Advice please.

[briztoon]

I hate to ask this question without reading all the stickies on keeping Discus, but I'm a little time poor between the now and the weekend.

Can I keep Discus in a bare bottom 4x2x2 with just two or three large sponge filters?

I am exploring possible set up configurations, and what I am currently thinking of long term is a 4x2x2 communal discus (& L134 and Apisitogramma agassizii) tank, two 2x2x2 breeding tanks, two 3'x18"x18" grow out (one will first be used as a quarantine tank) tanks, and a 2'x18x18" apisto breeding tank. All run from the one air pump.

I would much rather use sponge filters, than have the whole system sharing a sump.

This is the size sponge filter I am looking at for all the tanks, except for the smaller apisto breeding tank.
http://www.thetechden.com.au/Extra_Large_Sponge_Filter_XY_2837_p/xy-2837.htm


Thanks guys.

[rickztahone]

The answer is yes, you can keep discus (depending how many) in a barebottom with onlys sponge filters, provided that the sponge filters were seeded with bio.

The sponge filter you linked too is a bit on the expensive side i'd say.

[musicmarn1]

http://www.amazon.com/Hydro-IV-Sponge-Pro-Filter/dp/B0002602SC/ref=pd_sim_petsupplies_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0ARZHV7213YW54VXQ2QA

here is what i use, and yes i also agree that bare bottom with sponge filters is a great way to go !

[briztoon]

Thanks guys.

Unfortunately the reality of living in Australia is that many items are expensive, even when shopping online. Wait until I put up some photos of the Discus I am looking at and their price in a LFS. But that will have to wait until I get home from work tonight.

I was thinking of having three planters in the tank with some echinodorus and valisneria in them.

[rickztahone]

Is there no one that offers discus in Australia? Only LFS?

[briztoon]

Man I just lost a long post replying to rikztahone.

If you don't mind, I'll keep asking questions in this thread, instead of starting a new thread for every question.

[briztoon]

Are some of the fancy variants easier to keep than others? Or is the care for them all pretty much the same, just some are harder to spawn than others.

For example are Red Turqs easier to keep than Heckel crosses. Or are they pretty much the same?

[rickztahone]

Man I just lost a long post replying to rikztahone.

If you don't mind, I'll keep asking questions in this thread, instead of starting a new thread for every question.
I hate it when that happens :(. You can ask questions here or you can visit our Discus Basics for Beginners (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?48-Discus-Basics-for-Beginners) page for the stickies that may already answer some of your questions.


Are some of the fancy variants easier to keep than others? Or is the care for them all pretty much the same, just some are harder to spawn than others.

For example are Red Turqs easier to keep than Heckel crosses. Or are they pretty much the same?

This is not a clear yes/no answer because some require more special attention than others, but they all require special attention to begin with :). Wild discus will be a little more picky about their water quality. Albino discus will somtimes have a more difficult time eating food and breeding is a little more challenging than your average domestic strains.

Red Turq discus are a classic type of discus which I consider very hardy and would recommend the strain to anyone, but then again, most domestic strains are similar to raise as turqs now. For the most part, if you can properly take care of one kind of discus, you can take care of most, you just have to know the special needs of each.

I hope that helps.

[briztoon]

Thanks rickztahone.

I'm doing double shifts at work today and tomorrow, so really only jumping on here to ask some quick questions when I am on a break. I do plan to start reading the stickies on Friday. Just that while I'm at work I think of some questions I'd really answers to.

I really like the look of the Alex Piwawardki Red Turqs. Unfortunately the are not available in Australia. So I thought I would have a crack of line breeding something similar. Jumping in the deepens I guess. So I was thinking of starting with some Red Turqs and Heckel cross.

At the moment I have a couple of questions related to this.

Does one sex have more of an influence on the genes of the progeny?

Are there dominant strains, where one strain will influence the look of the progeny?