New To Discus

[livinthedream]

Hello All,
I have been lurking your forum for a while to brush up on my fish keeping skills. (great information by the way).
I am a formal saltwater guy who has also housed/breed African cichlids. I was big into coral reefs and since having to tear down my 7 tanks to move, I have decided to start a tank with what has been sitting around. Looking for some advice, and to make sure I am generally going in the right direction with choosing discuss.
A little about my setup...
72 gallon bowfront tank.
Fully planted ( know bare bottom is best, but I like the planted look.)
4 bulb T5 HO
Co2
Cannister filter rated for 250 gallons.
Drift wood
Bubble wall.

Inhabitants
6-denosini (roseline sharks) 2-3"
4-Discus
(I have a larger tank already for when they start to grow)
I do 2 to 3 water changes weekly of 35 gallons RO water (coralife RO SYSTEM). I have 0 nitrates, 0 Nitrites, PH at 6.8. Temp is currently at 83.
Just want to make sure im going in the right direction here.
Also,
Can anyone identify this guy??? Claimed it was a red eruption discuss. Just picked him up.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/livinthedream6/DISCUS_zpsf8d43a33.jpg (http://s29.photobucket.com/user/livinthedream6/media/DISCUS_zpsf8d43a33.jpg.html)


Thanks in advance for your input.

[jestep]

Maintenance sounds good to me. Just be careful with the CO2 and RO water unless you do something to increase the buffering capacity before adding it to the tank.

[OC Discus]

I wouldn't add any discus under 4" to that tank due to their feeding and water quality requirements. Also, it you have aggression among the discus, 5-6 would be a better number.

[livinthedream]

Maintenance sounds good to me. Just be careful with the CO2 and RO water unless you do something to increase the buffering capacity before adding it to the tank.
Thanks. I should specify that the tank is not pure RO water. Around 20% is Tap.

[livinthedream]

I wouldn't add any discus under 4" to that tank due to their feeding and water quality requirements. Also, it you have aggression among the discus, 5-6 would be a better number.

I was going to do a school of 6 but did not want to over crowd the tank. They peck at eachother a little, but nothing horrible yet. Fish are fed 4 times daily currently. I have the pictured fish being my largest, and 3 others roughly 3.5 to 4".

[Skip]

yea.. eruption sounds about right

[livinthedream]

Here is a PIC of the entire tank.
Also, The CO2 is a minor dose (2 bubbles or less) and I monitor PH all the time. The RO is mainly for my TAP water PH being close to 9.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/livinthedream6/photo_zpsbbcd3c36.jpg (http://s29.photobucket.com/user/livinthedream6/media/photo_zpsbbcd3c36.jpg.html)

[kaujong]

That looks like a cool set up. What's your bubble rate for CO2?

[livinthedream]

I tried to post this before but its not showing, so I will try again.
This is a picture of the tank. (lots of work to do still) bubble rate is low right now at 2. (trying to use as little as possible)
My TAP water is around 9 so I use a lot of RO, and have to constantly watch the PH especially with the Co2.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/livinthedream6/photo_zpsbbcd3c36.jpg (http://s29.photobucket.com/user/livinthedream6/media/photo_zpsbbcd3c36.jpg.html)

[jackie1258]

I have a planted aquarium with 6 juvies and have not had any problems.

[livinthedream]

That looks like a cool set up. What's your bubble rate for CO2?

2 bubbles/4sec

[jaykne]

Welcome to the SimplyDiscus, your fish looks more like a leopard to me. An eruption has allot more pattern on it.

[livinthedream]

Welcome to the SimplyDiscus, your fish looks more like a leopard to me. An eruption has allot more pattern on it.
That's 1 vote eruption/ 1 vote leopard. Any others??? Thank you for your opinions. I paid a pretty penny for this fish on looks alone (I love his colors and the pic doesn't due him justice). I can tell you the difference in SW fish, but not when it comes to the discus. Hope I didn't overpay (although I think he is worth every penny.)

[Nick Klimkowski]

Welcome to the SimplyDiscus, your fish looks more like a leopard to me. An eruption has allot more pattern on it.

I would say leopard as well. Welcome to simply :).

[OC Discus]

One of our members has an avatar very much like that. Don't remember who now, but he probably has an idea. I would say leopard. Eruptions, I think, have smaller spots.

[discuspaul]

I had one closely resembling that - there's a pic of it in the photobucket album below.

Rick Grange of Canadian Aqua Farms sold it to me as a cross - Leopard X Eruption.

Check it out in photo # 6 - it's a 3.5" juvie in the photo.

http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/Sept2011

[livinthedream]

Here is another one when he was in the tank I bought him from. Not the best lighting or PIC. Maybe it will be easier to tell??? He is on the right.
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c268/livinthedream6/photo1_zps4e5c1893.jpg (http://s29.photobucket.com/user/livinthedream6/media/photo1_zps4e5c1893.jpg.html)

[livinthedream]

I had one closely resembling that - there's a pic of it in the photobucket album below.

Rick Grange of Canadian Aqua Farms sold it to me as a cross - Leopard X Eruption.

Check it out in photo # 6 - it's a 3.5" juvie in the photo.

http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/Sept2011

I agree. he looks VERY similar to that. Great PICS by the way!
Mine is about 5-6" roughly. Size of a softball. Paid well north of 100 dollars for him. Is that a bad price?

[BODYDUB]

I'm voting leopard as well..........

[Melissa]

I vote leopard :)

Sorry if I missed it if you already said, but how long have you had him? The second picture you posted he looks a tad dark and a little clamped up. Is he feeding alright for you? What do you feed and how often?

Welcome to Simply btw. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[livinthedream]

I vote leopard :)

Sorry if I missed it if you already said, but how long have you had him? The second picture you posted he looks a tad dark and a little clamped up. Is he feeding alright for you? What do you feed and how often?

Welcome to Simply btw. :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks. I have only had him a couple days. He is out and eating great. I feed 4 times per day.
Mixture of bloodworms/brine/flake.
I think the pic was just bad. He is not that dark.

[sholvey]

Leopard. Welcome to SD!

[aquadon2222]

Leopard.

[abitoheaven]

That dicus looks beautiful too

[pvanderweit]

I think leopard as well

[yquefue]

i will go with paul suggestion Leopard X Eruption

[frylover]

Love the tank and fish. I say Leopard too..

[Pazzoman]

Instead of brine try mysid shrimps, brine has very nutritional value according to many research articles, unless you are feeding newly hatch brine

Tank looks great

[bigsean]

Great looking tank mate :-) and cool fish