JUNE SPOTLIGHT - ROD LEWIS

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Without further delay, here's our June interview with Rod Lewis! Rod, thank you for all the great pics and your time!

John

Q- Please tell us all a little about yourself. Single, married, attached? Other hobbies? Any significant non-discus achievements you want to brag about?

A- Hi, my name is Rodney lewis, I'm married to Sue, my wife of 15 years and we have 2 children. Sarah is 14 and John is 11.


Q- How did you get into discus? Where was the first discus you saw? How long had you been into fish first?

A- I was looking for a new challenge with tropical fish and one time when I was at the lps I saw some small cobalts that I really liked, so I ended up buying them.

Many years before around 1980 a lps used to have small brown discus in the shop on a regular basis, although it wasn't until a few years later, in about 1984, when I saw the first really good discus, a new lps had started in the area and in one of the display tanks there was a gorgeous group of German turquoise discus. I think it was this experience that really caught my interest and eventually I knew I would try some. My science teacher at school had given me an old putty tank in 1978. I haven't been without fish ever since.

Q - How did you decide to take the plunge into breeding as a professional endeavor?

A- No formal decision was ever made, my fish room and the amount of fry I was producing allowed me to cut my hours at work so I could concentrate even more on the fish.

Q- What were the major obstacles involved in setting up as a breeder?

A- No major obstacles really, my room had developed over many years, and although a fairly basic setup, it is very efficient. I had already developed some nice strains at that stage so I simply increased the amount I was breeding.

Q- Any advice for aspiring breeders?.

A- I can see how obtaining good stock to breed from could be a problem for prospective breeders, be highly selective especially when it comes to shape and form. Nicely shaped discus are easy to sell.

Q- How many pairs do you currently have producing?

A- ATM I only have a a few pairs set up at any one time. I'd have around 15 pairs of discus here at the moment that I rotate, although I say the word pair loosely as I believe discus are not monogamous and most male discus will breed with a female that is ready

Q- How many tanks do you have?

A- 45, although only half have discus, atm. I have been taking a long break and only breeding a trickle.

Q- What would be the maximum number of pairs you would be able to handle in the future.

A- I've had up to 10 pairs on the go at a time before, the amount of work involved in looking after the fry from 10+ pairs is incredible, so I guess thats my upper limit.

Q- What strains are you the most happy with?

A- My red turks, blue turks, red diamond and alenquers are sound strains and I am happy with them.

Q- Which do you think need some work?

A- My golden pbs, though they are nice, they are highly variable from fish to fish. I like uniformity in the fry.

Q- Are you working on anything new and exciting now?

A- Not really, just trying to improve the strains I already have.

Q- What strain/s do you like best, personally?

A- I can appreciate any good quality discus, but my personal favs are red turks and blue turks. I also love natural looking discus.

Q- Any tips on breeding or raising discus?

A- Make sure you have great quality water, most problems with keeping fish can be found in the water they live in.

Q- What do you feed your discus?

A- The diet I give my fish is Beef heart and prawn mix I make myself, frozen bloodworms, frozen brineshrimp and tetra color bits. As a treat I also feed earthworms and mozzie larvae.

Q- You must go through a ton of fish food!

A- Heaps....lol.

Q- What is your most exhilarating moment with discus?

A- I would have to say when the fry become freeswimming, and the pair are giving them tender loving care. I never tire of that magnificent sight!

Q- What is your most frustrating moment with discus?

A- Over the time i've had with discus i've come to realize that success has an evil twin failure. Not being able to breed certain discus that I really wanted to breed is quite frustrating. I've made some silly errors over the years but I think without these failures I wouldn't have learnt as much, so I guess I just try and keep it all in perspective and try the best I can.

Q- Do you have any future discus plans that you would like to share with us?

A- I have some really nice white swan discus I am growing out at the moment that I'm quite excited about, I think they will be the foundation for many new and exciting discus over the next few years.

Q- How do those in your life feel about discus?

A- Sue does not really have an interest in the discus although she will feed them for me if I am away....thanks honeyI

Q- Do you have any funny, amusing or interesting discus stories to share with us?

A- Many years ago I sent some discus to a customer in Sydney, this is normally only a 1 hour flight, but this time the discus were lost in transit. Eventually the airline found them....in Japan.... So after the discus had their 48 hours of travel they finally arrived at the customer's shop safe and well. I think its amusing that my fish are better travelled than I am.

Q- Do you have any thanks or credit to give for your success with discus?

A- When I first started out I didn't know any other discus keepers, so I guess most of what I have learned has been from authors like Jack Wattley, Berndt Degan and Dr. Schmidt-Focke, and of course practical experience. I have worked as a professional aquarist for 15 years now and many of my collegues offered assistance where they could. My friend Brian Andrews deserves special mention as he taught me to use a scope and identify disease in the early days, and Merle Brown, the great Aussie marine fish expert, offered me much assistance and advice over they years. I'm still learning though, and I've picked up great tips and learnt countless new things from the crew and members here at simply.... thanks guys and gals. Friends from my wifes work also deserve special mention, in particular Shane Shippley the fish mad chemist, they have a well equiped lab and offer me help with water whenever I need it.

Q- What do you see as the future of discuskeeping?

A- I think the future for discus will be good, there are countless new strains these days to keep people excited.

Q- More/less people?

A- More people as the prices for discus continue to drop, the newer types will always remain expensive, but the prices for common strains are quite good I think.

Q- Any cool ideas for strains?

A- I think the white based strains are going to be great. Something with a complex pattern over a white base would look beautiful i think.

Q- Can you think of anything I left out you would like to bring up - either personally or discus related?

A- A pair of discus I owned were once used as models to help advertise a major home show here in Brissie, and my hatchery has been featured on a childrens nature show 'Totally Wild' a few years ago.

Q- Here's an important question! Do you have any cool free fish to give to the guy doing the interview? (j/k!)

A- Sure John, come and get them anytime you like!

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Here's a picture of Rod Lewis himself, our June candidate!

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Here's Rod's first pair!

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Here's one of Rod's Alenquers.

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Blue turq.

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Green turq.

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Brilliant turquoise.

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Brown discus.

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Cobalt.

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Golden pigeon blood.

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Male scribble discus.

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Royal blue.

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Another Royal blue.

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Good job guys..nice to hear more about you Rod and hopefully Australia will be flooded with your white swan soon..hear that Scott? haha. Keep up the great work Rod.

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Another Royal blue.