiled fish. Now I am not saying it should go into a total newbie to fish tank, but a person who does reg. changes, has had tanks and fish for a long time, a hardy Discus should have little issue living in one of those tanks. With rabbits, you sometimes need to choose certain traits over others in a buck and dam, they may not be the best of the best, but later on, from those not total perfect animals, you can breed better ones. So saying it is not possible is a load of manure.

I'm not fighting w/anyone and I don't want y'all to argue with me, that's my point of view. I don't care if you agree or not since this thread is getting out of hand.
 

msjinkzd

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Rachel O'Leary
best of luck!I hope you saw my note about CCA, the local club in the NOVA area. Its a good outlet for quality fish and group buys.
 

reptileguy2727

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Jan 15, 2006
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I also agree that you cannot simply state as fact that all discus kept in shops are not cared for properly. Many shops do provide the care needed for discus to thrive. When we did at the shop I ran they thrived. They were laying eggs in the sales tanks. They were growing very well and if they didn't sell in the first couple weeks they only got better until they were too good to resist. I am sure many shops do not care for them properly, maybe most, but to say that none of them do it right sounds like advertising for breeders to me.

Even if they don't take proper care of them that proves my point. If they come from pampered breeders and then the care slips at all they will go down fast. If they survived in the horrible conditions of all these horrible shops and still look good when purchased they are hardier. Put some of those breeder discus in a shop and see how fast they go downhill.

Obviously the discus breeder buyers will never agree.That is like telling someone who breeds German Shepherds they should get a rescue dog, they never will. You do the needed water changes and feed the right food to keep them thriving and they look amazing. But my point is only to warn people new to discus that there is a difference that they should be aware of. I have seen it and other aquarium service people I have talked to have also seen it over and over.
 

livebearerfreak

you are hypnotized! LOL
May 31, 2005
3,205
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fairchild wi 54741
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douglas harvey
Because to take care of a discus properly it does take more money in upkeep which cuts into selling costs quite quickly. Yes they might look good for the week they come in or maybe the week after that...but keep watching the fish that stays there the longest. Watch how their health starts to deteriorate or in juvies cases how they become stunted. To run a business you have to keep costs low which mean the longer the fish stays in thier care the more it costs the store. There are the rare stores yes which take great care of their discus. But they are very few and far between.
yes your areas may be like that, everyones area is differnt.... my store is one that takes care of there fish, and there discus in tip top condition.. no sickness or anything. longest i would say has been there is maybe a month and still looked in excellent condition.... you cannot put down all LFS just cause yours are like that... that irritates me, one putting down all cause his is not in good shape.... mine is in great shape. and takes great care of all there fish....
 

livebearerfreak

you are hypnotized! LOL
May 31, 2005
3,205
7
38
34
fairchild wi 54741
Real Name
douglas harvey
Ok, you guys need to stop arguing! This is why I didn't go to a specialty forum, I know they will go loony over this topic, but you guys are rivaling their...'spirit!'

I will not be 'spoiling' or doing stupid water changes all the time. I know they are hardier than their wild relatives and don't need to be assisted in every way.

I will go to the store one day and look around. I've got an 'impulse buy' issue like some others do, too, but at that distance, its a little worse! Lol. But if none look good in any way to what I am seeing all over of 'good vs bad' then I'll sulk while driving home alone.

I'm on the fence with both sides. You cannot breed in too many good qualities at a time and some may be lost. Feeding top notch food and changing water constantly does not make for an actually HARDY fish, it makes for a spoiled fish. Now I am not saying it should go into a total newbie to fish tank, but a person who does reg. changes, has had tanks and fish for a long time, a hardy Discus should have little issue living in one of those tanks. With rabbits, you sometimes need to choose certain traits over others in a buck and dam, they may not be the best of the best, but later on, from those not total perfect animals, you can breed better ones. So saying it is not possible is a load of manure.

I'm not fighting w/anyone and I don't want y'all to argue with me, that's my point of view. I don't care if you agree or not since this thread is getting out of hand.
well i dont think discus are for you honestly, if you dont want to put all the time and effort into raisng them properly get some severums ( poor mans discus, i think? ) discus require alot and you would have to do atleast 3x a week plus water change at min, feed high quality food. good size school, atleast a 55 gallon min, with 75 being better. they require higher temps then most, ( 84 to 86 degrees ) yes LFS discus are hardier, yes, but they still require the same care as most breeders give them, if you want them to be in tip top condition..

missed this part... doing water changes does do ALOT.... it effects the fish health by alot... doing 1x water change with discus i am sure you wont have them long, they require special care basially.... and doing water change isnt *spoiling* the fish.. its NEEDED!, if you dont like doing water changes and doing them atLEAST 3x a week, i would look at a differnt fish big time.....i cannot stress enough how much fish NEED water changes... its not spoiling at all, its needed, like we need water for our body, same with fish........
 
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