Please review my tank.

[a.person61]

Hi guys, could you please review my tank?
About 150 gallons, high tech planted (with co2 and ph controller), eheim pro 3 500L with trickle filter and a uv filter, half sand half eco complete live maybe 5 cm before you say something about it ive somehow got it so i can clean the sand the exact way you clean gravel so it gets a big stir every water change, im trying to grow a carpet with a dutch style at the back, 3 foot long driftwood, seriyu stones, maxspect gyre "wave maker/power head", led sunrise sunset,

Stock
2 angals, 2 bristalnose, 4 corys, 10 cardinals, 9 or 8 hockey stick tetras, 9 rummys, 12 to 14 glow light tetras and ramshorn snails

Water
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate between 10 to 20 ppm hopeing to get it down to 5ppm
Ph 7.5 before co2 about 6.6 after
GH ive forgot it but it about 50 to 100PPM
Kh slightly higher then the gh maybe by 20ppm or so
Co2-no idea the co2 fluid thing on the side of the tank starts to turn green
From tap and treated with API conditioner
Temp about 27 to 28

When i get the discus hopefully 7, i will be doing 3 25% wc a week
DISCUS WILL BE ADULTS
Discus in 3 foot quarantine for 6 weeks hopefully grow them a little in there aswell, not sure where i will be getting them as im from Australia and new import laws are driving the prices up.

[Filip]

I wish you good luck with your upcomming discus Austin.
I would like to see some pictures of your current display.
IMHO- Co2 , fertilizers,deep gravel, plant carpet , low WC regime etc. is a kind of a risky combination /plan ,but im sure ,as a long term SD member you are allready aware of it .
Try and see if that can work out for you , if your discus tells you otherwise , you can change things up accordingly .
I will surely follow your journal with interest .

[a.person61]

Thanks for the reply, ill have to get some good updated pictures when i can.

How much wc would you do in my setup? I know the 7 days a week would be best but i cant really do that much. Maybe 4 or 5?

Im interested in how the carpet could be risky, assuming i can get it to grow (my last try failed) what would be the long term effect?

[delta5]

Thanks for the reply, ill have to get some good updated pictures when i can.

How much wc would you do in my setup? I know the 7 days a week would be best but i cant really do that much. Maybe 4 or 5?

Im interested in how the carpet could be risky, assuming i can get it to grow (my last try failed) what would be the long term effect?

Build up of waste on the substrate is prob a concern. Plants can also hurt your water quality if they stop growing and die back resulting in increased nitrite levels. If you haven't kept a healthy planted aquarium long term before you are taking a huge risk with mixing in discus. Discus are messy eaters and poop machines.

[a.person61]

Thanjs for clearing that up, ive had plants for the majority of my aquarium keeping and have made sure i pick the "easy" plants as well get all the equipment correct for them, Hopefully they won't die. With the waste i am aware of the build up, im still abit worried about it but i have done observations and im pleased to say the live part of the soil works, just takes a few weeks... if i was to place the siphon on a spot on the soil and hold it there would it be able to pick up most of the waste?

[delta5]

Thanjs for clearing that up, ive had plants for the majority of my aquarium keeping and have made sure i pick the "easy" plants as well get all the equipment correct for them, Hopefully they won't die. With the waste i am aware of the build up, im still abit worried about it but i have done observations and im pleased to say the live part of the soil works, just takes a few weeks... if i was to place the siphon on a spot on the soil and hold it there would it be able to pick up most of the waste?

Depends. If it's gravel or more coarse than sand then you'd prob want to sift through it a bit.

[Filip]

Thanks for the reply, ill have to get some good updated pictures when i can.

How much wc would you do in my setup? I know the 7 days a week would be best but i cant really do that much. Maybe 4 or 5?

Im interested in how the carpet could be risky, assuming i can get it to grow (my last try failed) what would be the long term effect?

4 big ones a week propably will suffice IMO .But than again , i dont know how will discus react on putting big amounts of non co2 enriched tap water in to co2 enriched tank.
Carpet planting and bushy plants are non advisable because they ar a sponge for collecting debris and uneaten food that further rots in them .
And you cant siphon the carpet that efficiently as you can do it with sand /gravel.
BTW . What do you have for substrate ? Soil or a stone gravel ? What size granulation?

[a.person61]

I have aquarium sand not sure what size it is and eco complete which is 0.25mm to 7mm below is the text from there website, should also add it doesn't change water chemistry. When im adding water I could do it when the co2 is off so the swing is reduced and also save some money from not having to inject extra co2.
"Eco‑Complete’s™ secret lies in rich basaltic volcanic soil which contains iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur plus over 25 other elements to nourish your aquatic plants. Floraspore™ symbionts activate the root-substrate interface to facilitate the uptake of minerals which make for a healthier root and healthier plant. Iron rich Eco‑Complete™ eliminates the need for laterite. No artificial dyes, paints, or chemical coatings. Eco-Complete™ has highly porous spherical grains for optimum diffusion performance and contains live Heterotrophic bacteria to rapidly convert fish waste into natural food for your aquatic plants. It establishes a natural biological balance which makes cycling a new aquarium faster and safer."