newbie looking for set up help

[johnny mac]

Hello all.

Nice forum and great membership. Ive been trolling for the last few weeks and am glad to be here.
I have 30 years under my belt but none with discus. I currently have a warehouse full of saltwater both fish and corals.
I am a private importer but have no aquariums at home.
I am looking at setting up a display tank for the wife and family.
The tank is a125 pinnacle style with overflow.
We wanted to set up a 100 gallon rubbermaid sump in the basement to handle all filtration needs.
Filter sock, kaldness reactor and some carbon.
We love the planted look but want some real input on keeping plant/discus set ups.
I had planted tanks for many years and know they can be a bit of a challange.
Any input is very much appreciated.

[discuspaul]

First, here's the general basics in a nutshell for you to consider:

D-I-S-C-U-S - 6 CARDINAL RULES FOR NEWBIES TO FOLLOW

First I'd just like to mention once again that discus are hardier than many people think, and are not difficult to keep, so long as one is prepared to accept and adhere to a few key practices that will provide the best chances of success with discus.

This listing is recorded more or less in order of importance:

1) - D - Do your homework well before delving into discus. Read and research all you can beforehand. Googling will certainly help, as well as spending a good deal of time reading the posts and threads on the simplydiscus.com forum, particularly the stickies in their 'Discus Basics'
section, which will provide you with much of the material you need to digest.

2) - I - Investigate and learn of the best sources to get your discus stock. Find those breeders &/or importers that are long time, well-experienced, responsible, reputable, and known to supply high quality, healthy, and well-shaped discus. Buy your discus from one of these sources in order to insure that you get off on the best footing possible.
This is the single, most important factor in succeeding with discus.

3) - S - Set up and plan to follow a strict regular routine of fresh water changes, tank wipe-downs and cleansing, vacuuming of wastes, and regular filter and media cleaning, changes, replacements, and maintenance. Be fully prepared for the kind of commitment it takes to produce and maintain the highest water quality and conditions that you can.

4) - C - Carefully consider the type of tank set up you start with. Make sure the tank size is ample enough to start with 5 or 6 discus. Don't be tempted to begin with a tank of less than 55 or 60 gallons, and don't try to justify going smaller by just getting 1, 2, 3, or 4 discus for cost or other reasons.
Wait till you have sufficient resources to get a proper-sized tank, and the suitable size and number of fish to insure continuing good health and harmonious discus sociability.
Do not start with small, undersized, very juvenile fish which have not yet developed a more mature immune system, are more demanding to raise properly, and much more prone to health problems and other issues. Get fish of at least 3.0" in size, preferably larger.

5) - U - Undertake to start off with a bare bottom tank, unless you're getting fully adult fish and have previous good experience with maintaining a planted tank. If you must have some decor, limit yourself to a very thin sand substrate layer, and perhaps a piece of driftwood with just a couple of small plants attached, or one or two potted plants.
Once you gain several months' of experience getting to know your discus' traits & behavior, and your discus get larger, then you may proceed to an aquascaped environment. Feed a varied diet, several times a day, and learn which foods will achieve a nutritious diet, by researching.

6) - S - Simplify. Keep things as simple as you can to start. Don't complicate your start with discus, at least at first, by placing them in a heavily planted environment, using CO2 and a strict fertilization regime. Make sure your tank is fully cycled before adding the fish, and don't be tempted to alter or change the pH of your water, or modify your water conditions and params by using chemicals of any kind. No need to use RO water or adopt any other procedures that would tend to complicate what should be a simple start to your discus launch.

Follow these 'rules', and there's little doubt you will succeed with discus !


As for your specific situation, you could consider a lightly planted discus display so long as you under-stock the tank, say no more than 8 or 10 adult or near adult discus in your 125 (larger than 4", preferably 5") and that you are prepared to maintain a good tank cleansing routine with large water changes at least once or twice weekly.
Keep things as simple as you can, and omit the use of carbon.
If you haven't yet done a good deal of research on discus, I strongly suggest you do so before starting your project, and you could begin with reading the Stickies in this section.
Best of luck to you.

[johnny mac]

First, here's the general basics in a nutshell for you to consider:

D-I-S-C-U-S - 6 CARDINAL RULES FOR NEWBIES TO FOLLOW

First I'd just like to mention once again that discus are hardier than many people think, and are not difficult to keep, so long as one is prepared to accept and adhere to a few key practices that will provide the best chances of success with discus.

This listing is recorded more or less in order of importance:

1) - D - Do your homework well before delving into discus. Read and research all you can beforehand. Googling will certainly help, as well as spending a good deal of time reading the posts and threads on the simplydiscus.com forum, particularly the stickies in their 'Discus Basics'
section, which will provide you with much of the material you need to digest.

2) - I - Investigate and learn of the best sources to get your discus stock. Find those breeders &/or importers that are long time, well-experienced, responsible, reputable, and known to supply high quality, healthy, and well-shaped discus. Buy your discus from one of these sources in order to insure that you get off on the best footing possible.
This is the single, most important factor in succeeding with discus.

3) - S - Set up and plan to follow a strict regular routine of fresh water changes, tank wipe-downs and cleansing, vacuuming of wastes, and regular filter and media cleaning, changes, replacements, and maintenance. Be fully prepared for the kind of commitment it takes to produce and maintain the highest water quality and conditions that you can.

4) - C - Carefully consider the type of tank set up you start with. Make sure the tank size is ample enough to start with 5 or 6 discus. Don't be tempted to begin with a tank of less than 55 or 60 gallons, and don't try to justify going smaller by just getting 1, 2, 3, or 4 discus for cost or other reasons.
Wait till you have sufficient resources to get a proper-sized tank, and the suitable size and number of fish to insure continuing good health and harmonious discus sociability.
Do not start with small, undersized, very juvenile fish which have not yet developed a more mature immune system, are more demanding to raise properly, and much more prone to health problems and other issues. Get fish of at least 3.0" in size, preferably larger.

5) - U - Undertake to start off with a bare bottom tank, unless you're getting fully adult fish and have previous good experience with maintaining a planted tank. If you must have some decor, limit yourself to a very thin sand substrate layer, and perhaps a piece of driftwood with just a couple of small plants attached, or one or two potted plants.
Once you gain several months' of experience getting to know your discus' traits & behavior, and your discus get larger, then you may proceed to an aquascaped environment. Feed a varied diet, several times a day, and learn which foods will achieve a nutritious diet, by researching.

6) - S - Simplify. Keep things as simple as you can to start. Don't complicate your start with discus, at least at first, by placing them in a heavily planted environment, using CO2 and a strict fertilization regime. Make sure your tank is fully cycled before adding the fish, and don't be tempted to alter or change the pH of your water, or modify your water conditions and params by using chemicals of any kind. No need to use RO water or adopt any other procedures that would tend to complicate what should be a simple start to your discus launch.

Follow these 'rules', and there's little doubt you will succeed with discus !


As for your specific situation, you could consider a lightly planted discus display so long as you under-stock the tank, say no more than 8 or 10 adult or near adult discus in your 125 (larger than 4", preferably 5") and that you are prepared to maintain a good tank cleansing routine with large water changes at least once or twice weekly.
Keep things as simple as you can, and omit the use of carbon.
If you haven't yet done a good deal of research on discus, I strongly suggest you do so before starting your project, and you could begin with reading the Stickies in this section.
Best of luck to you.

Thank you Paul.
From what I am reading in other posts as well as yours I will start with the fish first then move into the plants. I was hoping to get my stock at at bout 3" as we are big fans of growing out our fish. We are very maticulis and extreamly dedicated to our animals. The routine is already imbedded in us from our saltwater regimen. We do daily water changes and maintence at our warehouse so the up keep shouldnt be an issue.
Is there something else I should be using in the place of carbon.
I also forgot to mention I have an extra 80 watt uv I can install on the system. Is this a good idea or just extra equipment?
I take it bare bottom for grow out will benifit while doing the heavy feedings?

[discuspaul]

If you wish to start off with 3" fish, then it's good to note that you seem to be prepared to start off with bare-bottom and proceed to plantings later, when the discus have grown out somewhat. And your being amenable to do daily water changes for a while is certainly the right approach to take.

As for carbon, there is really no need for it in a discus set-up, what with the water change and tank cleansing regimen you're prepared to adopt. If one of your aims is water clarification/purification, then I suggest using Seachem Purigen instead, which I've used in my discus tanks for years & swear by.

I've also found that the use of UV sterilization is an added bonus in a discus tank, particularly when it's planted, and does so many beneficial little things in my view, including improving circulation within the tank, oxygenation, maintaining a clean/clear water surface, picking up & destroying any free-floating algae spores, etc.

Please don't hesitate to PM me if you feel I can be of any help at any time as you proceed with your project.