ctrout
08-18-2019, 08:13 PM
I posted some questions several weeks ago that have brought me to do a lot more research. One of my questions regarded the poor parameters of my tap water. Straight out of the pipes, my PH was 8.4. After 24 hours with an air stone, the PH is 7.6 and the nitrates are 5PPM. The plan now has changed to setting this up as a planted community SA tank with some peat moss in the sump and see what the PH settles in at. Additionally, I'll be lighting and planting the sump to hopefully help with the nitrate levels. If this strategy doesn't bring my water parameters into a better safe range, I'll be giving up on adding discus to the tank. I can't commit to the money and level of maintenance that would be required to correct for bad initial water conditions. In other words, I won't be purchasing an RO system and doing 50% water changes every other day. I'll probably give the tank 6 months or so with fish and plants before I decide if I can add discus or not.
I have my 90 gallon in place and am ready to start slowly (budgetary restrictions) getting things set up. I was planning to use an existing 20g long as a sump, but discovered a chip at one of the seams that must have happened while it was in storage during the past 2 months. Now I have the option of using either a 20 long or a 30 breeder since I have to buy a new one. Aside from the roughly 5 gallons of additional water volume that I would gain, is there any advantage in going with the 30 breeder rather than the 20 long?
Another question has to do with substrate. The plan now is for three pairs of rams, probably Bolivians, since the Germans seem to have pretty rotten inbred genetics these days, from what I've read. I will also be adding about a dozen or so neon tetras and a half dozen dwarf gouramis. Since the rams like a sand substrate, as well as the discus liking it, I was thinking of using white quartz pool filter sand. Is this: https://www.amazon.com/Fairmount-Minerals-Filter-20-Grade-Silica/dp/B00JJ5GXSK/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=white+quartz+pool+filter+sand&qid=1566169259&s=gateway&sr=8-2 the right stuff?
I have my 90 gallon in place and am ready to start slowly (budgetary restrictions) getting things set up. I was planning to use an existing 20g long as a sump, but discovered a chip at one of the seams that must have happened while it was in storage during the past 2 months. Now I have the option of using either a 20 long or a 30 breeder since I have to buy a new one. Aside from the roughly 5 gallons of additional water volume that I would gain, is there any advantage in going with the 30 breeder rather than the 20 long?
Another question has to do with substrate. The plan now is for three pairs of rams, probably Bolivians, since the Germans seem to have pretty rotten inbred genetics these days, from what I've read. I will also be adding about a dozen or so neon tetras and a half dozen dwarf gouramis. Since the rams like a sand substrate, as well as the discus liking it, I was thinking of using white quartz pool filter sand. Is this: https://www.amazon.com/Fairmount-Minerals-Filter-20-Grade-Silica/dp/B00JJ5GXSK/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=white+quartz+pool+filter+sand&qid=1566169259&s=gateway&sr=8-2 the right stuff?