BFD7 Panel Dicussion

[chriscoli]

We will be having a panel discussion again as part of the meeting. We've had a lot of great feedback that people liked the interactive style. This year, Rachel O'Leary will be moderating and our panelists will be a group of familiar faces from industry. Lisa from Super Cichlids, Mike from Mike's Cichlids, Sandy from Segrest, and James from Discus R Us will be our panel.

I want to know what you want to ask them! Please feel free to post any questions you'd like us to add to the list.

 

[Frank Cowherd]

What is the focus of the panel discussion? Fish farming? Specific cichlid groups?

 

[Becca]

I'd like to know, as small business people, how hobbyists starting "business ventures" impacts them, even when those ventures don't last long. For instance, if a hobbyist decides to get a distributor's license for fish food and undercuts local businesses by a few cents.

I'd also like to know what hobbyists can do to support local businesses and what they'd like us to know when we come asking for favors, discounts, etc. (says the lady who is responsible for doing this on behalf of multiple clubs).

I've worked in aquarium stores and I think a lot of folks don't have a good concept of what the average profit margin, markups, overhead costs, losses, etc. are for fish-businesses. Understanding more about that might help hobbyists better support the resources that keep the hobby alive.

 

[chriscoli]

What is the focus of the panel discussion? Fish farming? Specific cichlid groups?

well, what do you want to hear about?

 

[Frank Cowherd]

Open format, then, How do you feed without overfeeding. DO you do 100% water changes or less and how often. Do you add stuff after a water change to improve the water quality. WHat do you do with waste water. Do you use bottled bacteria. Do you collect eggs or let them stay with parents. DO you feed any live foods. Frozen foods. Dried foods. Gel foods. Do you feed fry differently than older fry or adults. Do you raise different secies in the same tank. Do you use separate tools in each aquarium. How to you recognize when a tank of fish has a disease. What are the first steps you do when you recognize that there is a disease in a tank. How do you prevent disease transfer from one tank to another. Do you use quarantine tanks. WHat size are the quarantine tanks. What is your typical time for quarantining a fish or group of fish. What is your shipping of fish protocol. Do you condition the fish for shipping.

 

[Andrewtfw]

I'd like to know what each panel member considers their favorite resource for information related to our hobby (any and all aspects), to be and why.

 

[DiscusnAfricans]

Sounds like Frank is ready to moderate. Great questions though.