BIGgourami;988648; said:
No, I'm pretty sure they are being easier to keep. Not by a lot, but easier. 5 or 6 years ago, they were usually only for experts.
I know why discus fish are on the expensive side
- Thread starter Nabbig2
- Start date
No, I'm pretty sure they are being easier to keep. Not by a lot, but easier. 5 or 6 years ago, they were usually only for experts.
They are no harder to keep then angel fish or clown loaches. They fall in the scaleless fish category that some people seem to have problems with. It's a different story if you are looking at breeding discus, which can be a little more tricky.
As long as you keep their water quality decent and select compatible tank mates, then there should be no problems.
As long as you keep their water quality decent and select compatible tank mates, then there should be no problems.
I think a while ago, more discus were wild caught. Which would make them harder to keep than the tank bred specimens we use today. According to an aquarium atlas I have, it states that tank bred "Symphysodon discus" (heckel discus) are common, but the "Symphysodon aequifasciatus aequifasciatus" (which looks more like discus we see today) are generally wild caught.
So yeah, they aren't as delicate as german rams or something, they can survive in hard water, but I can see how a while ago they were recommended for experienced aquarists only because as Hans A. Baensch states, "many of them were wild caught" and you had to replicate their water conditions.
I wouldn't say they are hardy fish though...Convicts are hardy. Discus are like intermediate or moderately difficult especially depending on the size (or age) of the discus.
So yeah, they aren't as delicate as german rams or something, they can survive in hard water, but I can see how a while ago they were recommended for experienced aquarists only because as Hans A. Baensch states, "many of them were wild caught" and you had to replicate their water conditions.
I wouldn't say they are hardy fish though...Convicts are hardy. Discus are like intermediate or moderately difficult especially depending on the size (or age) of the discus.
Not all that long ago, fish keeping was only for the rich since tanks were very expensive to make. While glass has been invented for years, glass aquaria has only become available for the masses since silicon technology (about 50 years). Fishtanks were steel or aluminium framed with putty waterproofing and sometimes a slate floor which needed resealing after every move. Heating was done with a naked flame under the tank. Almost all tropical fish were wild caught and discus did not travel well. Add to that the misconceptions of fish keeping. While they did not know about filtration and the nitrogen cycle, they did appreciate nitrosomas bacteria as advanced and knowledgable fishkeepers would keep old fishwater as long as possible, carefully cleaning and pouring it all back in. Since it was so yellow and acidic, the pH was carefully monitored for crashes and pH test kits were essential. (Why pH kits are still incorrectly assumed to be useful today).
While there have been a large number of technological advances in fish keeping and transport since, quality discus fish are usually expensive because they are line bred for this quality. You are paying, not only for a fish but for all the generations of work into the hybridizing and strain fixing and selection. While they do have large spawns, most elite discus breeders will carefully cull large numbers. Even in Asia on fish farms, they are carefully selected. Breeding didnt mean success like other fish since the fry needed to feed off parents slime coats initially or a very labour intensive artificial feeding and water cleaning regime. (Gan Brothers farm - Singapore springs to mind)
So there is a bit of tradition and a bit of market demand about discus prices. You could buy a mongrel dog for next to nothing, you could buy a pure breed for a good price from mates if your lucky OR you could buy a proven pedigree with papers and its known lineage from a world famous breeder if thats important to you. Pick whichever suits.
Discus aint just Discus if you know what I mean.
While there have been a large number of technological advances in fish keeping and transport since, quality discus fish are usually expensive because they are line bred for this quality. You are paying, not only for a fish but for all the generations of work into the hybridizing and strain fixing and selection. While they do have large spawns, most elite discus breeders will carefully cull large numbers. Even in Asia on fish farms, they are carefully selected. Breeding didnt mean success like other fish since the fry needed to feed off parents slime coats initially or a very labour intensive artificial feeding and water cleaning regime. (Gan Brothers farm - Singapore springs to mind)
So there is a bit of tradition and a bit of market demand about discus prices. You could buy a mongrel dog for next to nothing, you could buy a pure breed for a good price from mates if your lucky OR you could buy a proven pedigree with papers and its known lineage from a world famous breeder if thats important to you. Pick whichever suits.
Discus aint just Discus if you know what I mean.
Your information is wrong. Heckels have rarely been bred, and most of the discus seen today are domestic, having been bred in captivity for 40+ years. One of our members (apistomaster) has been breeding discus for 30+ (it might be 40+, but I don't remember). All of the pigeon bloods, turqs, diamond, ghosts, dragons, and varients of these fish are captive bred. They have come about from years of selective breeding.
its not that there hard to keep, its just that there expensive so people are scared to put money into them. The risk factor IMO is what started the "declicate" rumor.
I agree with the supply and demand theory 100%. The demand is HUGE the supply isn't bad, (they are not hard to find) which will usually bring the price down, but since there are always new colors and new strans and "new names" for these guys it will keep the prices up.
Also something that colorful will always be alittle bit of money, even if there were only a few differnt kinds. This hobby is about how good looking a fish is.
I agree with the supply and demand theory 100%. The demand is HUGE the supply isn't bad, (they are not hard to find) which will usually bring the price down, but since there are always new colors and new strans and "new names" for these guys it will keep the prices up.
Also something that colorful will always be alittle bit of money, even if there were only a few differnt kinds. This hobby is about how good looking a fish is.
Nabbig2;988556; said:
Are you here to learn or just throw out your opinions?
I have kept discus off and on for 15 years, and out of the 25 or so fish I've had over the years, I have had exactly 2 die.
No, discus aren't as hardy as an oscar but that doesn't mean they are some feeble fish waiting to die as soon as you make one mistake. They require frequent water changes, and thats about it. I keep my pH @ 6.5, but they are fine from 6 to 8. My temp is 86~87F, but you can keep them in as low as 78F. They like soft water, but I have seen them in moderately hard and they were fine.
I just (a few months ago) started a new discus tank. I have a pack of 6, 2.5" juvies in there and they are thriving. This is my first tank in over 7 years and in all honesty, I would'nt mess with ANY other freshwater fish.
As far as why they are so expensive...the nickname is "king of the aquarium." Do you think they're gonna cost as much as a guppie? Discus are what many consider "boutique" fish. That means that they are a niche fish. Many people above me in this thread have pretty much explained it to a t. Most tropical fish breeders don't go thru the trials and tribulations of scientifically altering the fish into multiple strains and varying colors.
Look at a wild caught Heckle discus...ususally have a green body with vertical black stress bars running it's body. Now take a look at something like a Hi-Fin Blue Diamond or a Yellow Sunshine...solid colors and stunning body shapes are bred into these fish. You won't see them in nature, they are completely man-made, and therefore cost a bit more.
If you go into discus with the mindset that they are fickle and weak, your fish are gonna end up that way.
