Welcome

[Proteus]

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome everybody to this new forum specifically in place for the Discus hobbyist...

Until things get moving all mod and admin duties will be completed by myself and a few associates from other partner sites (mollyman.com, fishinthe.net, plantgeek.net, etc). After that I will be seeking knowledgable, and approachable people to fill these roles...

Enjoy, share your stories and whilst this forum is open to anyone and everyone, I wish to keep the all links, etc Australian based...

Thanks...

Proteus (Admin)

[Proteus]

...well 1 week down the track and I can only say one thing...

Thank you!!!

the support and take up so far has been fantastic...

100,000 hits in the first week, and again, other than word of mouth, and a few links on other sites, we are awaiting to be listed on Google, Yahoo, etc...

again, thanks everybody for helping create what should be a fantastic resource online for Discus keepers, not just Down Under, but worldwide... lets show them where the "Best" Discus REALLY are... :wink:

[Proteus]

DiscusForums.com is now listed on Aquarank...

To further promote this site, and to identify it as the Premier Australian Discus Forums we need your support...

Vote once a day, to keep the site in the top #25...

(upon listing, the site went straight to #25.... yippee, #1 for Discus Sites)

http://www.aquarank.com/image.php?id=discusfo (http://www.aquarank.com/in.php?id=discusfo)

Voting can also be done HERE!!! (http://www.aquadotnetwork.com/)

Thanks for your support!!!

[the_oracle]

Hello everybody,
I see more people are joining DF as I speak....................
It's good indeed............
Keep it going, make DF a great big FAMILY..........where we can share ideas, post pics. of those beautiful loved ones, and most certainly, meet up and get to know new people.................
Keep it up and keep it running, guys..............
Cheers.................


Sanie.

[Proteus]

More members means more opinions and a larger knowledge base...

Thanks to all who make this resource such a success

:)

[poimaster]

More members means more opinions and a larger knowledge base...

Thanks to all who make this resource such a success

:)


Proteus, I think all members would be interested in the background of the Founder(s) moderators and administrators. I have been reading many posts and have picked up on the personality and experiences of some of you but would be genuinely interested in who you all are, how you've been involved in Discus and your motives? etc for contributing to this forum are.

I'm not suggesting anything untoward, but I feel privileged to have been accepted into this generous positive group of like minded people who love our discus. We normally really enjoy talking about our experiences, I'm inviting you all to share a little of your perspectives on your own interests.

Just a suggestion

Jeremy

[Proteus]

I am sure something can be done. I dont think it is untoward at all and I am sure a few people would be surprised at what experoences some of us have, and what goes on behind the scenes.

The one thing I have to stress is all the help from the rest of the advisor and admin team is worth its weight in gold, platinum actually... without them this community would not be what it is.

As for some basics, I have kept fish, including Discus for many years (on and off for almost 20 years). With the help of a good buddy, Pyrowolf, back in 2003, 2004 a few small discussion forums were started up. Things have kind of grown but the nuts and bolts are much the same. 90% of all running costs are worn by myself or Pyrowolf (the site is on our own server which helps), sponsorships help, but as several sponsors can attest to we arent hungry for money or anything remotely similar, heck, might have to check the overdues... just kidding. This is a hobby, and something that a few of us enjoy, and feel privilaged to be able to share this with others.

There are a few out there that would love to see this site fail, but what they dont realise is not everyone see's dollar signs at the end of every day, or think that money is the number one priority in life... We keep fish, a lot of people on here have become friends, and we enjoy sharing the information we have picked up on over th eyears and enjoy haring about what others have to say...

I will leave it at that for the time being....

[Merrilyn]

Okay, well I guess I'm next.

Thirty years ago, I got my first discus. A gorgeous pair of wild caught browns, and my love affair with discus has continued ever since. Although I've bred or owned most of the colours, I've now come full circle and I'm back keeping wilds. This time wild caught heckels.

Over the years, I've branched into other fish types, gone marine, did the cichlid thing, and even managed to gain a bit of fame for being one of the few people in the world, and the only person in Australia to breed wild caught Betta macrostomas.

I've still got the macrostomas and have embarked on a breeding programme of Betta unimaculata. Again, I think I'm the only person in Australia to breed this particular fish.

My current fish obsession takes two parts. First is to condition the heckels and hopefully one day to successfully breed them. And the second is wild caught altums. I currently have 16 of them which I've been carefully raising for 12 months. The aim with them is simply to keep them alive at this stage, and one day, if the gods smile, I may be able to breed them.

I enjoy helping others become successful with their fish, firmly believing that knowledge is only powerful if it's shared. I've already been through a lot of the problems most fish keepers face, and I've already made most of the mistakes, so I can usually offer a solution, or at the very least, suggest where a solution may be found.

I can't imagine ever being without fish. :P

[samir]

I keep discus because along with bettas they are the only fish I can keep alive. My father got me about a dozen brown/blue juveniles when I was about 10 in 1983'ish. Within a month all but two were dead. A couple of years later I went to boarding school so mum took care of them. They were still alive till about the time I graduated from university around 1994.
Around '97 I got myself 4 turks which I kept for a couple of years, gave them away because I got too busy with work. On coming to Australia I kept discus again for a year, then stopped , then started again.
My current obsession is to swap a beautiful batch of Australian bred heckels with Merrilyn for some of her Betta strains. 8-) and to create a strain of hybrid heckel similar to that in Andrew Soh's book.
The forum has been a great source of information for me and contains the most unselfish and helpful fishkeepers one could find. I have met a lot wonderful people here who have helped me with this never ending learning curve that is discus keeping.

[AKNewtu]

Hello all, I live in Alaska and have been interested in keeping a discus tank for a long time, but have recently decided to make that happen. I have been online and reviewed tones of information, but am feeling very overwhelmed with the options available to me. What is the best set up. I already have 55 gallon tank, but it is sitting empty because i dont know what to do to prepare it for the fish. What kind of filtration, plant or no plant. substrate or bare bottom. How many power heads? What kind of light fixture and bulb. Some sites say LED, others say MtlHLD. I just dont know there are so many options. I dont plan on putting live fish in the tank until September of this year, that gives me several months to get my tank ready and prepare it so that it is a suitable habitat. My prefrence would be to have live plants with out substrate, maybe tied to driftwood or something for ease of cleaning. What do you suggest. I really dont know what to do. I am simply overwhelmed by the choices. Also is it worth investing in an RO system? PLEASE HELP ME. I need advice. Additionally i'd like to set my tank up so that eventually( in a couple years) i could breed my fish. Normally I wouldn't think to do anything other than a display tank, but here in Alaska Discus are hard to find, so I thought as I progress I might be interested in that. I am only looking to get about 8 discus. Any advice as to specific filtration, set-up, aquascape, lighting systems and media prefrence would be greatly appreciated. I just want to do it right the first time, and although I know there will be some trial and error I would like to put my best foot forward the first time. Thanks a bunch for any and all advice. :D

[GeorgeFowell]

Hello, My name is GeorgeFowell

[Hollowman]

Welcome George,

Are you keeping Discus already?

H