Need advise on Discus planted aquarium

[tnguyen9]

I have a 75g fully planted aquarium. Have six 3.0-3.5 inch and two 4.5-5.0 inch so total 8 discus and other tetra. I'm doing 10% water change everyday and 50% weekly no hydro vacuum the gravel. Feed them three time a day. Ok my question are what I've been doing is it good? Bad? Advise? Is it good enough to raise juveniles? The fish are doing good now but is it going to effect them in a long term? Need help and thank you first.

-T

[Red Turk]

Your WC regime seems to be under control. I personally do 25% daily for Juvies but you're ok for young adults.

What sort of filtration and lighting are you running ?
Are you injecting C02 or dosing with Ferts and what species of plants are you growing ?

Also... what are you feeding ?

Would love to see some pics

[Vieira]

You really need to do a lot of reading in this forum. It's not how you want to raise young discus. They should be in a bare bottom tank because you are going to want to feed them at least 5 times a day with 50% water change daily. When your Fish are adults around 6" + then you can cut back to feeding 3 times a day in a planted tank and get away with less water change. This is of course if you want your discus to reach their full potential. This is a great forum and you get a lot out of it good luck.

[discuspaul]

You haven't mentioned how long you've had the 8 discus in your 75 gal tank, but I'll assume it hasn't been very long.

Anyway, with a 'fully planted' tank ( does that mean heavily planted ?), that may not be the best environment in which to grow out 3.0- 3.5 inch discus, and the near adults of 4.5 to 5.0 inches, particularly with wcs of only 10% daily.

Having said that, your fish are probably doing fine if your water params are ok, your tank cleansing routine is good, and you're comfortable with their looks, behavior, and eating habits.

With a well planted tank, I'd suggest it would be an improvement if you increased the percent level of your wcs to 20% or 25% daily, and reduced your feedings to twice a day instead of three.

Even with that, don't be surprised if a few of your discus' growth is limited over the next few months, and several do not achieve a fully normal adult-size growth.
Not to worry about that though - if they remain healthy, and you're happy with that, and their development & looks - then no problem.

[tnguyen9]

Thanks for all the help.
I have fluval fx5 running the tank and 4 bulbs light fixture but at the moment only using three bulbs due to algae. Three bulbs two 54w 6500k and one 54w pink bulb. No co2 using excel everyday and dosing Seachem flourish and iron twice a week. Plants- rotala, ludwigia, normal baby tear, Anubis and dwarf hair grass. Feeding freeze dried black worm, freeze dried brine shrimp, bloodworm, omega flake.

I have these discus over a month now and they seem to be healthy. The tank is heavily planted. There are about 80% of the tank are planted and 20% are not. But once the plants grow and the other space will be cover up.

My tap water ph is 6.6-6.8 as the same for my tank. So when I do small 10%-25% water change will that change my water condition much or not at all? Because I know discus or any fish don't like constantly change water condition. So it be better for me to so 25% daily and 50% once a week?

It would be suck if they not going to grow big but I'm fine with that as long as they are healthy, happy, and beautiful. That's all that matter. But will they grow out all their patterns and colors?