Mr.Lukacs wellcome to Diskusari community First Croatian Discus Club
Can You introduce yourself?
My name is Attila Lukács I live in Budapest, Hungary. Aquaristic hobby start in 1984. My first fishes was livebearers and cold water fishes. Next fishes which I keep was african fishes, then asian fishes and on the end i start to keep south american fishes. Domestical Discus fishes from 1990. swim in my tanks. I breed different domestical discus fishes: Brown, Red turquoise, Blue turquoise, Pigeon Blood. Later I successful breed wild caught Green Tefé, Heckel Rio Negro and Brown/Red Curuai. I importing Discus and other ornamental fishes from South America past 12 years.
You import fishes from South America (Peru,Brazil,Colombia,Venezuela),which import is a hardest because of arriving time?
Brazil and Peru is a most difficult because of long shipping time.
When import arrive what is a procedure?
Import cargo handling and customs clearance with payment.After that i can go home and start with acclimatization and releasing them in aquariums.
What you can tell us about fishes,after 48-72 hours in bag how they look like,what is the first thing which you do?
In the most majority of cases, there is no problem or was a little loss. Temperature equalization, putting new air and slowly adding a new water in the bags.After a 45min to one hour next step, is release them in the aquariums.
Fishes came from lot exporters and export station.Is there exist difference in quality,condition and health?
I import from reliable professional exporters. For many years in this job, I selected exporters from which i import,which send me a quality and healty fishes.
Does it matter of fish spp. or size to finally price of fish cost,because for sure you need to import some quantity?
The size of the fish is decisive for the minimum order. Small number of big fish in a box means high shipping costs and many small fish come at a cheaper shipping cost. Minimum import quantity is 10 pcs. small box (30-40 liters) or 5 pcs. large box (50-60liters).
Beside discus you import also other spp. of fish,(L numbers,Corydoras,Cichlids, rays and tetras.Did many things changed after Cites law come, did this raise a price of fishes which are on lists?
Yes of course many things changed in first place is a price of each fish which came on the list.Cites papers which came with fish is also extra cost.Every month some different species is came on the Cites list.
Primary Stingrays and L-fishes.
Did you get any info from exporter about water parameters,or any info which help you in prepare a conitions for fish which you recieving?
My export partners send me always a informations before each shippment.
After a acclimatization you release them in tanks,which fish is a hardest for addoptation?
Stingrays and altums are the most difficult to acclimate.Very sensitive fishes. Due to the long delivery time, does not tolerate deteriorating water quality and decreasing oxygen level.
How much time need to pass in tank after arriving to start to feed them first time and which kind of food you offer them?
Feeding begins after 1-2 days after I release them in the aquariums.Primary I offer them live foods, daphnia, white mosquito larvae, black mosquito larvae. Other foods: organic lettuce leaf, catappa leaf.
Which kind of food they accept in first days,and which kind you offer them in quarantine period?
After 1 week, I slowly start with new kind of foods to offer them. Organic zucchini, Frozen foods: artemia, mysis, krill, daphnia, blood worms. After 2 week, i try with other new foods (dry). Dr. Bassleer Biofish foods, Tetra fish foods, etc.
When you see the fishes in tanks,how you decide is they need some medication for quarantine period? Do you have some fish doctor or you examine them under microscope?
Only when I see something other than normal behavior. A specialist veterinarian is available if required.
Which medications for fises you use in quarantine period?
In Preventive measure I use ESHA 2000+Esha Exit.In cause of some disease veterinerian add a supscrition and dose of medications which i use..
We know you import from Hudson , he make a quarantine did they fish need a quarantine again or only few days settling time before you sold them?
Hudson keeps the fishes in long-time quarantine. So there is no need to quarantine again. He is a real professional.
Did you have a situation with some fishes which never accept food and life in aquarium and finally dies?
No such case happened.Some fishes start to eat immidiatly and for some it takes few days to 2 week.
Discus fish from wild is a special fish,they for sure come and being stressed,how much time need pass to they reliese the stress and finally show why is them king of aquarium?
For adult fish, a minimum of four months to show full magnificence.
From fishes which come you have 2 sucessfull breedings one is Heckel and another is Curuai ,can you describe it little better (water parameters,food,tank size,water change).
Before this two I successfully breed wild Green Tefé in 1996. Water parameters 100-200ms, 5,5-6.5 ph. Feeding with lot of live daphnia, cyclops, white mosquito larvae and black mosquito larvae Tank size 200 liters. 30% water change per 2-3 days.
Heckel: 30-40ms. 4,5-5ph. Feeding with lot of live daphnia, cyclops, white mosquito larvae and black mosquito larvae.Tank size 500 liters. 30% water change per week.
Curuai 150-200ms. 6-6.5 ph. Feeding with lot of live daphnia, cyclops, white mosquito larvae and black mosquito larvae.Tank size 150 liters. 30% water change per day.
You also have a success with breeding Heckels with domestic Turquise discus,can you discribe if exists a difference between wild pair and pair wild x domestic?
It is much easier to achieve successful breeding with domestic female Discus fishes. Wild male Heckel likes to spawning with female red turquoise Discus.For sure it easier to spawn domestic discus than wild.
You import lot of discus variations,which is the most expensive and which is your favorite?
The most expensive is Royal Blue, Royal Green and Full Red Spotted Green.
My favourites is Classic Brown/Red and Red Spotted Green.
And finally when period of quarantine finish you start to sell the fishes,what is a procedure before transport them to buyers (water change,feeding regime…and how you packing them)?
No feeding for the last 24-48 hours. On the last day 50% water exchange, with water hardness and pH increase. Packing method: In a 3-layer bag, 1/3 part water + 2/3 part oxygen and bags put in the thermobox.
Did a transport time and what kind of spp. you pack make a difference in packing?
In case of cold weather, I put it in the box a heat pack.Also the shipping time affeced how much oxygen and water go in the bag,and the size of transport bag.Longest shipping time bigger bag and more oxygen.
Attila you also was one of the judge in discus shows.How many discus shows and where you judge?
Mr.Lukacs beside this question in the end do you have something to add which we dont ask and you think is it important.
Very important thing in the end. You can only grow up a beautiful adult fish from high quality young fish!
Thank you for accepting this interiew
You`re wellcome. I feel honored. Thanks for you patience Mr. Mario Bogdan