The essentials: Name of company, name of particular breader, Address,
Phone, FAX, E-Mail, WWW site.
tel/fax:818-288-6786
pager:714-266-0088
email: discusit@earthlink.net
web site: http://home.earthlink.net/~discusit/
How long have you been in business?
1/2 year for doing Wayne's Discus and 2 years in the aquarium related business
Do you specialize in any particular strains?
I have started out w/ Gan's Great Blue, now I have many stock from Wayne's
Discus Centre of Hong Kong. Among them, Angel Daimond, Blue Diamond, Gaint
Pearl Red...
What strains are currently available? Available in the upcoming months?
Back to the questions,...I have created a web page and will update to show
stock availability every few weeks. I'll have a shipment coming
in March with the strains listed on the web page.
Do you have any sales on particular strains of discus?
Clearance sales does happen, but no set time frame or any particular strains.
Some times may be Angel Diamond, sometimes may be pigeons.
Do you sell fish other than discus? What?
No
Are color photographs available either on the Net, snail mail, catalog?
Most strain are available on the web page.
Are the photographs, etc, free? If not, how much do they cost?
photocopies of photos will be sent to people who do not have access to
computers. In addition, Wayne Discus Centre Posters are
$5.00+ handling( approx. $10), but will be refund if an order is placed
(posters are limited to stock on hand). This poster consists some
of the strains available from Wayne Discus Centre. You may alos view
these strain on my web page.
Have there been any reviews in trade journals of your fish?
The Japanese have many articles and photos of Wayne's Fish.
I am translating articles for Wayne to be publish here in the States.
Of course, the editor will have to accept the articles first. Wayne
had written many article for the many Asian Discus publications.
Presently, I'm translating one article which would reveal how to get
Discus without verticle bars. A coditioning, not breeding genetically
into the strain.
How many customers do you have?
Locally, within CA, approx 100, out of state, probably, 20ish.
Can you provide a list of satisfied customers? E-mail addresses?
Yes, Bing Seto and Frank Bailey are some of the handful of breeders
who have purchased these fish from me. Most others are hobbiest.
How many discus do you produce per year?
From my own breeding pairs, close to 2-3,000/yr, probably nothing
compare to the other big breeders.
Do you make any effort to learn how your fish do in their new homes?
Normally, I call after my customers received their shipment to check on the
shipment and the acclaimation. After a few days to a week, I'll have a follow
up call.
Do you sell to hobbyists, or do you strictly sell to Dealers only?
Both.
Is there a minimum order in # of fish or total amount? What are they?
No minimun for shipping either in # or $.
Do you have a guarantee? If so, what is the exact guarantee.
Only Live Healthy Fish will be shipped. DOA will be replaced, refunded
or credited toward future purchases. Of course not responsible for
freight damages.
What is your return policy? Do you have one?
Don't have one, normally, the customers will be pleased.
Do you add extra fish to orders in case of a fatality?
Sometimes, but not because of expected fatality, because I had a few extra
and not enough to sell to the next customer or because I like doing business
with them.
What sizes do you sell? Fry? 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 inch? Costs of each?
Normally 2" and up. Nickel/quarter size fisha re sold by request, and
cost is dependent on strain.
What is the minimum age of Discus fry you would consider selling?
Haven't sold any less than nickel size.
Do you sell "guaranteed pairs?"
I have sold proven pairs and don't sell "guaranteed pairs", because
I can't guarantee any breeding of a pair out of my tank. Normally, I've
document each proven pairs (photo or video of the pair with frys).
Can buyers come to the hatchery and pick out fish? Appointment? Times?
Yes, by appointments; however, I would perferr customers keep to a 1 to 2
hours visit.
Do you do business with and ship to international customers?
I have.
Do you offer wholesale prices? If so, what quantities have to be
ordered to get the wholesale price?
I offer lot pricing for wholsalers, quantities pricing will depends on
lot size of 25, 50 or 100 pieces.
Do you sell any discus related products (medication, RO systems, etc)?
I have sold products that I have used personally.
Do you ship internationally? If you do not currently ship internationally,
would you be willing to try on a case-by-case basis?
I have not yet shipped to Europe, but I don't see why not.
What are the shipping rates? Winter? v. Summer? International?
air freight are pd by customers. No winter or summer rate. International
rate will depend on freight fowarder or broker. Each shipment will be pack
to ensure optimal fish arrival conditon. I do not mind taking extra effort
ensure that the fish is not unnecessary stressed.
What is the shipping procedure? Does it vary depending on the season?
All fishes are normally individually bagged, heat packs are added accordingly.
What are your packaging techniques? (Bagging, oxygen, heat,
reinforcement, prophylactic medications, etc.)
Double to triple bagging with newspaper as reinforcement and oxygen bagged.
Heat packs is used accordingly. Short flight will not need medication, Longer flight
medication is suggested.
If you medicate the fish for travel, what will be the impact of this medication
on the fish when they arrive (or at any time later)? Should I add the travel
water to the destination tank, and if so, will it have any affect on existing residents?
The medication I use for shipping will only slow down the oxygen consumption.
If during long travel, the fish may lay flat at the bottom of the tank. When this is
expected, I would advice that once the fish arrives, instead of acclaimating the fish
immediately, re-oxygenate the bag(refill the bag with fresh oxygen) for 1 hour,
then acclaimate the fish. I have found this method help the fish acclaimate without
having the fish laying flat at the bottom of the tank many times.
Do I have to go to an airport to get the fish?
I perfer to ship airport to airport.
If you ship directly to my house are the fish guaranteed to arrive alive?
I perfer not to ship door to door, the shortest period of shipment is airport to airport
If I do have to go to an airport, are they guaranteed to arrive alive?
All fish ship is guaranteed live and in good health conditon, unless the air freight damage
the package, the a claim should be claimed against the freight company. Large fish do not
ship as easily as small fish.
For both of the above, what do I have to do if they do not arrive alive?
(I would assume send them back somehow, but how?)
If damaged by freight company, make a claim against the company. Otherwise, documate with
photo or video and send it to me for a claim. There's no need to return dead fish to me.
What are your handling instructions from box to tank for the new fish?
Normally any fish shipped are conditioned to water pH of 7.0 for ease of accliamation. To
acclaimate the fish, add small amount (1/4 of the bag's water volumne) of the target tank
water to the bag every 15 minutes until the bag has double its original water volumne,
then empty 1/2 of the water and repeat until the water have doubled again. Then, the
fish may be netted out and put directly into the target aquarium. Throw out the bag's
water.
Filtration: type, media and flow rate?
wet/fry filters for grow out tanks, bioballs/lava rock; 3 to 4x turnover per hour
sponge filter for pairs.
Does the system use reverse osmosis as a way of filtering?
No
Tanks, sizes and location (ie. away from traffic and height from the floor)
With 3 centeral systems upto 2000 gallons. other varies from 20 gal to 300 gal. tanks
Grow out tanks in heavy traffic area. Pairs up 5-6' above the floor.
Lighting, time and intensity
flouscent, evenings, vaires from aquarlux to Triton, Powerglow white light
Do you consider the position of the breeding tank important?
Depending on the pair
Are your hatcheries quarantined?
Yes, Two seperate room with different systems are available
Do you have gravel in your tanks?
No
Do you keep plants in your tanks?
No
Do you use some type of dechlorinator (chemical or carbon) when making
water changes?
Sodium Thiosulfate
What and how often do you feed your breeding pairs?
1 - 2 times a day
What and how often do you feed your fry/young?
As often as possible 2 ,3, or 4 times a day
Do you add any hormones or artificial color enhancers to the food?
No
If you prepare your own food, would you be willing to share
your formula? (if so, please give the formula here)
Yes, my food contains 2.5#beef heart, 2.5#shrimp, 1#spinach, 2#banana,
1tbs multiple vitamins powder, 2tbs calcium powder, 2 egg yoke/lb of food,
1 tbs spirulina powder/2.5# of food
If you feed commercially prepared food, is it available for
purchase? If not, would you be willing to include a small
amount with a fish purchase for purposes of weaning them to
a different food?
How many generations can your stock be traced back?
At the most 2 for my own pairs, but with Wayne's, he has F3, F4's.
Wayne's fish breed true to their strain, he issues certificatons
for his fish. The crosses that he sometimes offer, of course are
exceptions and will not have certs, since they are crosses, they
will not be consider as a strain.
What method do you use to maintain your strains
(ie do you breed parents to children, siblings to siblings,
cross related lines, etc.)
mostly breeding related strain of different parents, seldom with siblings
to siblings.
How many generations of inbreeding do you permit before
"new blood" is crossed in?
Personally, I would not inbreed more than 1 generation then I will cross
with fish of the same strain but of different parents
Do you have any particular strains that you would consider hardier
than most?
Gan's Great Blue is a strong strain in many ways.
Do you have any particular strains that you would consider difficult
to maintain and or breed? If so, what do you do different for these
fish?
Some strain matures late, Great Blue may be upto 2 years. For pigeons,
the trick is have the frys find the parents' body (the cleaner the pigeon
with few black specks, they more difficult for the frys to find the parent).
What spawning surface do you use?
Varies from clay (flower pots) to pvc
Do you raise the fry artificially, or are they parent raised?
No, all parent raised
If your fry are parent raised, at what age do you separate the fry?
approx. 10-14days
Do you use some sort of night-light to prevent fry loss?
yes, I keep a light on in the room, this way the pairs don't get spooked either.
Do you cull your fish?
Yes, all fish with deformaties and raunts are culled.
Which diseases do you encounter most frequently in your hatchery?
gill flukes and heximita
Do you keep records of any diseases or medications that particular
batches of fish have been exposed to? If so, would you provide
this information about any particular order that has been purchased
(assuming you were asked for it)?
I haven't been keeping good records, but normally, a batch that's weak will
be destory. The customer will always be informed of any disease exposure.
What medications and dosages do you use to treat for:
What specific antibiotics have been used *at any time* in the history
of your hatchery?
neomycin, kanamycin
Do you use ultraviolet sterilization in your hatchery?
No
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