Fish photographed in April 2007. Species: Red Cover. Origin: Taiwan/China. Breeder: Wayne Ng. Female of about 15 cm. Discus belonging to Alcidio de Sousa. On the website http://www.waynediscus.fr/ you can find several species bred by Wayne Ng. Currently one of the best Asian breeders, with excellent Discus. Unusual fish of excellent quality, with well-defined colours, some of excellent shape, but also at a high price. Good Discus have their price ...
If the fish shows no curiosity when food is put in, if it simply ignores it, however cheap it may be, do not buy it. If it does not eat in the shop, it probably will not eat at your home either. What is more, the risk of it being anorexic, and getting it to eat again, may cost you more money than the fish itself or... losing it after a few weeks. Buying a thin fish is a mistake, even if cheap! So try to see whether the fish is robust and, if possible, with a full belly, since it is easy to see. Discus with a sunken belly or with bulging eyes ... are simply not bought. These are very common situations in unsuccessful purchases of discus.
Fish photographed in April 2007. Species: Spotted Erupcion. Origin: China/Taiwan. Breeder: Wayne Ng. One of the excellent fish of Alcidio de Sousa, imported about 11 months ago. They were imported at 8 cm and are now about 16 cm. "Student" Alcidio Sousa has 6 of these fantastic fish of Asian origin, which are worth a small fortune. The breeder's certificates accompany each fish. Spotted Erupcion fish ...by Wayne !
The origin of the fish is also fundamental, as are the quarantines and the deworming carried out on these fish. Of course, many people do not know or simply invent the origin of the fish. The same happens with quarantines, to the point that there are countless cases of buying a fish and, when it is put in the aquarium, all the others get sick. For this it is important to either have trust in the shop that sells them or, eventually, have a quarantine aquarium, something indispensable when we enter the world of discus. All new fish should stay in a separate space before coming into contact with their new companions in the main aquarium. Never put plants or decorative objects in the quarantine aquarium and, if possible, the same aquarium should never be smaller than 70 litres of water.
Fish photographed in April 2007. Species: Leopard Maze. Origin: Taiwan/China. Breeder: Wayne Ng. About 11 cm. Excellent fish for those who like good discus.
Never buy a fish that has just arrived at the shop, because you do not know how it will be the next day. Many fish enter into stress when transported, and this factor can trigger numerous diseases in the following days, transmissible to your other fish. A discus in good health opens its mouth once a second at most, the opercula should both be open, and the eyes should always be bright red, yellow or orange, and never black or dull. The fish should not show lumps on the body, as they are probably tumours. The fish should be curious when you come near them. When you raise your hand above the aquarium, they should follow it in search of food; that is a good sign when buying a new discus! Always remember that discus are valuable fish; you will hardly find good fish at a low price, because their quality has a price. Never doubt it, as this is a characteristic of good discus.
IMPORTING DISCUS
When I started importing Discus many years ago, my means of communication were very different from today's. The other side of the world could only be reached by fax and telephone. No images, no videos, nothing was yet available in the new technologies we have today! Many times you would buy one species of fish and another would arrive, because of the difficulty of interpretation. Today, with the internet, everything has become easier. For example, in Brazil we often send photos and videos of the fish our customers want, so that they can choose the fish they wish. Today, although it is easier to find international contacts through the internet, importing has become more complicated. International licences are necessary, which in a way I consider fundamental to protect the shops that import and that must have that licence. Otherwise anyone could import, and shops would be harmed by anyone being able to do so. Importing discus from companies with little credibility has brought some problems in the past: poor-quality fish, sizes smaller than ordered, dead fish, etc. There are many stories I could tell, and personally I believe that to import you must have absolute trust in the company and in the quality of the fish you are going to buy, often so many kilometres away.
