To answer your last question wright4lfe, nothing. In fact I can almost assure you of success. I'm chuckling a bit. The reason is I had the same mindset as you when I started with discus. Did I ever fight the w/c concept. Mostly because I just didn't want to buy into it.
Prior to the discus, I had been breeding Angels and Severums and thought I was the master of SA cichlids. I began my foray with 2 juveniles in a bare bottom 29g (purchased at an
lfs), and the learning began. When these fish started showing signs of stress, someone on the internet put me in touch with a local breeder.
When I got to his hatchery I was awestruck. He had 25 breeding pair of the largest most colorful discus I had ever seen. I'm guessing he had 30 grow out tanks between 75 and 125 gallons. He was a fountain of information and the source for vitually all of my 49 current discus. Even witnessing his success, I had a hard time convincing myself that discus required water changes. But the reality was, I didn't want to devote the time.
Now I must tell you the truth. I'm
NO EXPERT! I still have more questions than answers. I've 4 spawning pairs and I've yet to get any fry past the free swimming stage for more than a week. I still have fish that fall ill for what seems no apparent reason. I still ask questions and seek advice from people that are more experienced than I.
I know I'm giving you alot of background here but I think YOU'RE worth it. I came to love and respect the discus as a species. Each one seems to have its own personalitiy. Spending more time with this fish has given me a sense of what each individual likes and dislikes. Guess what? Once I got the bug, I found the the time.
And, it didn't stop me from running my business, playing golf 3 to 4 times a week, spending time with my family and friends, and doing all of the other things that make up my life. Get the point?