Inside Sam’s Discus India: Breeding Champions, Building a Dream Farm

A field visit with founder Sanjay Khandagale—from award-winning discus strains to angels, plecos, and a purpose-built farm that runs like a lab.

By Amar, Editor — The Weekend AquaristEstimated read time: 6–8 minutes

A visit long overdue

On a rain-washed afternoon, we finally rolled up to Sam’s Discus India for a long-promised on-site interview with founder Sanjay Khandagale. Joining me was Niranjan (Discus Ninja), who was behind the camera.

This visit felt special for another reason: I had the pleasure of handing Sanjay the first print copy of our May issue, featuring his story. If you haven’t subscribed to The Weekend Aquarist yet, consider this your nudge—it helps us tell more Indian aquaculture stories like this one.

“The most important aspect in the ornamental fish industry is that the infrastructure should match the fish’s requirement.” — Sanjay Khandagale

From corporate life to fish farmer

Sanjay’s relationship with aquarium fish goes back to school days. In 2009, he took the leap from a secure corporate job to pursue aquaculture full-time. The road since has been anything but easy—multiple relocations, hard lessons in water chemistry and logistics, and a constant push to align infrastructure, biosecurity, and water profiles with species needs.

The current farm—sprawling, methodical, and quietly high-tech—feels like the culmination of that journey. Or as Sanjay puts it, “Phase One.”

India to the world: original discus strains

Sam’s Discus began—as the name promises—with discus, and that passion is undimmed. Over the years, Sanjay has selectively bred 6–8 distinct lines, focusing on true-breeding color and pattern stability. Among them is an award-winning “Eruption” line that took champion titles in Mumbai (2022) and at the Vivarium show in the Netherlands (2018)—a watershed moment that proved Indian breeders can compete on the world stage.

“Even today, when I walk the farm, certain color forms still mesmerize me.”

Beyond discus: angels, plecos, corys & more

While discus remain the heart of the operation, the farm now runs 40+ varieties across carefully chosen families:

• Angelfish (alums, dantums, Rio Nan lines and more), pared down to the top three based on long-term demand and quality.

• Plecos (including Bristlenose and L-series) with plans to scale responsibly.

• Corydoras lines in active development.

• Rams, rainbows, tetras, and seasonal specialty projects.

Sanjay is also testing a tiered pricing system for discus—Assorted, Regular, and Show/Special Selection—so hobbyists at different budgets can access quality fish without compromising standards.

A breeder’s control room: records, redundancy, repeatability

One thing that stood out on the tour was the discipline of record-keeping. Every pairing, spawning, hatch, transfer, and grow-out move is noted against tank numbers and digitized. That creates a clear lineage trail and better size/grade predictability for buyers.

Behind the scenes is a redundant power and water system—automatic change-over to generators, trip protection, and multiple filtration plants (1,000 LPH, 500 LPH, and 5,000 LPH), all tuned to species profiles. The on-site water source sits near pH ~7.0–7.1—a lucky baseline for discus—with breeding temps typically 28–30°C.

“We don’t have to chase pH. That stability is gold.”

Do rains spark spawns?

Short answer: Yes—often. Subtle monsoon shifts—pressure, dissolved gases, organic inputs—can nudge pairs to spawn. The farm’s protocols adapt to those seasonal cues while keeping husbandry calm and consistent, especially around free-swimming fry.

Farm-floor glimpses

A walk through the paired sections revealed a spectrum of breeding pairs with fry on body—Blue Diamonds, Tiger/Turquoise types, Galaxy Turquoise, classic Yellow Crystal forms, and newer projects like Sparkling Maze Leopard and Diamond Snake. Sensitive pairs are handled with quiet and care to avoid startling parents during fry attachment.

Across the angel racks, Alum and Dantum pairs stand out for size and form, while Bristlenose colonies and German Rams show the farm’s multi-species depth. In separate grow-out systems, we peeked at L-series pleco juveniles and a lineup of rainbowfish (Boesemani, Australian reds, and more).

Ponds, koi…and Oscars that follow you

Outdoors, the mood shifts from lab-like discipline to liquid theater: koi ponds glinting with metallic sheen, long arcs of orandas, tanks of silver arowanas, and—my favorite surprise—Oscars in a pond who followed us like puppies (and would happily gulp any too-small neighbors, so stocking is size-staged).

Sanjay grades ponds by stocking density and budget tiers, then selects premium koi as they size up. Expect long life spans when husbandry is right—koi are famously enduring.

Frozen feed line: convenience meets consistency

The tour also included Aqua Nutrition—a premium frozen fish food range in blister packs (bloodworms, artemia, color enhancers, etc.). The cube format makes dosing clean, repeatable, and freezer-friendly—small touches that matter when you manage as many tanks as this farm does.

Export milestones & what’s next

Sam’s Discus began exports in 2018, shipping to the USA with 100% live arrival despite sub-zero conditions. Since then, interest from overseas importers has grown, and Sanjay sees a broader shift toward Indian-bred ornamentals—not just discus. The goal now: scale responsibly, keep quality and biosecurity non-negotiable, and continue pushing the genetics of Indian-bred discus lines.

“We’re not stopping here. Phase One is done—the real work begins now.”

Key takeaways for hobbyists & LFS owners

• Stable infrastructure wins. Purpose-built rooms, backups, and logs beat “quick fixes.”

• Selective breeding matters. True-breeding lines mean predictability for buyers.

• Tiered pricing = access. From assorted to show grade, there’s an entry point for every budget.

• Seasonality is real. Monsoon cues can align with your breeding calendar—use them.

• Indian aquaculture is rising. Quality from homegrown farms is catching global attention.

Watch & read the full story

Watch the full on-site podcast: Walk the farm with us—pair rooms, ponds, plecos, and more.👉 Watch on YouTube — Sam’s Discus India (Full Interview)

Read the complete feature in our May issue: Photos, strain spotlights, and extended notes.👉 Read it in The Weekend Aquarist Magazine

Have questions for Sanjay or want us to tour your facility next? Drop a comment on YouTube or write to us at editor@weekendaquarist.com.