DYDave82
01-12-2017, 05:25 AM
1) Hello friends, I’m DYDave82. I’ve been an aquatic enthusiast for nearly three years now. I started the hobby very humbly keeping loaches. My first 15g Top Fin quickly became the five aquariums I keep today. I have heavily planted: 20g long, 46g bow front, and a 90g all well stocked with common to very rare rainbow fish, loaches, and pleco’s. I also have a DIY nano reef tank = 12g Fluval Edge that everyone told me would be impossible to keep stable without a seriously expensive setup that’s going clean and strong for over a year now. (Proud of that one :grin:)
2) I have no previous experience-keeping discus. I have watched many youtube videos about Discus keeping (I luv DIY and Dustin’s) and have read many posts here since recently joining the forum. :book:
3) Today marks the three-week mark of the start of my newest project: the conversion of an old drilled reef tank, specifically a 92g corner bow front that I’ve sealed and cycled thoroughly. I refinished and reinforced the old oak stand; it looks new now. The glass is in great shape except for the bottom that is all scratched up from many years of live rock scraping about. It’s filled with fresh Florida well water and has been cycled with a bio wheel from a Marineland 350.
4) I have a huge hollowed trunk of driftwood waterlogging under a boulder in the pond in the back yard. And yes, the plan is to make the driftwood the centerpiece for the new tank. Otherwise there is a thin layer of white sand on the bottom. No plants are planned for this tank in the near future. I was thinking of hiding the heater in the back-drilled reservoir that’s been plugged to give it a super clean look.
5) I spend two to three hours a week keeping my tanks sparkling despite being (arguably) overstocked. I am willing and able to feed twice a day and do water changes give or take – every other day. I usually do 50 to 60% once a week on my current setups. We have Florida well water that has a remarkably stable pH of 7.8. It’s rich in nutrients. I have contended with algae blooms in the past. (The bay windows don’t help.)
6) I’m running a Hydor Professional 600 Canister and a Coralife UV sterilizer connected to the return line. Why the sterilizer? It was sitting in the garage so I thought, why not.
7) Current parameters:
- Temperature is currently 75 – I need to install some heaters; some advice on a heater that will get the job done would be great; I’m guessing something with 300 watts – planned temp of 84
- Tank pH: 7.8
- pH of the water straight out my well: 7.8
- Ammonia reading 0ppm
8) I have contacted Hans and Kenny for stock. I am being patient as I need this driftwood log to finish leeching hundred year-old tannins and ‘who knows what else’ into my goldfish pond before I put it in the tank -- let alone with expensive fish in with it. My plan is to get six 4” Discus initially and then add singular larger specimens as they pop up online. Is this plan sound? I’ve been advised that 6 is the bare minimum for this size tank and that they may be very shy… Hans was telling me that small groups could have bully problems. Seems like even 6 is an awfully expensive start up cost. Hans recommended a minimum of 10 small. SIGH* that’s some $$$ :eek:
9) I plan on feeding pellets and beef heart. I’ll probably make my own beef heart mix. Ideas? There is currently 12 Rummy Nose Tetra’s in the tank as well as 3 Cory’s routing about. I hear they may become snacks? Also maybe thinking about a smaller variety of wood eating pleco to keep the driftwood nicely mowed…
10) My goal is simple: I want big, healthy Discus for my show tank and come what may after that. Thanks so much for the forums expertise – don’t hold back. =)
2) I have no previous experience-keeping discus. I have watched many youtube videos about Discus keeping (I luv DIY and Dustin’s) and have read many posts here since recently joining the forum. :book:
3) Today marks the three-week mark of the start of my newest project: the conversion of an old drilled reef tank, specifically a 92g corner bow front that I’ve sealed and cycled thoroughly. I refinished and reinforced the old oak stand; it looks new now. The glass is in great shape except for the bottom that is all scratched up from many years of live rock scraping about. It’s filled with fresh Florida well water and has been cycled with a bio wheel from a Marineland 350.
4) I have a huge hollowed trunk of driftwood waterlogging under a boulder in the pond in the back yard. And yes, the plan is to make the driftwood the centerpiece for the new tank. Otherwise there is a thin layer of white sand on the bottom. No plants are planned for this tank in the near future. I was thinking of hiding the heater in the back-drilled reservoir that’s been plugged to give it a super clean look.
5) I spend two to three hours a week keeping my tanks sparkling despite being (arguably) overstocked. I am willing and able to feed twice a day and do water changes give or take – every other day. I usually do 50 to 60% once a week on my current setups. We have Florida well water that has a remarkably stable pH of 7.8. It’s rich in nutrients. I have contended with algae blooms in the past. (The bay windows don’t help.)
6) I’m running a Hydor Professional 600 Canister and a Coralife UV sterilizer connected to the return line. Why the sterilizer? It was sitting in the garage so I thought, why not.
7) Current parameters:
- Temperature is currently 75 – I need to install some heaters; some advice on a heater that will get the job done would be great; I’m guessing something with 300 watts – planned temp of 84
- Tank pH: 7.8
- pH of the water straight out my well: 7.8
- Ammonia reading 0ppm
8) I have contacted Hans and Kenny for stock. I am being patient as I need this driftwood log to finish leeching hundred year-old tannins and ‘who knows what else’ into my goldfish pond before I put it in the tank -- let alone with expensive fish in with it. My plan is to get six 4” Discus initially and then add singular larger specimens as they pop up online. Is this plan sound? I’ve been advised that 6 is the bare minimum for this size tank and that they may be very shy… Hans was telling me that small groups could have bully problems. Seems like even 6 is an awfully expensive start up cost. Hans recommended a minimum of 10 small. SIGH* that’s some $$$ :eek:
9) I plan on feeding pellets and beef heart. I’ll probably make my own beef heart mix. Ideas? There is currently 12 Rummy Nose Tetra’s in the tank as well as 3 Cory’s routing about. I hear they may become snacks? Also maybe thinking about a smaller variety of wood eating pleco to keep the driftwood nicely mowed…
10) My goal is simple: I want big, healthy Discus for my show tank and come what may after that. Thanks so much for the forums expertise – don’t hold back. =)