My 65 gallon planted discus tank

[Filip]

1) Please Introduce your self ...


Hi all , I ve been in this hoby for more then 20 years and have kept many different species of fish and plants .My biggest admirations and goals in this hoby have always been planted tanks and beautiful aquascapes .
But that was until 2-3 years ago when I first started to keep discus fish .After that ,discus has become my second field of interes and admiration in this hoby.


2) If you have no previous experience with keeping discus...


I have a 2 year experience in discus in planted tank with my first round of 14 discus , and I think so far i have done a decent research and reading .
But with my first round of discus I have neglected and broke almost all of the golden rules of keeping discus and I paid the price ,so my first round of discus is dead.
Now I try again with the new round of 6 semi adult discus , and I hope this time I will get it right (or at least better than before )

3) Describe your tank


I got a 260 liter (65 gallon) display tank - Length 130 cm , width 40 cm and hight 50 cm .in my living room .
After my first batch of 14 discus were all gone the tank was and its still on the run fully scaped and planted
This new batch of 6 discus is introduced in the same tank but ive done a 3 months discus-free period and a complete tear down and gravel and filter cleaning.

4) Describe the décor for the tank

After complete cleaning I put back some of the plants- potted in translucent PVC glass- for easy moving around while siphoning and few lava rocks and driftwoods.Then I introduce the new batch of 6 discus in the aquarium – BTW fully cycled from before.
The substrate is now a very thin, max. 1 inch layer of coarse chemicaly inert clay pebbles –AKA L.E.C.A. clay or Hydroton with a RUGF system underneath for keeping the gravel as clean and as aerated as possible

5) Describe your water changes

For rasing my 6 semi adult discus fish I plan to make a one big - Sunday 70-80% WC with through vacuuming and glas and décor cleaning And everyday 30 % WC with quick front vacuuming. The water I change is direct from a tap , with same temperature and I use Seachem safe – dechlorinator directly in the tank right before I start to pour the new tapwater.

6) Describe the type of filtration planned

Filtration is based on 1 canister filter Atman 3338 – 1200 lph(300 GPH) filled with Floss, aqua expanded sponge ,Seachem matrix 1 liter , LECA clay 1 liter , Purigen 300 g. dividet in 3 thin layer –custom made bags . Also I use flos and 100 gr. Purigen bag as a prefilter on the canister intake

Another 1700 lph(450 gph) internal pump filter which is used to pump the water in the RUGF – underneath through the substrate to. My idea with this pump is to keep the gravelbed aerated and push as much of the fish poop up In the water column where it can be catched by the canister and pump prefiilters or siphoned by me.

Heater – eheim jagger 200W ,
Lights 3 pieces of T5 -54 W 4000, 6500,8500 K with reflectors on. 4000 K & 6500& are on through whole day and 8500 K only runs for 2-3 hours, just to boost up the plant growth .
Co2 gas System – Curently -shut down , because it bothers my growing discus.


7) If the tank is already setup and running, include the water parameters;

Temperature is constant 30 C and I ve never measured any of the water parameters but I know that my tap water isnt very discus friendly as its very hard GH 25 , KH 14 , PH 7

8) Describe your current or planned stocking levels;


My current fishload is 6 semi adult discus - (3 Red turqs and 3 red mellons) , 5 big torpedo barbs , 3 big Sae, and some 6-7 leftover tetras from my previous setup .

Discus are LFS bought , and they are claimed to be Jeffrey Tan stock .

9) Describe your planned or existing feeding regimen

At this moment(i have the fish only 4 days) I fed 6-7 times small amounts , just to get them to know me and recognize me as their food source , but in a short time I plan to feed only 4-5 times mixed foods ; tetra discus , nutri diet discus formula , frozen artemia , lean beef heart, and shrimps .
i also bought auto feeder eheim 3815 to help me with my feeding regime during my work hours.

10) What are your goals in this hobby?

For now as a discus novice , I don’t plan to pair, spawn or raise fry from discus , nor I am interested in raising or having the biggest showcase discus.

My goal for now is just to try to have , as sucsesfully as possible combination of my two loves – Plants and discus.
But in time when I get to learn the discus throughly , maybe I will be willing to try spawning and rasing fry .

So thats about it folks.http://forum.simplydiscus.com/images/icons/icon10.png

Any sugestions and constructive critics toward succeeding my goals would be apreciated.

Now here are some pics from my tank

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[discuspaul]

Welcome to the forum Filip.

You have some good points working for you.
First, and very fortunately for you, you seem to have been quite lucky in getting 6 good-looking & seemingly healthy discus from a LFS. Good for you. That's unusual.
And you also seem to have learned some lessons in the past, and are now putting them to good use by following what appears to be a satisfactory routine for keeping them healthy.
So far it seems to have been working out well.
Hopefully, your time on this forum will help you to hone your skills and do an even better job of caring for your beauties.
Good luck to you.

[farebox]

Boy that's an great looking tank. Plants and discus are popping. Kept up the good work, love your tank....Please post an update pic in a few months from now.

[rickztahone]

Very excellently done. TFS

[Kirbs]

Those look like pretty nice fish coming from your LFS! I like your tank too! Nice Job!

[Filip]

Thanks guys for kind words.

Paul can you please point how can i post 800X600 pics instead of just little thumbnails ,info link would also be helpful .I presume this is prefered size for photos here on simply? .

Farebox , its great now but i certainly doubt that plants would stay in this condition.
These are co2 pressurized raised plants , they will start to struggle since i shut off the co2 because of my new discus health. Algae is also to be expected,cause its lot harder to operate plants without co2, i have to be ware.
Anyway i ll make changes as i go , and replace poor growing plants with some more robust ones.i will make observations an further adjustments with plants.
As for update pics and info , dont worry. I think i will get a little bit more boaring with my updating then just a monthly shot .:) Dont mind me if i overdoit, im just too excited about my new fish.:)

One question.
I am compulsive about getting one more red mellon discus fish from the same batch and aquarium (im sure you are familiar with this feeling:))That would make a total of 7 discus.
Can i go wrong in some way if i introduce one more fish 7 days later then the first 6 discus.
I guess cross- contamination would be out of question since they are same family?
What about pecking order and the last guy get tormented as a newcomer?

[rickztahone]

Thanks guys for kind words.

Paul can you please point how can i post 800X600 pics instead of just little thumbnails ,info link would also be helpful .I presume this is prefered size for photos here on simply? .

Farebox , its great now but i certainly doubt that plants would stay in this condition.
These are co2 pressurized raised plants , they will start to struggle since i shut off the co2 because of my new discus health. Algae is also to be expected,cause its lot harder to operate plants without co2, i have to be ware.
Anyway i ll make changes as i go , and replace poor growing plants with some more robust ones.i will make observations an further adjustments with plants.
As for update pics and info , dont worry. I think i will get a little bit more boaring with my updating then just a monthly shot .:) Dont mind my if i overdoit, im just too excited about my new fish.:)

One question.
I am compulsive about getting one more red mellon discus fish from the same batch and aquarium (im sure you are familiar with this feeling:))That would make a total of 7 discus.
Can i go wrong in some way if i introduce one more fish 7 days later then the first 6 discus.
I guess cross- contamination would be out of question since they are same family?
What about pecking order and the last guy get tormented as a newcomer?

If you check out the stickies in this section, there are a few places that show you how to upload photos and paste them on to this site:
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?327-Critique-Corner

My favorite form of photo hosting is via Flickr. Find the tutorial to post pictures here:
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?117710-FAQ-How-to-upload-photos-using-Flickr

As far as introducing one more discus after you have already brought a group home? It is a tough call, but unfotunately, I advocate QT even if it is from the same group. I know many would say that is overboard, but you never know what may have happened in that 1 week that the other group was left behind. With that said, these discus do not look like your regular run of the mill LFS discus. They look rather nice in fact. You have to proceed with caution, but I'd say to quarantine no matter what. Personal opinion.

[Filip]

Thanks for the info and for your opinion Rickz.
I was already paranoid and hasitating over the idea ,and your advice just made me change up my mind and just go with this 6 fishes.
If only i have had a bigger tank i would go for 3-4 more ,and maybe that would be worthed a risk, but its just not worthed for only one more fish.
Ill just enjoy this 6 beauties.

Anyway thanks for the input.


BTW. Aclimatisation going good so far.
They started to eat verociously 4 times a day ,and their emaciated bellies started to pop out a bit.
Today they even started the pecking order establishment.:D

[rickztahone]

Thanks for the info and for your opinion Rickz.
I was already paranoid and hasitating over the idea ,and your advice just made me change up my mind and just go with this 6 fishes.
If only i have had a bigger tank i would go for 3-4 more ,and maybe that would be worthed a risk, but its just not worthed for only one more fish.
Ill just enjoy this 6 beauties.

Anyway thanks for the input.


BTW. Aclimatisation going good so far.
They started to eat verociously 4 times a day ,and their emaciated bellies started to pop out a bit.
Today they even started the pecking order establishment.:D

Please keep in mind that if you are feeding that heavily, the detritus that accumulates on the tank substrate is ridiculous. If you do not believe me, I can show you a video of my young group of discus in a bare bottom tank that get fed 4-5 times a day. The tank floor is full of poop a few hours after you feed them.

This is one of the main reasons why so many here advocate to not grow out discus in a planted tank, or one with substrate. I am just giving you a heads up. As much as I like how your tank looks right now, keep in mind that it may not stay that way.

[Filip]

Prior buying the fish ,i notice the bottom of the LFS 200 g .tank full of discus and it was a real, brown mess.
The owner told me he had vacumed it just one hour ago.
The next morning he said its more like a thick persian carpet of poop. :)

I know about risks and hardship of growing in planted t. But since this is my only big tank allowed in my home and it is in my living room i do not wish to go BB. But rather a display tank.

Substrate is less than one inch overall,just to cover the rugf filter trays.and i vacume it daily.
Ill plan to throw away plants and make further adjustments if gunk problems ocure.

I ll see what i can pull best of it .... IF i sense its getting out of control mayby ill try and consider BB, as much as i dont like it.

[rickztahone]

Prior buying the fish ,i notice the bottom of the LFS 200 g .tank full of discus and it was a real, brown mess.
The owner told me he had vacumed it just one hour ago.
The next morning he said its more like a thick persian carpet of poop. :)

I know about risks and hardship of growing in planted t. But since this is my only big tank allowed in my home and it is in my living room i do not wish to go BB. But rather a display tank.

Substrate is less than one inch overall,just to cover the rugf filter trays.and i vacume it daily.
Ill plan to throw away plants and make further adjustments if gunk problems ocure.

I ll see what i can pull best of it .... IF i sense its getting out of control mayby ill try and consider BB, as much as i dont like it.

You can always use a light layer of sand, it is much better than any gravel or other substrate really. It keeps dirt at the top for the most part. Since your discus are a little larger, you can get away with not having to feed them as much as young juvies, which in turn means less maintenance.

[Filip]

Thats a considerable sugesstion Rickz.
Ill keep a close eye on substrate and dirt ,and if i see its going out of my controll, sand would be my next compromise towards BB.
As for feedings, a like to give them them a lot of it at least for the next 4 months , try to make the best of them.afterwards i can cut it down to 2 meals.

LFS owner told me when he got them they were 2 inchers - 4 months old and he kept them the best he can for 3 more months until i bought them.
So according to him they should be 7-8 months old,.
I dont know if they are stunted or not(especialy i suspect red mellons) but i would like to feed them heavily at least until 12 months,and see what i can make of them.

[rickztahone]

These discus are not stunted, at least IMHO. However, if you plan on moving forward with your tank with the substrate, I'd advise you to do one thing;

Test your water for nitrates ever other day, especially before water changes. This way you get a sense as to where your nitrates are in relation to how you are feeding.

What is your WC schedule going to be you said?

[Filip]

These discus are not stunted, at least IMHO. However, if you plan on moving forward with your tank with the substrate, I'd advise you to do one thing;

Test your water for nitrates ever other day, especially before water changes. This way you get a sense as to where your nitrates are in relation to how you are feeding.

What is your WC schedule going to be you said?


Its nice to hear that they arent lookin stunted. :D
Water test is infact an excellent idea for me to know where im going at with my practice and with this substrate,feeding and filtration. Without tests i cant have an idea whether im doing things right. Ill do that for sure.

My WC -regime is,and i hope its going to stay 70-80 % weekly- sunday WC with complete vacuming and cleaning + 2 times daily before job 7:00,and before bed 00:00 hours 30-40% with quick front vacuming.
I just hope it will sufice.

[rickztahone]

Its nice to hear that they arent lookin stunted. :D
Water test is infact an excellent idea for me to know where im going at with my practice and with this substrate,feeding and filtration. Without tests i cant have an idea whether im doing things right. Ill do that for sure.

My WC -regime is,and i hope its going to stay 70-80 % weekly- sunday WC with complete vacuming and cleaning + 2 times daily before job 7:00,and before bed 00:00 hours 30-40% with quick front vacuming.
I just hope it will sufice.

I hope so to for yours and the discus sake. Are you dry dosing by any chance which is why you are going with a weekly WC schedule?

[Filip]

Im doing 2 times a day 40% and plus one 80%.
Not just one weekly 80%.

I dont use any fertilizers nor co2.
With 2 times a day WC dry dosing would be pointles IMO. And co2 would be a disaster.

[rickztahone]

Im doing 2 times a day 40% and plus one 80%.
Not just one weekly 80%.

I dont use any fertilizers nor co2.
With 2 times a day WC dry dosing would be pointles IMO. And co2 would be a disaster.

I didn't catch that the first time around. That should be more than enough IMHO. Again, just check your parameters, and first and foremost, ALWAYS observe your discus. They will be the first ones to show you when something isn't right in the tank.

[Filip]

here is a little update .
its been 19 days since i introduce my new discus in the tank .
Although they start eating normaly the first 3-4 days , their eating and active behavour change in the next days, they become more skittish and eat just 2 times a day. .
im constantly observing and questioning is this skitishness just an adjustment issue or there is something more to it . In the folowing days i notice some scratching on objects and a little darting so i conclude there must be some minor parasites that make them scratchig and less active and skitish.
I notice that large WC have very positive impact on their situation so i up it to a 80% daily, i Did a through allaround vacumming also with taking all decor and potted plants out and take them back after vacumming.
I bought salifert NO3 test - and i measure 7-10 ppm from tap , and around 20 ppm from tank in the worst period after 5 feedings a day and before WC.

Yesterday after 15 days of restraining my self i did the a PP bath , as i now from my past discus experience that PP baths alleviate their hard conditions , strips slime coat and all the external parasites and bacteries with it . Am i right with this one ?

Today after PP bath they are more active , less skittish but still scared and shy when someone walks and moves close to the tank , but i guess they still need some time to adjust.

I still do 80% daily and hope for their minor parasite issue recovery and faster adjustment , and boy are they shy , they are so different than my first round of discus .

Here are some update pics on the 19 th day 9059590596

[rickztahone]

You did a PP bath in a planted tank?

[Filip]

You did a PP bath in a planted tank?

Rickz,man are you quick in responses.Thanks for helping out man. :).
Ofcourse not in the tank, i did it and ive done it often in the past in a separate container 5 to 25 min. Depending on the pp sol. And the health and condition on discus.
It allways seemes to refresh a burdened fish.
After PP i change 80% wc to further eliminate any parasites or bacteria in water column.
Ive done it salt baths too ,but PP seemed to work beter for me ,IMHE.

Now whats your guess ,are they still adjusting after 20 days or do they have some issues?
Why arent they allways hungry ,like they supposed to?
Iwould rulled out water hygiene problems as i reset all the substrate gunk few thays ago ,and plus i make 80% dayly Wc?

[rickztahone]

There are a lot of factors in play here. At 20 days, they should be somewhat comfortable. Do you have a current pic of how they look? Keep in mind, if you do a PP bath, you want to keep them in really clean water, not back in the possibly contaminated tank because they will have no defenses, remember, PP strips their slime coat which is their first line of defense.

[Filip]

There are a lot of factors in play here. At 20 days, they should be somewhat comfortable. Do you have a current pic of how they look? Keep in mind, if you do a PP bath, you want to keep them in really clean water, not back in the possibly contaminated tank because they will have no defenses, remember, PP strips their slime coat which is their first line of defense.

They look normal, pics above are from current situation. Just are somethimes skittish and hiding,they come out only when its still and theres no room movement.after the first pp as i can see minor scratchings and dartings are gone.

And yes, after pp i always put them back in 80% new water.

[Filip]

Tonights situation is much better :) .
20 days now from arrival and 2 days after a PP Bath they started to swim around more vigorously and seemed to get their appetite back in track. Im just so reliefed :).
And a question again ofcourse :)
I plan to readjust and switch towards sand.
I have some Kema filter sand size 0.3 -0.8 mm. avalible. Is there something to look for or avoid when buying for a proper sand?

[Filip]

Update .

Today is been 5 weeks since i bought discus fish .
Even though i think they got some minor issues i think they are getting better and better as getting adjusted.

Thanks to the forum i have made some changes toward better keeping of discus fish and their hygiene needs .

First i change from substrate to sandy bottom .i got some snow white quartz sand from pool supply. i hate the whiteness but so far thats the only sand i found , ill try to mix it up in future with some darker sand to make it look more calmer and natural . But most importantly i got rid of all the gunk in the old substrate . And boy, there was some...

i also upped my WC routine to 80 % daily to compensate the substrate issue .

I didnt listen to advice Rick gave me, went compulsive shopping in LFS and bought one more discus from same tank and i put it in the tank without WC . Soory RickZ :).
That discus is bottom of pecking order , getting beat up and i think he got Hex poop . thats the moral of the story , i guess :(

Here is some photos from my old substrate tank compared to my new snowwhite sandy bottom .

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New snowwhite look :) .


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[Filip]

Sorry for my double post.
Ive made a mistake trying to edit my original post , instead i have double it up .
I hope moderators will delete the second one with tumbnail pics.
Thanks.

[rickztahone]

You know, I hate to be right sometimes but we just give you the advice because we've also gone through it. For this reason I always tell people, make sure you get the amount of discus you want from the get-go, than not. I actually made this mistake recently in that I should have gotten 1 more than I did just in case something happened. You can always sell one fish off, but to add one solitary discus is really a pain because you have to go through QT and it has to be alone in a tank.

Either way, your LFS has some of the nicest discus I have seen in any LFS to be honest. Do you happen to know where they get them from?

Secondly, I like the look of the sand, it is rather white, but it will get a little dirty soon enough and it may look more natural. I can't recall if I had told you this earlier, but substrate like the one you had is notorious for trapping detritus and is ultimately not good for your discus. Sand is a much better option after BB. Your tank still looks great. Keep us updated :)

[jmf3460]

you have beautiful fish and plants. I think you made a very wise decision changing to sand it helps tremendously when siphoning up poo and uneaten food off the bottom. you are doing very well with these fish. keep up the water changes.

[Filip]

You know, I hate to be right sometimes but we just give you the advice because we've also gone through it. For this reason I always tell people, make sure you get the amount of discus you want from the get-go, than not. I actually made this mistake recently in that I should have gotten 1 more than I did just in case something happened. You can always sell one fish off, but to add one solitary discus is really a pain because you have to go through QT and it has to be alone in a tank.

Either way, your LFS has some of the nicest discus I have seen in any LFS to be honest. Do you happen to know where they get them from?

Secondly, I like the look of the sand, it is rather white, but it will get a little dirty soon enough and it may look more natural. I can't recall if I had told you this earlier, but substrate like the one you had is notorious for trapping detritus and is ultimately not good for your discus. Sand is a much better option after BB. Your tank still looks great. Keep us updated :)

Thanks for advices about sand and buying discus Rick.
Its also good to hear that the sand will eventually darken to some degree, as right now its very bright with my full lights on.
As for LFS i mentioned it in my OP that discus are claimed to be from Jeffrey Tan by Lfs owner.
At first i didnt belive him, but other discus friends from my town assured me that they are really Tans discus.
Before this last order he had some also very good quallity Piwowarski discus. He certainly has raised the quallity of the discus orders in our town , and also for reasonable price.
BTW we dont have quallity discus breeders here,so we relly completly on what LFS brings to us .

[Eddie]

Fish and tank look great.

[Filip]

you have beautiful fish and plants. I think you made a very wise decision changing to sand it helps tremendously when siphoning up poo and uneaten food off the bottom. you are doing very well with these fish. keep up the water changes.

Thanks Jacklyn . i start to see the benifits of sand after my 2 days of siphoning an WC s. Even if i dont like the appearance of it jet , the behavour of discus has changed tremendeously toward happy and active and that just compensate for everything else. :).

As for the fish they certainly look much happier after 5 weeks now , and they also gain some weight in bellies and heads. I also think at least for 2-3 of them that i can notice a little growing - less than half inch maybe and that gives me motivation for hard work with them .


Fish and tank look great.

Thanks Eddie. And i hope this time they will stay this way :) .

[Filip]

2 months went by since I started this journal and my journey with this group of 7 discus.

This last month wasn’t easy for me and my discus since some of them stop eating and have display white poop .
So I went through a 12 day metronidazole treatment followed by a 12 day heat treatment with 34 C(94 F) in this tank .
Threads with details of my problems and treats are further discussed in bellow links

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?121751-High-temp-discus-tolerance

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?121476-Transparent-segmented-poop


Anyway, now they are all OK and eating again , but still cant make them go full bellies after meal .They always finish meals without stuffed bellies eventhough they eat well and gain thickness and some growth . I really don’t know why is this about?
As for my plants, they also pay their toll for high heat treatment , and some of them are in bad shape now .

Here are some pictures of the current situation.


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[Filip]

91854

[rickztahone]

These discus still look very nice to me. Plants are always secondary, and they aren't fully melted so they can recover.

Give the discus time, and if they are eating a little bit, it is better than not at all.

[pastry]

These discus still look very nice to me. Plants are always secondary, and they aren't fully melted so they can recover.

Give the discus time, and if they are eating a little bit, it is better than not at all.

Totally agree. Discus looking good and looking happy. Also, you'd be surprised how much you can beat plants up. They can look dead but then come back with a vengeance.

[Filip]

These discus still look very nice to me. Plants are always secondary, and they aren't fully melted so they can recover.

Give the discus time, and if they are eating a little bit, it is better than not at all.

Thanks Rick. They sure are happy,always swimming around and they eat well 4 times a day.
Its just funny how their bellies never get big and bloated after the meal,like on other discus I had in the past.

I'm willing to give a shot with praziquantel and levamisole Deworming procedures since I haven't done it with them yet from their arrival.
Maybe that will accelerate their growth.

Anyway I still do large Daily WCs and cleaning hardwork, feed regularly and hope for good growth.

[Filip]

Totally agree. Discus looking good and looking happy. Also, you'd be surprised how much you can beat plants up. They can look dead but then come back with a vengeance.

Thanks Elliot.
Now since the temperature is back to normal 29 C I started dosing half dose of PPS- PRO and I hope they will come to life again.

[Filip]

3 and a half mont update .

Although everything goes smooth and good so far im a little disapointed with the little growtht of the 3 red mellon discus .
Other 4 fish-The 3 RTs and 1 red melon came in bigger and still grow some more bulk on them , but 3 smallest RMs still small for my taste .

They all eat great and WCs are daily up to date . I also did the prazi and levamisole deworming treat , but nothing came out of them , so i guess they are clean of worms.
Anyway thats my current situation , and here are some additional pics from 3 and a half month since they got here:


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[fishguy456]

What strain is the white and pinkish red?

[Filip]

What strain is the white and pinkish red?

All four of them are bought as a red mellons from my LFS .
The 3 of them are pinkish-white ,still no signs of red on them .
The last one - the white is kinda albino.He turns somethimes allmost pale white like albino and yet somethimes he goes pinkish to red.

[Filip]

Its been awhile since i havent updated my tank journal , so i ve decided to change that :).

Nothing is changed that much. Discus are still the same 7 from day one and they rounded up their growings so far . 4 of them turned all right(still havent measured them) , but 3 red mellons stayed small size - 4.5 to 5 inch total lenght.

As far as plants concerned , some of them more delicate ones died from harsh conditions and were replaced by their tougher relatives- Java fern and anubias .But as time goes by on this forum and my discus grew healthy and big i learned to focus my attention more on the discus beauty than on plant growth as i did before.

Anyways, here are some pics of my tank and its current situation.

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[tunerhead24]

Beautiful tank!

[Filip]

Beautiful tank!


Thanks Manny.

[walt]

That is a beautiful set up!

[Filip]

That is a beautiful set up!

Thank you Walt.

[Phillydubs]

Really nice! Love it!

Those turqs are beasts and I love the patterns, some LFS you have!

[rickztahone]

Really nice! Love it!

Those turqs are beasts and I love the patterns, some LFS you have!

I agree, those turqs are something else. They look so beefy! :)

[Filip]

Thanks Phillip and Ricardo.
I regret now for not buying all the 7 discus Galaxy RT.
They came up much bigger and beafier than the melons.
I'm also tempted to hand measure them , but I haven't got the guts yet :). I did measure my smallest hero discus when I was transferring him to QT with new arrivals and he was 4.5 inch.So my guessing is that RT should be around 6 inch since they look considerably bigger than him.

[rickztahone]

Thanks Phillip and Ricardo.
I regret now for not buying all the 7 discus Galaxy RT.
They came up much bigger and beafier than the melons.
I'm also tempted to hand measure them , but I haven't got the guts yet :). I did measure my smallest hero discus when I was transferring him to QT with new arrivals and he was 4.5 inch.So my guessing is that RT should be around 6 inch since they look considerably bigger than him.

If you have a glass top brace, lay a small towel on it. Get some kind of plastic tupperware to scoop the discus out, drain the water, slide on to the towel and measure :). Easy.

[Filip]

If you have a glass top brace, lay a small towel on it. Get some kind of plastic tupperware to scoop the discus out, drain the water, slide on to the towel and measure :). Easy.

Yes Rick I have a glass lids on top.
Should I expect them to jump or flip from the towel, once put on the towel ?

Somehow it looks easier for me to deal when fish is smaller size like my hero 4.5 inch discus, bit with bigger ones I get a bit scared to do it :).

[rickztahone]

Yes Rick I have a glass lids on top.
Should I expect them to jump or flip from the towel, once put on the towel ?

Somehow it looks easier for me to deal when fish is smaller size like my hero 4.5 inch discus, bit with bigger ones I get a bit scared to do it :).

Once on the towel they will stay still

[Filip]

Just a regular tank photo update .
Nothing changed much in terms of discus , steady situation, except for a little bit more greenery in the tank .
Here are some pics from a current setup.

97202972039720497205

[Filip]

two more close ups , propably cant fit them all in one post.

9720697207

[Akili]

Filip, you have a nice looking tank and a great collection :thumbsup:

[nolefan]

They all
Look nice and happy in there .. Great looking tank barebottom tanks don't do nothing for me

[rickztahone]

Great update Filip. You have a really big boy on there!

[jmf3460]

hygrophilia is getting out of control in there aint it? great looking tank Filip, you have a nice combination of plants and fish in there. Tell me your thoughts on the Rosaline barbs with the discus?? Are they too rambunctious for the discus during feeding time. I like the look of them with the discus but I have mixed feelings whether they will gobble up all the food before the discus can get to it or not. But your fish look well fed so maybe not. I really like your combination of fish. Usually I prefer a single species tank but the combination of 2 that you have is really nice. such a beautiful tank! congrats!

[Filip]

Thaks guys for your responses and compliments .I'm glad you like my tank and fish.
Sorry Jacklyn for a late response but I went on a 4 day trip with my wife and son for easter holliday.

I bought Roseline barbs as addition to my Discus because they are big and schooling fish and easily visible from my couch distance.
In my case they are scared from my discus all along from the start even when discus were young new 3.5-4 inches.
They always come second during feeding time and eating the leftovers from Discus along with other small tetra fish. Discus are always eating on top and barbs and tetras are waiting food below them.

The only possible disadvantage that I have notice is their fast and instant schooling swimming when they got scared , that also freaks out a bit a newly introduced discus.
But after a while discus grew accustomed to their freakish swimming , and now they just don't mind that eather.

P.s. On the plants matter. Sorry for my misguidance but I have recently find out from a SD members thread that the plant is actually Ceratopteris thalicroides , not hygrophilla difformis. And yes it grows invasive like a weed , and I regularly cut and throw away peaces of it .