Are the plans for my first Discus tank setting me up for success?

[CanuckGame]

Hey everyone,

im setting up my first Discus tank, im just starting a fishless cycle tomorrow.


Tank -
75 Gallons
1" layer of sand on the bottom (i really dont like BB tanks unless they are fry tanks..)

Filtration -
Fluval FX5 (will be cleaned once every 4 weeks)

Water from my tap (i have no plans to age it, but i have aged my water and it stays stable at these params)
PH-7.0
KH- 53.7
GH- 71.6

Water change plans-

4x a week. 50%-75% at a time.

Stocking-

6- 4" Discus i would really like to grow these to 6 inches as fast and as healthy as possible (advice on doing this? i assume WC/WC/WC FEED/FEED/FEED)

i was originally going to just have the 6 Discus but ive thought about getting 10 Cory cats to feed off debris from the bottom? since i will have a 1" layer of sand in the tank i think having these guys would benefit the tank, as long as i stayed on top of W/C

Diet -

I havent fully decided what to do here, i am still researching this area. does anyone have a DAY 1-DAY 7 meal plan i could follow for a diet plan for them?


Am i setting myself up for Success? or are there things i need to make sure i do, im still 6 weeks away from getting my first Discus, so i want to cram my brain as full of info as i can, i want this to be a success right off the start with no mistakes.

[John_Nicholson]

Not a bad plan. For optimal growth most would suggest a bare bottom tank until they are adults. You can do it with sand in the tank, but it does make your job harder. While a cory will scavenge for food they then convert it to poop so do they really improve water quality? Personally I feed a homemade beefheart mix. It is great for growing them out but uneaten leftovers can be hard on water quality.

-john

[Elliots]

You should be OK if you get good quality fish from a good source like a SD sponsor. Diet should be varied I think but some on SD may feed beef heart only.

[MKD]

not sure you'll have fully planted tank or not. IF not, i think fx5 is too strong for 75G tank unless you'll do spray bar. I also suggest to research a little bit how to screen the intake pipe or food will got suck into filter really quick and try to clean filter every 2-3 weeks then stretch out longer if it's clean. You don't want to find out if it's tooo dirty every 4 weeks.

good luck,

tony

[CanuckGame]

I will be ordering my fish from Canadian Aqua Farm in BC, Canada here! they are a SD sponsor i believe.

I will monitor the flow once its all set up and see if its too strong, im planning on closing the intake/outtake levers on the canister during feedings so the food doesnt get sucked up.

its not going to be planted, just a 1" layer of Silca sand, and a few pieces of Manzanita branches, thats all!

feeding and growing these Discus out will be my only concern, i want to make sure i get my fish to reach their full potential, i understand water changes its labor intensive but whatever i can handle that.

i just really want to learn about how to grow them out from 4-6" when i get them.

Does anyone have a Day 1- Day 7 feeding guide? i am planning on making a beef heart mixture, can i feed them this every day? also how many times per day should i feed 4" Discus to reach max potential?

[discus rookie]

Rick of Canadian Aqua Farm is a great person to deal with. His Forrest discus are very healthy. He can definitely give you great advice on how to properly care for them.
I got my discus from Rick and there is never any problem. Great stock and service.
Good luck.

[vanslam]

What John said...

[vanslam]

I dont know if the FX5 is a problem other than it doesn't reach the 10-1 turnover requirement (if you believe in that stuff) of a 75. I run a 306 on my 30 and 2 306's on my 60. No pronblem with flow and they can be adjusted down if needed. I use t oclean my 306 once a month but found it a waste of time, have gone to every two months.

[discus rookie]

I want to add, my humble opinion only, that no matter what filter you have and how big or over filter your filter may be for the size of your tank, for discus, you still need to change your water very often, especially when you are trying to grow them out. The "junks" in your filter is still inside the closed system of your tank and those can still affect the growth and health of your discus, no matter how big the filter may be. Usually HOB and sponge are used because they are much easier to keep clean than canister. So, if I may, I would suggest to change more water, service your filter more often, and just keep discus inside with nothing else for now.

[discuspaul]

As discus rookie said, Canadian Aqua Farm (Rick Grange) is an excellent source for high quality Forrest discus. You won't go wrong getting your discus there.