The last Wild season was characterized by constant rainfall throughout the Amazon. In about 2 months we had 5 days without rain. If last year the rivers dropped to a level almost never seen before, leaving areas of the Amazon impossible to navigate due to sandbanks and drought, this year the opposite happened. By the time the river started going down to levels that would allow the collection of Wild discus the rains were constant. When it rains the river, lakes and streams run off dirty water and it becomes impossible for fishermen to fish. This is in addition to the strong storms that occur during this period.
With heavy rainstorms, thunderstorms, and constant lightning, fishing is almost impossible. We fished hundreds of miles aboard the boat Santarem Discus in Trombetas, Obidos and some other places that we considered secret. In fact these trips and dives made by the fishermen resulted in finding new Wild Discus in communities where no one had found them before. Beautiful Royal Wilds ranging in size from 14-18 cm and some Ica Reds. Lots of red eyed fish but unfortunately not enough for our needs. We usually collect 3000 to 4000 Wild Discus per year for our SEMA quota, this year just over 800 Wild Discus were selected by me. Yes round and with fabulous red eye patterns . At iripixi we again found wonderful Wilds and this time we selected a few with a size of 12-13 cms . All these fish are in quarantine in Santarem .
Riverside communities continue to raise Wild Discus prices and the current serious economic situation in Brazil has led to many export companies closing their doors in Brazil due to the Pandemic. Thus many communities ended up not having visits from buyers of Wild Discus. Some of them informed us that until November no one had shown up except our company. For this reason the fishermen did not fish at all and the river was very high. For these fishermen to dive is to be 50 cm from the bottom... When the height exceeds 2 m they end up not diving and fishing.
So I can say that in the Santarem area we got few good fish and much less than we really wanted but that's mother nature. On the other hand many communities still refuse to sell fish because of thefts in the past where some exporters passed through these places and did not pay for the fish they took. This is something that we condemn, but it is a common occurrence. The exploitation of these riverside people ...to sad !!
From the images we can see some of the Wild Discus that we selected and their characteristicsThey are fish that had just been selected so their state with missing fins as usual . But today they are recovering and in less than 3 weeks they are fully recovered and eating Tropical pellets and flakes .In the next days we will bring you more details about our season 2021/2022 in the Amazon
Ao contrario que muitos pensam a seleção de Wild Discus , não é uma fácil tarefa .
Poucos no Mundo podem entender as minhas palavras pois poucos no Mundo fazem este trabalho de seleção de Wild Discus na Amazonia . A grande maioria dos exportadores , ficam á espera que os Wild Discus cheguem ás suas instalações , ás suas empresa , outros não sabem diferenciar um bom ou mau , pois não tem conhecimento para o fazer . Mais do que isso a vida no meio da selva Amazónica tem de tudo menos de fácil. As condições da selva são tudo menos cômodas .
Geralmente os Wild Discus quando são colectados ficam pretos . Não se consegue identificar a sua cor . Apenas com a experiência de ver os wild discus no momento em que são colectados e selecionados e semanas depois na empresa se consegue entender quais as suas cores. No inicio cometi erros ao pensar que o Discus seria vermelho , castanho , azul , etc e depois veio a revelar-se exactamente o contrario .
O seu estado de stress é grande e por isso a sua cor preta . Com o passar dos anos consegui entender quais as suas cores pálidas iniciais para entender o potencial do Wild Discu meses depois . Geralmente as cores como o vermelho percebem-se no inicio com um tom "bordeaux" .As barras de stress são outro dos problemas reconhece-las no inicio . Muitas vezes pequenas imperfeições nas barras passam despercebidas . Barras tortas ou pequenas barras que nascem não são visíveis quando o Wild Discu é selecionado na origem .
Tal como os olhos e a sua cor . Enquanto a dimensão dos olhos é fácil de observar já a cor quase sempre é impossível .
As linhas horizontais do seu padrão é outra situação totalmente impossível de se observar . Aliás muitas vezes os Wild Discus ao longo dos meses apresentam marcas impossíveis no inicio de detectar . Quando Semi Royais ja exportamos que depois em casa dos clientes mostram a sua continuidade dando origem a Royais .
Na selva é praticamente impossível salvo raras excessões em que encontramos os Wild Discus menos stressados aonde se percebe já o padrão e o potencial do Discu.
Muitas vezes quando saem do seu meio ambiente os Discus parecem ter formas duvidosas ou seja menos redondas . Por incrível que pareça á medida que vão estando na empresa em quarentena e a engordar os Discus ficam ligeiramente mais redondos . Ou seja quando saem do seu habitat ainda magros as suas forma parecem menos redondas do que de facto vão ficar depois do processo de desparasitação e engorda .
Since 2009 we started to organize small expeditions to the Amazon This year of 2019 that we make 10 years we decide to make the last 2 expeditions 22 to 30 October and 13 to 21 November 2019 . Due to the high costs of the Santarem Discus Boat, we decided to sell it in 2020. So this will be the last season that we will organize something that no one so far does with this comfort and quality in the collection of Wild Discus in Amazonia
The dates of the trips are always dependent on the descent of the Rivers, but for now are the dates that we guarantee to see the collection of the Wild Discus.
This boat will miss all those who have traveled in it. Safety , attractive, spacious and with beds on board unlike the Amazonian boats where one has to sleep in a hammock. We obviously have nets on board to feel pleasure during the trip and the experience of lying in a hammock.
Neither Manaus nor Santarem "the land of the Wild Discus" there is such a boat and expeditions directed to see the Discus selection next to the most prized Export company, Santarem Discus
Sharing with those who come to visit the charms of this place is for us an immense pleasure. Anyone who has participated will always repeat this fantastic experience. We know more and more places and we like to share them.
Not only for the peace that transmits the Amazonian landscapes, entering a Zen state, visiting isolated communities of the World and living with the humble people who work for our company Santarem Discus, to their stories.
There are 8 days in the "Lung of the World" aboard our comfortable #BarcoSantaremDiscus that we built for those who visit us to have the possible and maximum comfort in the middle of the Amazon
Over the course of 12 years we have counted more than 500 expeditions and for this reason we know all the care we take with those who visit us.
Security is a factor whenever we take into account and the responsibility of traveling for 8 days with people who do not know the Amazon is always of the greatest importance for us.
The program includes
Dives next to our fishermen. Only they can collect Wild Discus.
Boat Rooms with two beds. Food and non-alcoholic drinks 24 hours a day. Total security and travel insurance payment if they so decide.
1 day - Arrival at Santarem Airport (important to the plane arrival time. Usually arrive at night)
Transfer "Airport - Alter do Chão" (35 Km / 45 m) This year we start in Alter do piso the expedition
Briefing Expedition - Santarem Expedition
2 day - Breakfast in Boat
Start Trip up to Trombetas River between 16 to 18 h We will be going through the cities of "Obidos", "Oriximina"
Lunch in the boat
Arrive Trombetas River at night Dinner
3 day - Breakfast
Meeting with Fishermans in Iripixi Community (Saloman lake)
Travel all day, passing through various places in Iripixi Lake in the Small Boat
Lunch
Diving in Saloman Lake with our staff
Select Wild Discus
Dinner
4 day - Breakfast
Diving In Saloman Lake and Select Wild Discus
Lunch
Select Wild Discus
Dinner
5 day - Breakfast
Start Trip to Nhamunda between 14 to 16 h
Lunch
Meeting with Nhamunda fishermans
Diving at night in Nhamunda - Dive with our Fishermen of Nhamunda
6 day - Breakfast
Start Trip To Guariba and High Nhamunda
Diving in Guariba
Lunch in Guariba beach
Low Nhamunda select and diving at nigh in Low Nhamunda
Dinner
7 day - Breakfast
Start Trip to Santarem with a stop Batata next community in Trombetas River
Diving and Selection of fish in Batata
Lunch
Start Trip Batata to Iripixi 2 h
Dinner
8 day - Breakfast
Last diving and selection in Lake Iripixi
Lunch
Start trip to Santarem direct to Alter from the ground
Stop in Santarem just to put all fish we have select
Dinner
9 day -Visit the Farm for afternoon
Dinner in a restaurant
For 9 days those who visit us will probably see what no one has ever seen. The selection of Wild Discus in different communities. They will accompany the daily life of those who work in the Amazon, who works with Wild Discus.
Our experience and knowledge will provide unique moments in places that few have access and that few in the world have passed. Places of a rare beauty
Throughout these years in Amazonia I have observed the attempt to recreate Amazonian Biotopos in aquariums. In fact, it is not such a complicated task. Those who have come to the Amazon with us have managed to recreate them.
They succeeded because they also plunged into different communities and were able to observe the reality of the places where the Wild Discus remain. I am often asked what plants exist. In fact, there are almost no plants in the environments where the Wild Discus live and hide from predators. More trunks, twigs, sticks, dry leaves superimposed on a light brownish fine sand the environment in which the wild discus remain and live.
The images I put give to understand how the bottom of the Rivers. Trunks and bad fallen on sand. Sometimes and against what many "experts" say there are places with rocks where the Wild Discus hide and live to reproduce. There are many areas of volcanic rocks along the Amazon, a fact that has little knowledge
The Wild Discus live on the banks of the Rivers! Usually they hide in trunks or rocks if it is the case that they will find. So a biotope must always have trunks and hiding places. From the way the river rises or descends they move in shoals to others. When the leader of the shoal leaves all the others follow him. We do not advise pointed rocks in an aquarium because they can be dangerous to Wild Discus in a small space of an aquarium
Sand The sand should be fine and for several reasons. First because they like to eat the food from the sand floor as they do in their environment. Secondly because the fine sand is almost impossible to accumulate underneath some food that is deposited in the bottom. This is contrary to the gravel as we often see. In their environment they raise the sand and in the middle always leaves something they eat. Often the same happens in the aquarium and anyone using fine sand can see it.
Plants The little green we observe in the background of natural environments with wild Discus arise from leafy branches. Not as many plants as you can imagine. Can you put plants in an aquarium with Wild Discus? Of course, plants that live in low light. That the need for light is not important, because as in other articles that I've written the Wild Discus do not like strong light, not many hours a day. They live in the shadows of trees, on trunks of holes
There is a lot to say about Amazonian biotopes but I leave a video of someone who was already by my side in the Amazon and managed to recreate a true Amazonian biotope. It's easy, cheap and the Wild Discus thanks ...
Those who want to observe nature, life under water in the Amazon, this year we will organize the last expeditions between October and November, contact us. Vitor Hugo Quaresma
Today I dedicate this article to what I consider one of the greatest examples in the Discus World, Jack Wattley ! A man who dedicated much of his life to the Discus. I had the pleasure of meeting him again on my trip to Miami in 2015, where I deprived him for a few hours at his house.
He had met Jack Wattley in 2000 at the Discus Championship in Duisburg. By the way the story is told in this way. Jack Wattley was introduced to me and when I learned that it was Portugues he told me, let's see the Discus in competition.
He took a piece of paper out of his pocket, and incredibly it was my Discus who was in the Brown class and ranked 5th. Jack smiled, showed the paper with the aquarium number and told me, you have the best Brown of this championship. The story was recorded until today, as well as the honor of meeting him personally, in his eyes my Brown Discus was for him the best.
15 years later he still remembered this episode. Incidentally, during his visit to his home in Fort Lauderdale, where I was warmly welcomed by his daughter, Jack Wattley knew everything about my life in the Amazon. Jack kept an eye on social networks and followed our work over the years. There were many questions that put even with a huge curiosity about our work with Wild Discus.
During the time we had together at his house, Jack told a funny episode. He kept Heckel Blue for over 4 years and never managed to reproduce them. One day a customer of yours showed interest in buying them. A little disappointed that he could not reproduce them, Jack decided to sell them. What is not his astonishment last a month, he at his client's house unveiled and began to reproduce. So was this man that I consider the father of the Discus Hobby. Of enormous humility, enormous generosity and enormous knowledge about Discus.
Jack Wattley will always be a reference for me in this Discus World to which I have also dedicated my life. Jack at one point in his life decided to bet on one of the creators who had more success with his Discus. Gabriel Posada who met very young and who sold him some Discus. Gabe's Passion was huge and soon began to play the Discus bought from Jack. One day Gabriel received a phone call from Jack about a Discus that he had sold him. What was not the surprise to know that Gabriel Posada had reproduced them with great success. Since then a great friendship was born by the two in such a way that his Farm ended up staying for Gabriel Posada, until today.
Gabriel Posada is nowadays one of the partners of Santarem Discus since 2014. For over 5 years we have been our agent in the United States . The American market unfortunately does not look for the high quality of expensive Wild Discus as it does in Asian and European countries. Americans like Wild Discus but price is the most important. During the Discus Competition in the United States, NADA 2018 can record this.
Regardless of the Americans in love with Wild Discus do not want to pay for high quality fish, we have shipped good Wild Discus as usual from the Santarem Discus company to Jack Wattley Farm. This year of 2019 for the memory of Jack Wattley we decided to choose some magnificent copies that arrived in Miami very soon. I think it's the way to honor the name of this great lover of Discus, Jack Wattley that Gabriel Posada continued his work after all these years with great success.
Gabriel just as I am in love with Discus and made his passion a business. He knows how to keep the Wild Discus in good condition and manages to have customers from all over the World searching for his fish. It is undoubtedly a World reference !!!
Your Farm had a significant reform in recent years, now no longer seems the old farm where Jack Watlley began. More aquariums, more Discus, good filtration , etc , etc. The Wild Discus that will be available exported by Santarem Discus, from Cuipeua to Heckel Blue passed by the wonderful Jacarecappa to the Batata (extremely round fish considered the best DNA to mix with hybrids) we consider to be the best stock that the Farm Jack Wattley had in these last ones years .
Undoubtedly the bet made on one of the most accredited importers / exporters of Discus in the United States was perfect. A relationship of several years, a perfect partnership of someone who introduced in a professional way the Wild Santarem Discus in the American market. Today there are several people who are breeding them in the United States like Al Castro for example. Others followed in the footsteps of Wild discus. Gabriel Posada even formed some couples in the last year and reproduced. A huge success and a challenge only within reach of the few in the World. This demonstrates the quality and work done with Wild Discus in the United States by Gabriel Posada !!
