Discus Buying Guidlines.

I'm wanting to buy some discus in East London, where we don't have any breeders of quality discus. However, my favorite LFS will be getting some in soon, which leaves me with a few questions.

Other than the obvious points of fish health, such as overall condition, what are specific discus buying criteria that I should be aware of? For example, how do I know the discus has stunted growth? Are there any specific diseases that I should be aware of?

If anyone has purchased discus from a pet shop before, could you tell us the outcome please, be it good or bad.

 

Hi @Broder,

This is such a contentious discussion...

There is so much to take into account when buying discus.
If I can give you some advice then this is the best advice I have-

1.Instead of starting with the actual discus - start with yourself!
First thing - decide exactly which Discus you want. By this I mean the type (strain). I find most people start out with a mix of types, and shortly after they regret not taking a different route. Do searches on the internet as to the types you really like and then start narrowing it down.

2.Discus are expensive fish in general. Buy a book instead....
Id recommend investing in Dieter Untergassers Book "Discus Health"
Its about the price of one good discus, and it will save many fish - thereby paying for itself. Start with the book as it elaborates on all the points that make a good vs bad discus.

3. Find a reputable supplier.
This is probably the most difficult thing in South Africa.
Ive heard and seen some horror stories.
Ive been ripped off, I know of many who have also been ripped off, and in general the average supplier hasnt the foggiest idea of what makes a good discus so how can they be expected to supply it?
TOP quality discus are expensive, in SA the notion exist that all discus are top quality and therefore they are all expensive...lol its actually bloody ridiculous to be honest.

Most hobbyist breeders will be more than willing to send fish to you in East London Broder. I know I would.

I urge you to break it down for yourself - start by identifying which you like best - Wild, Pigeon based, Red, Yellow, Albino, Blue or whichever. If that is decided we can look at taking the next step on this very exciting and rewarding journey.

A final word of caution - (and most probably many can attest to this) - do not make hasty decisions and buy crappy Discus - it will probably destroy all joy of keeping them and you will be left with the notion that they are crappy fish to keep.
Get off to a good start and it will be a much easier road.

Kind regards

Marco

 

Thanks for the great info, how much do we expect to pay in Rands?

 

Thanks for the good advice Marco. You've probably saved me and others some cash. Ok, so the first discus will be a discus book. I'll be in touch when I've had a chance read up on keeping discus happy. i hope the book is easy to read, cos I know how some of my countrymen can be pedantic about details, with the humour of an old shoe.

 

See its on Amazon at us$20 for used and us$40 new

 

Yeah, plus shipping. I going to see if our Exclusive books can order it and at what price. I'll post here when I find out.

 

Hi guys
@Reedfish is correct in saying that this book is intense. It is just that - a comprehensive book covering all aspects of keeping Discus happy.
Its not to held as a "stick to religiously" guide book no - it will turn most into a Discus hypochondriac if viewed as such.
It is however the single best reference book available.
I got mine from @Dolphin I think - was a few years back but it shouldnt be much more than R500 I think.
I dont know the Discus world book and thus wont comment on that.

If only Untergasser will do an updated version cause I understand there has been much development in his research and especially some interesting findings as to the diet and improved feeding methods.
In an updated version Id appeal to him to put a nicer Discus on the cover for starters...

The main thing I am attempting to highlite here is that without proper knowledge even show grade Discus will be turned into rubbish fish by poor husbandry.
Do not expect your LFS or some self-proclaimed Discus guru to supply you with good quality fish. I still maintain that very few of them know a healthy well bred fish from a sickly runt, and thus they cannot be trusted to supply good fish.

Theyll be quick to tell you its some A-grade scarcity worth half your salary though - thats how many of them do their marketing.

This is a real pity but its also a worldwide rotting in the discus hobby which has many people crying out against it.

Its like that wherever people think they can make a quick buck I guess...

Rgds

Marco

 

Very true Marco, I have seen many people believing they can make money out of breeding birds, dogs, cats, horses (my own family), fishes, almost always failing by cutting corners in order to make a buck. Fact of the matter is, there does not seem to be much money in breeding livestock for the pet trade.

It has been my experience that you always get better quality from small, dedicated hobbyist breeders than commercial outfits, so what if it costs a few bucks more?

 

just to add few points on how to select nice discus I had written this blog some time back.

http://discustheking.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/what-to-look-for-when-buying-discus.html

 

US$14 (R162.16) on the Kindle store, just got myself a copy!

 

Thanks for that Adesh. Some nice, concise info there.

 

Amazon, kindle book (ebook)

 

Hi @Broder

you have been given some sound advice here. Just to add to what has been said: firstly I would chat to people in your area that have kept or who are still keeping discus. You will learn a lot from people who have kept discus from first hand experience. They will also be able to guide you in terms of your water quality and type in EL that you are going to use. If someone has kept discus for a year, they will have experience of some of the curve balls discus can throw your way.

As far as obtaining actual fish goes, I would always recommend buying direct from a breeder where possible. Failing that, and if you have to buy through your lfs, then I would ask them to order them for you and then collect them the day they arrive. Any discus cruising in a lfs tank is more than likely NOT getting the correct care, so the sooner you get the fish into your own tank, the better. Negotiate a sweeter rate with the lfs as they wont be holding the fishes themselves. Find out from them which wholesaler they get their discus from and drop me a pm for further discussion in this regard.

Then you must buy the largest number of fishes you can afford with no less than 6. So if that is not in the budget, save up till you can buy at least 6 one shot.

Ok, hope some of this helps a bit. Perhaps start a thread outlining your tank, filtration specs etc.

Andrew

 

Thanks Andrew, you're right, lots of good advice here yours included. I'd love to chat to locals about our water conditions pertaining to discus, just haven't met anyone yet.

I did did have a thread about getting an established planted tank ready for 5-7 discus. The feeling I got was that this would be a compromise wrt discus keeping. I'm not a very experienced fish keeper, but I still don't quite understand how a well established tank with totally stable parameters should be a worse environment than what is accepted as an ideal discus keeping tank. By this I mean bare bottom with sparse hard scape. The way I understand it, stability is paramount for discus. An established tank, even if not as easy to clean, in my mind must still be a better environment than a glass box where all nitrification is restricted to a filter? This requires larger water changes to compensate, and therefore increases chances of water parameter fluctuations.

So to be totally honest, and I hope that this doesn't upset all of you seasoned discus keepers out there, I just want to select 5 healthy looking fish that aren't gonna break the bank. They will go into planted tank, where I'll monitor ph, temp, alk and nitrate closely.

 

Here's the link to the tank I'd like to use. Page one has a pic and the parameters. Preparing a 4ft tank for 5-7 discus.