Is My tank set up for my community discus aquarium okay?

[Atomicmiss]

So this is what I have now, any pointers are appreciated !
55 gallon bow front
1 inch Sand substrate
Fluval C4 HOB filter with a 5 stage filtration system. 2 mechanical, 1 chemical and 2 biological. (It has a poly foam filter and I just removed the carbon and put foam in instead... Is this correct and if not suggestions please)
Fluval 200 watt heater with thermostat (buying a second one thats fully submersible)
Aqua glow fluorescent light
Functional decorations, I chose coral and plants for an artificial reef look.

Once aquarium was set up I used tap water and treated it with Prime. I added 5 harlequin rasboas and 5 dwarf gouramis. once my tank was cycled (and over a period of time) I added 2 albino cory catfish, 7 pink danios and a killifish.
When i was finally ready for my discus I removed the danios, 2 dwarf gouramis and the rasboas. I added Seachem Discus Buffer and bought a pigeon blood. I bought API freshwater master kit when I started and it is a definite need when it comes to discus. I have since added a golden albino as well. How am I doing so far?? I know I need 5 but I am having some issues with my albino I need to fix first. I'm including a pic of everything I use so if I'm using a bad product or you can recommend better please let me know :)

[GrayLadyPat]

Hi!

First, I want to wish you the best of luck.

Your filtration to me is relatively foreign to me, so I won't suggest anything about it. I use canisters, so a HOB is outside my realm of knowledge.

I do suggest that you rid yourself of the killi in the tank. I had a few in mine until they died of old age. They were the most dominant little critters in the tank. They were always competing with the discus for food, and would actually run them off so they could have the lion's share. They also will chase and kill small cardinals, even though they won't quite fit in their mouths.

Your best bet for tankmates for beginners (as I was very recently) is cardinals and corys. There is a section here for Tankmates for Discus that has some pretty good information about the rest.

Keep in mind that when you add discus, your tank will sometimes go through a mini-cycle, so watching your water parameters is a must. When in doubt, change the water.

Also, test your source water. You can't keep your parameters steady if your source water changes on you, as it does from time to time depending on seasons, rainfall, and whether or not your municipal water suppliers have changed their disinfection procedure. This is something you should do no matter whether you are keeping discus or guppies.

Before you add more fish, I recommend a QT tank, if you have the means and the space. Tossing new fish into an existing tank is asking for problems.

One more thing: You said you are having issues with your albino. There are some wonderful people here who can help you through whatever it is that's ailing it. I wouldn't add a single thing, whether it be plants or fish until you are sure your issues are fixed.

Finally, we were all new at it once. I am still learning. I will learn until I stop caring for discus. We will all make mistakes. We will all lose fish, sometimes for no apparent reason. We will all stunt some fish, and we will all comiserate with you when something bad happens.

There are some brilliant people here. Listen to what they have to say, even if some of them may not say it with the best "tankside manner." Read...a lot...The threads here are the single most informative place on the interwebs for discus.

Welcome to the world of Discus!

Oh, and we LOVE pictures :D

Cheers!

PS... You won't need the Stress Coat... If you're using Prime, it's not necessary. I haven't used it in a very long time.

[CrazyAngels]

Only comment I'd like to say is that I hope the "CORAL" you mentioned is plastic and not real. If it's real coral, then remove it as this will tend to give you PH swings. Any sea shells also if you have them.

Best of luck with your new setup. BTW, on a first discus tank less is better until you've got a good grip on how far you can take it.

[Atomicmiss]

Its fake lol... I can barely handle my discus let alone saltwater lol. My killies are the most shy of the bunch and actually hang out at the bottom of the tank, they are completely opposite of everything I read but I sure wont be buying any more. Ive had tanks pretty much my whole life but nothing like this thats for sure!