![]() Wild discus come from dark, often tannin-rich waters with filthy sandy bases, and tangles of wood. When farmed or bred en masse, they are kept in near barren conditions with simple filtration and substrate-free bases. My Santarem fish have never seen the Amazon and may never have even witnessed décor beyond a ceramic tube. With fetishes for biotopes and wilderness medleys, I like to look into a tank and imagine I’m glancing into a river.ĭiscussing this concern with Mark Evenden of Devotedly Discus in Polegate, East Sussex, he suggested one of two Stendker strains: Alenquer or Santarem. That’s superb for a discus aficionado but doesn’t fit my manifesto. Many of the varieties are far removed from anything we’d recognise as a wild type instead, they tend to be rich, solid blocks of colour, such as the Cobalt or Marlboro varieties. Then I saw the Stendker Santarem discus and all of that went out the window. They often lack the rugged appearance of wild fish. They often appear excessively 'manicured' as though too comfortable with their noble status within the hobby. My reservation with farmed or tank bred discus is how they can lack that 'natural' feel. Every one I spot in stores is a brief love affair that I have to force myself to walk away from. I’ve been on the fence with wild discus for ages. Though harder to breed initially, they form strong parental bonds with the young and feed them well. They are, it is reported, less aggressive and less snide with each other than tank bred species. Some keepers still extol the virtues of wild. They tend to require extra attention that other discus might not, such as meticulous deworming or control of other pathogens. They shock easily in reaction to startling sights and sounds, and also to water. Wild caught fish can be notoriously hard to settle, especially at adult sizes. ![]() Advances in technology now mean that we can access RO water, blackwater supplements and an abundance of other disus-esque wares, but the fish themselves can be inherently nervous, temperamental and twitchy. Wild discus, when available, attract a fervent audience, but are not a straightforward proposition. 'Budget' discus, found with kinked backs, black splatters (or sooting), irregular markings and growth deficiencies, may still sell for above their worth. Mass farming techniques have all but destroyed the bloodlines and value of some and drastically improved others. Today, quality breeding pairs can set you back well in excess of £250 and it’s rare to find young fish for under £15 each. Discus were the Bentleys or Ferraris of the fish world. Early keepers, prepared to splash out such a sum and then invest so much in maintenance, moved themselves into the 'elite' of aquarists if for nothing more than wanton spending. In the early days, back when a pint of beer would cost you pennies, they could sit at prices in excess of £100 a fish. Price affects how craved a fish is, and discus have always, without respite, commanded hefty fees. To take them on was to divert huge tracts of energy into their upkeep, with frequent water changes from trusted supplies. Discus were always demanding fish, requiring exacting water conditions and near clinical care. Or at least it used to be, and that’s why discus keepers were for so many years regarded with a kind of reverence. With many desirable species, there’s a trade off beauty is often difficult to maintain. ![]() These are fish that have been groomed for their place within the aquatic monarchy. Not only has the discus long been revered as the king of fishes, with a wealth of literature dedicated to its name, but Stendker discus could quite rightfully claim to be the pinnacles of royal bloodlines. His special mission is to promote the high quality German bred Discus in the USA.Create a home fit for the king of fish with Nathan Hill's step-by-step guide. In 2004 Hans took a big step in his life, quit his regular job and became Senior Promotional Sales Manager of Diskuszucht Stendker Germany. "This quality haven't been seen for years in the USA" was one of the remarks. With an appearance at the 2003 ACA in Cincinatti Discus Hans and the Stendker Discusfish surprised everyone. ![]() Stendker has the largest Discus hatchery in Europe, and is for almost 35 years very respected for his high quality fish. Since 2002 Hans is the Dutch distributor of "Stendker" Discus. In the internet contests which were held from 1997 till 2000 Discus Hans was chosen to be the best Discus breeder worldwide. Click here for Pairs/maybe pairs movies + updated list!ĭiscus Hans is a Dutch Discus breeder who's been active in Discus breeding since 1982.
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