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    The Discus Book 2nd Edition: The Discus Books, #2
    The Discus Book 2nd Edition: The Discus Books, #2
    The Discus Book 2nd Edition: The Discus Books, #2
    Ebook196 pages2 hours

    The Discus Book 2nd Edition: The Discus Books, #2

    By Alastair R Agutter

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    About this ebook

    The Discus Book 2nd Edition

    A very big welcome to The Discus Book Second Edition for all Tropical Fish Hobbyists and dedicated Aquarists. If the advice is followed in this book, you will successfully keep and rear healthy, thriving, happy, disease free Discus Fish that will eventually spawn.

    This Second Edition of The Discus Book has been written and produced with updates and additional information since the first edition, written in 1989, to accommodate “some” of the questionable technology changes, regarding this species since the first edition of the Discus Book, when the Author successfully bred Wild Discus (symphysodon) in captivity, the recording of such work and events transcribed to the said printed book. 

    Alastair Agutter still remains one of a select few in the world today to accomplish such a feat, breeding wild symphysodon, and as a result of such endeavours by he, and other dedicated Aquarist colleagues, they managed to break a cycle and taboo that had lasted for more than 120 years, since the founding of the pastime we know as tropical fish keeping, after “The Great Exhibition” of 1851 and this being, to breed “The King of the Aquarium” in captivity. 

    This second edition of the book is concise and accurate, based on proven methods and techniques, to deliver the above results. The Discus, King of the Aquarium is a highly evolved species of the Cichlidae (tooth carp) Family and will challenge any Aquarist, even tank bred species. This book will not produce any quick fixes, or silver bullets to keeping symphysodon, whom are a very highly evolved sensitive species. But will provide the secrets to successfully keeping the species, if the valuable information found in this book is followed to the letter. 

    Natural Law teaches us to “evolve and refine” when studying quantum mechanics and natural branching, in other words stealth, efficiency and risk aversion. Such outcomes and results only ever come from following the covenant of Natural Law when one seeks “simplistic perfection” in all that we do!

    INTRODUCTION - An introduction to the second edition and new book, CHAPTER ONE - Discus Background and Environment , CHAPTER TWO - The Wild Discus Species, CHAPTER THREE - The Importance of the Correct Aquarium, CHAPTER FOUR - A Guide to Fish Food and Suitability for Discus, CHAPTER FIVE - Discus Prepared Super Foods and Recipes, CHAPTER SIX - Growing and Hatching Your Own Brine Shrimp, CHAPTER SEVEN - The Requirements for Discus Fish Filtration, CHAPTER EIGHT - The Genetics and Different Strains of Discus Fish (including mordern day strains), CHAPTER NINE - The Correct Lighting and Electrical Needs, CHAPTER TEN - Collecting and Purchasing the Correct Fish, CHAPTER ELEVEN - The Correct Water Conditions and Techniques, CHAPTER TWELVE - The Spawning of the Discus (symphysodon) King of the Aquarium, CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Rearing and Raising Healthy Discus to Adulthood, CHAPTER FOURTEEN - The Diseases and the Problems of the Species, CHAPTER FIFTHEEN - Aquarists Essential Reference Tables, CHAPTER SIXTEEN - The Author's Concluding Points.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAlastair Agutter Digital Publications
    Release dateMay 1, 2014
    ISBN9781499326154
    The Discus Book 2nd Edition: The Discus Books, #2
    Author

    Alastair R Agutter

    Alastair R Agutter was born in Farnborough, Kent, England in 1958. He is a Best Selling Author of more than 30 specialist books. He is a Philosopher, Logistician, Theoretical Physicist, Writer, Publisher, Naturalist, Environmentalist, Computer Scientist, Creative Digital Artist and Proud Father of Five Children. His first specialist book was published in 1989 and writing on the South American Marine species the symphysodon that he managed to breed successfully in captivity after a great deal of heartache. In the book introduction over 25 years ago, he wrote about climate change concerns and with warnings. From the age of just 6 years, Alastair took up Gardening, being taught by his Grand Father, William Agutter. At 9 years of age, and as a young boy, Alastair also took up the hobby and past time of Tropical Fish Keeping, and became a very successful Aquarist , breeding countless species of cichlids and other tropical fish for over 46 plus years. Still today Alastair remains one of a select few in the world to breed Wild Discus (symphysodon) in captivity, and remains an authority on the subject ,and also as an accomplished author. As a writer of over 25 years today, Alastair never knew he would become a specialist books author. But then on reflection of his life's journey today, such a path does now make absolute sense!

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      Book preview

      The Discus Book 2nd Edition - Alastair R Agutter

      THE

      DISCUS BOOK

      Second Edition

      Some of the Old Ways are Still Always the Best

      By

      ALASTAIR R AGUTTER

      ––––––––

      FOR THE DEDICATED AQUARIST

      PHOTOGRAPHS

      Courtesy of

      Dr Eduard Schmidt-Focke, Liv Singh Khasala, Paul Clayton, Oleksii Boiko, Alastair Agutter, Derek Treacher, Nick Hulme, Sophie Traen

      Edited by:

      Alastair R Agutter (Digital Edition)

      www.alastairagutter.com

      ––––––––

      Copyright © Second Edition Digital Publication 2014

      (Colour, Black and White Photographs)

      ––––––––

      PUBLISHED ON

      Copyright © Digital Book 2nd Edition Published 1st May 2014

      Published by: Alastair R Agutter Digital Publications

      ––––––––

      Digital Book Edition for International Distribution

      ISBN-10: 1499326157

      ISBN-13: 978-1499326154

      ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

      PREFACE

      This Second Edition of The Discus Book has been written and produced with updates and additional information since the first edition, written in 1989, to accommodate some of the questionable technology changes, regarding this species since the first edition of the Discus Book, when the Author successfully bred Wild Discus (symphysodon) in captivity, the recording of such work and events transcribed to the said book.

      Alastair Agutter still remains one of a select few in the world today to accomplish such a feat, breeding wild symphysodon, and as a result of such endeavours by he, and other dedicated Aquarist colleagues, they managed to break a cycle and taboo that had lasted for more than 120 years, since the founding of the pastime we know as tropical fish keeping, after The Great Exhibition of 1851 and this being, to breed The King of the Aquarium in captivity.

      This second edition of the book is concise and accurate, based on proven methods and techniques, to deliver the above results. The Discus, King of the Aquarium is a highly evolved species of the Cichlidae (tooth carp) Family and will challenge any Aquarist, even tank bred species. This book will not produce any quick fixes, or silver bullets to keeping symphysodon, whom are a very highly evolved sensitive species. But will provide the secrets to successfully keeping the species, if the valuable information found in this book is followed to the letter.

      Natural Law teaches us to evolve and refine when studying quantum mechanics and natural branching, in other words stealth, efficiency and risk aversion. Such outcomes and results only ever come from following the covenant of Natural Law when one seeks simplistic perfection in all that we do!

      PUBLISHER

      ––––––––

      TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

      The first thing to note is that this edition of the book is a digital version written in British English Language and the spelling is therefore accurate and correct.

      The use of certain terminology in this book is commonly used by experienced Aquarists and Commercial breeders in the industry spanning many decades, including periods since the Author took up the time honoured and noble traditional pastime of Tropical Fish Keeping back in 1967.

      With regards to spelling and Language, at this time there are no plans for an American English translation edition of the book.

      There are plans by the Author to write a third edition of the book in 2017, with quick reference guides included in the planned book to help new aquarists taking up Discus Keeping of tank bred species.

      Some original pictures found in this book are black and white, and some others colour, both 35 mm format. These photographs were taken over 25 years ago, so the quality of photos in certain instances will not be as high, as the many other images and diagrams in the book that are digital.

      The Author does listen and wants to encourage as many Folk as possible to take up tropical fish keeping, but it would be remise of him to write material stating that something easy if it is not, for we are talking about the well-being of marine life (animal welfare).

      FORMATTING

      A ‘NEW’ Digital Edition of the book will be available, so all new and existing readers can enjoy a technology version if they prefer, for all their hardware devices.

      Digital Books are a Country mile different in format as opposed to traditional printed books. I have therefore continued to endeavour making these digital versions of the highest standard, and only confined by the technology of the day, yet hope such publications are presented in the best possible way in future!

      Please NOTE again, the Digital Edition will be in British English as a language that does vary to the English American language. Thank You!

      Table of Contents

      INTRODUCTION

      An introduction to the second edition and new book

      CHAPTER ONE

      Discus Background and Environment

      CHAPTER TWO

      The Wild Discus Species

      CHAPTER THREE

      The Importance of the Correct Aquarium

      CHAPTER FOUR

      Guide to Fish Food and Suitability for Discus

      CHAPTER FIVE

      Discus Prepared Super Foods and Recipes

      CHAPTER SIX

      Growing and Hatching Your Own Brine Shrimp

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      The Requirements for Discus Fish Filtration

      CHAPTER EIGHT

      Genetics and Different Strains of Discus Fish (including modern day strains)

      CHAPTER NINE

      The Correct Lighting and Electrical Needs

      CHAPTER TEN

      Collecting and Purchasing the Correct Fish

      CHAPTER ELEVEN

      The Correct Water Conditions and Techniques

      CHAPTER TWELVE

      The Spawning of the Discus (symphysodon) King of the Aquarium

      CHAPTER THIRTEEN

      Rearing and Raising Healthy Discus to Adulthood

      CHAPTER FOURTEEN

      The Diseases and the Problems of the Species

      CHAPTER FIFTHEEN

      Aquarists Essential Reference Tables

      CHAPTER SIXTEEN

      The Author's Concluding Points 

      INTRODUCTION

      Welcome to the Second Edition of the Discus Book, for all dedicated Aquarists, who share the same fascination and passion for Discus (symphysodon), the King of the Aquarium.

      In a very strange way it seems only yesterday, from when I first took up tropical fish keeping. However, that was back in 1967. A period I recall and describe to be a fine and descent time, and a moment in my life I hold very dear, even today, and with crystal clear fond memories, as our folk were still recovering from a Second World War, and Chicken was still being served as a Christmas dinner.

      Picture 1Pictured above a Modern Day Optimal Aquarium still built today by the Author, a hobby and skill that started for him back in the 1970’s

      By the early 1970’s Tropical Fish Keeping had become a very popular pastime and just as one example, in the United States of America, there  were over 9.6 million Aquarists.

      The early 1970’s for me encompassed breeding some of the first Cichlid species from the Great Lakes of Malawi and Tanganyika, namely Pseudotropheus. Around the same time, our hobby began to take a quantum leap forward with the development and introduction of new all glass aquariums to the pastime, assembled only with clear silicone sealant, developed by Dow Corning.

      I in fact, helped three tropical fish shop friends get started with the selling of these fish tanks in their shops, by building some all glass aquariums for hobbyists coming into the shops. In those days, only Pilkington Float Glass was used and 6mm (1/4 inch) thick. An all glass aquarium 48 x 12 x 18" in those days, would set you back the princely sum of $16 – 18 (£12.50 approx.)

      Today, I still make my own aquariums, as seen in the picture above, but I no longer cut the glass, I seemed to have completely lost the knack.

      By the mid 1970’s, I started to take real note of the plight surrounding the River Amazon and the South American region, concerning species extinction and deforestation, from reading articles and features in the National Geographic and the Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine, produced by Dr Herbert Axelrod and his team.

      I started to read more about our majestic King of the Aquarium the Discus, whom was native to the regions of South America, especially the Great River Amazon and feared the very worst.

      For I could see the extinction of this species becoming a reality, as the fish began to be over fished for eating purposes and also for tropical fish exporters. For the demand for the Discus Fish continued to rapidly grow in the United States and throughout Western Europe, namely Germany, Britain and Holland, as more folk knew about the species.

      Such activity above was without the massive deforestation program underway, wiping out forests the size of Wales the Country every day.

      Photograph 1above of an Article Author read in the Tropical Fish Hobbyist back in March 1968 titled: Search for the Real Blue Discus

      I managed to scratch around and find the odd article written by Jack Wattley, Herbert Axelrod, Dr Eduard Schmidt-Focke and others, including a reference in my William T. Innes book, titled Exotic Aquarium Fishes first published in 1936 if I recall.

      Very little then was still understood about the species, and even today, we are forever learning more things regarding Marine Biology surrounding this species ancestral changes and other marine life species.

      The Darwinian findings and theories surrounding species natural branching through periods of evolution, still lays many questions bare, for are there only 4 species of Wild Discus.

      It may come as a surprise, but as we adapt due to changes and circumstances, it is a given fact that the rest of nature is also changing and not standing still. We only have to look at new emerging diseases to us, to counter our folly and wilful neglect for the environment on Earth (Our Home).

      Photograph 2 A Discus Fish featured in my copy of William T. Innes Book of Exotic Aquarium Fishes Book published in 1951

      So when I set up my Discus Breeding Project and Program towards the end of the 1970’s and early eighties things, were changing and technology was moving on, yet a massive amount of secrecy existed around how to possibly breed these species in captivity, this was due to commercial reasons. For the last thing exporters wanted, was for the likes of us; Jack Wattley, Carol Friswold, Mac Galbreath, Dr Eduard Schmidt-Focke, Eberhard Schulze, I and others, to breed the species successfully, as the Wild Discus being collected were commanding such vast amounts of money.

      Photograph 3 The Author back in the 1980’s testing water in one of his first successful breeding aquariums when approaching the breeding of Discus in completely different way and one that worked

      So in reality, when it came to trying to breed the majestic species the Discus, I had to start from a blank sheet to coin the phrase.

      During the late 1970’s and into the 1980’s, there were many hours spent where I tried to successfully breed these species, spanning a period of some 10 years, until finally in the mid to late 1980’s I had a re-think, and realized I was going about things in the wrong way!

      So now I will take you through the processes of how to keep and breed Discus successfully.

      Sincere Best Wishes,

      Alastair R Agutter

      Aquarist

      CHAPTER ONE

      A Little Background Discus

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