kdv9tb
04-22-2014, 03:49 PM
Per the sticky's (Yes, I read every single one of them!) I just want to make sure I am going to do this right, and hopefully not make too many beginner mistakes!
1) Please Introduce your self and tell us what your experience is with fishkeeping, give us as much information as possible as to how long in the hobby, what you have kept in the past and what you currently are working with.
Hello, My name is Katie, and I am hoping to set up a discus tank. I have been fish keeping seriously for 6-7 years. I currently have a 240 gallon brackish water aquarium, a 55 breeding angel tank that is heavily planted, 2-10 gallon shrimp tanks that are high tech heavily planted, 2-20longs that are both heavily planted and house breeding Kribs, and the other holds breeding gertruda rainbows, 90 gallon tilapia breeding tank (husband and I do aquaponics), a 15 gallon rimless, that is a high tech planted tank, and the last one is my CRS tank that is a fluval ebi aquarium. I also have a 40 gallon saltwater tank, but when we found out we were having our first child, I took it down to spend more time with my then little baby. Since then, my little girl has grown to a toddler (19 months), and her brother(2 months) has been thrown in the mix! The kids are one reason I want to do a discus tank. They are big enough, that little eyes can see them, and calm enough, infants can track them better in an aquarium.
2) If you have no previous experience with keeping discus, have you done any research to properly prepare yourself, e.g. have you read any Stickies in this section of SimplyDiscus, or other material?
I do not have any experience with discus, but have been researching for a year on them. I think I have what I want narrowed down, just need the confidence boost. Hence the long post!
3) Describe your tank, its size and dimensions, breeding or display. Include how long it has been setup or if it is still being cycled.
The tank I have for this project is a Aqueon 125 gallon (72x18x24). It will be a display tank, and is currently NOT set-up or even had a drop of water in it.
4) Describe the décor for the tank; type of substrate or bare bottom (BB), whether the tank will be planted or a biotope.
I plan to do a low tech planted tank, consisting of mainly swords, crypts, and dwarf sag. I know with doing a planted tank, and not BB, it can stunt the fish, and lead to not so good discus. I plan to get bigger fish, in the 4-5 inch range, to try and prevent this. The lighting I plan to use will be a Build my LED 10,000 fixture. Filtration will be through a sump. One side will go into a trickle tower, and the other side will fall into a filter sock. I plan to have this then flow into a chamber with the heaters, 2-200 watt jaeger heaters, hooked into a temperature monitor, and then flow into a freshwater refugium, before going through the Quiet one 6000 return pump.
5) Describe your water changes planned or practiced, percentage and how often. Include if you age your water and use of tap/RO or mix.
My plan is to do 2-3 75% water changes a week, with aged RO water that has been remineralized. I would like to do a water change every 3 days, so some weeks it will work out to be two, others, it will be three.
6) Describe the type of filtration planned/used for the tank; sponge, HOB and/or sump. Also include the other equipment you are, or will be, using in your tank, e.g. heater, lighting, etc.
A sump is the planned filtration. This includes a trickle tower, and filter sock, a freshwater refugium (May also have a few sponges in here, cycled for QT tanks), two- 200w heaters, controlled by a heater monitor, then the return pump. The pump I am looking at using is a quite one 600. The lighting will be a BML 10,000k fixture
7) If the tank is already setup and running, include the water parameters;
- temp __N/A___
- tank ph __N/A___
- Ph of the water straight out of your tap __ N/A ___
- ammonia reading __ N/A __
- nitrite reading _ N/A ___
- nitrate reading __ N/A __
- well water __ N/A __
- municipal water _ N/A ___
8) Describe your current or planned stocking levels; number/size of discus and number/type of dither fish. Where did you get your discus from or do you have a proposed source for getting your discus?
My planned stocking levels would be 6 Albino Green spot, and 6 turquise checkerboards. I would like to get them in the 4-5 inch range. I also would like to get them from Kenny. Seems he has a very good record, and reviews.
I may also add 12-15 sterbai cories, but I honestly think I want just the discus. This my change depending on what the kids want.
9) Describe your planned or existing feeding regimen. Include what and how often you are feeding on a daily basis.
I plan on feeding blackworms, frozen bloodworms, flakes, pellets, and frozen krill and frozen shrimp. I would like to feed a flake or pellet in the morning, and something frozen or live at night.
10) What are your goals in this hobby? For example are you looking to keep discus in a planted community tank, or do you hope to become a hobby breeder of Discus? Do you want to raise Discus with the hopes of competing in shows?
My goals are just to have a community tank at the moment. I am really doing this for the challenge, and for my kids. I wanted a big, slower moving fish, that my 19 month old, and 2 month old could watch easier than my other tanks. I have a kid tank, at eye level for my daughter, but I want the challenge of discus. I feel like I have enough know how, just am scared to not know enough, and end up losing some beautiful fish.
1) Please Introduce your self and tell us what your experience is with fishkeeping, give us as much information as possible as to how long in the hobby, what you have kept in the past and what you currently are working with.
Hello, My name is Katie, and I am hoping to set up a discus tank. I have been fish keeping seriously for 6-7 years. I currently have a 240 gallon brackish water aquarium, a 55 breeding angel tank that is heavily planted, 2-10 gallon shrimp tanks that are high tech heavily planted, 2-20longs that are both heavily planted and house breeding Kribs, and the other holds breeding gertruda rainbows, 90 gallon tilapia breeding tank (husband and I do aquaponics), a 15 gallon rimless, that is a high tech planted tank, and the last one is my CRS tank that is a fluval ebi aquarium. I also have a 40 gallon saltwater tank, but when we found out we were having our first child, I took it down to spend more time with my then little baby. Since then, my little girl has grown to a toddler (19 months), and her brother(2 months) has been thrown in the mix! The kids are one reason I want to do a discus tank. They are big enough, that little eyes can see them, and calm enough, infants can track them better in an aquarium.
2) If you have no previous experience with keeping discus, have you done any research to properly prepare yourself, e.g. have you read any Stickies in this section of SimplyDiscus, or other material?
I do not have any experience with discus, but have been researching for a year on them. I think I have what I want narrowed down, just need the confidence boost. Hence the long post!
3) Describe your tank, its size and dimensions, breeding or display. Include how long it has been setup or if it is still being cycled.
The tank I have for this project is a Aqueon 125 gallon (72x18x24). It will be a display tank, and is currently NOT set-up or even had a drop of water in it.
4) Describe the décor for the tank; type of substrate or bare bottom (BB), whether the tank will be planted or a biotope.
I plan to do a low tech planted tank, consisting of mainly swords, crypts, and dwarf sag. I know with doing a planted tank, and not BB, it can stunt the fish, and lead to not so good discus. I plan to get bigger fish, in the 4-5 inch range, to try and prevent this. The lighting I plan to use will be a Build my LED 10,000 fixture. Filtration will be through a sump. One side will go into a trickle tower, and the other side will fall into a filter sock. I plan to have this then flow into a chamber with the heaters, 2-200 watt jaeger heaters, hooked into a temperature monitor, and then flow into a freshwater refugium, before going through the Quiet one 6000 return pump.
5) Describe your water changes planned or practiced, percentage and how often. Include if you age your water and use of tap/RO or mix.
My plan is to do 2-3 75% water changes a week, with aged RO water that has been remineralized. I would like to do a water change every 3 days, so some weeks it will work out to be two, others, it will be three.
6) Describe the type of filtration planned/used for the tank; sponge, HOB and/or sump. Also include the other equipment you are, or will be, using in your tank, e.g. heater, lighting, etc.
A sump is the planned filtration. This includes a trickle tower, and filter sock, a freshwater refugium (May also have a few sponges in here, cycled for QT tanks), two- 200w heaters, controlled by a heater monitor, then the return pump. The pump I am looking at using is a quite one 600. The lighting will be a BML 10,000k fixture
7) If the tank is already setup and running, include the water parameters;
- temp __N/A___
- tank ph __N/A___
- Ph of the water straight out of your tap __ N/A ___
- ammonia reading __ N/A __
- nitrite reading _ N/A ___
- nitrate reading __ N/A __
- well water __ N/A __
- municipal water _ N/A ___
8) Describe your current or planned stocking levels; number/size of discus and number/type of dither fish. Where did you get your discus from or do you have a proposed source for getting your discus?
My planned stocking levels would be 6 Albino Green spot, and 6 turquise checkerboards. I would like to get them in the 4-5 inch range. I also would like to get them from Kenny. Seems he has a very good record, and reviews.
I may also add 12-15 sterbai cories, but I honestly think I want just the discus. This my change depending on what the kids want.
9) Describe your planned or existing feeding regimen. Include what and how often you are feeding on a daily basis.
I plan on feeding blackworms, frozen bloodworms, flakes, pellets, and frozen krill and frozen shrimp. I would like to feed a flake or pellet in the morning, and something frozen or live at night.
10) What are your goals in this hobby? For example are you looking to keep discus in a planted community tank, or do you hope to become a hobby breeder of Discus? Do you want to raise Discus with the hopes of competing in shows?
My goals are just to have a community tank at the moment. I am really doing this for the challenge, and for my kids. I wanted a big, slower moving fish, that my 19 month old, and 2 month old could watch easier than my other tanks. I have a kid tank, at eye level for my daughter, but I want the challenge of discus. I feel like I have enough know how, just am scared to not know enough, and end up losing some beautiful fish.