New To Discus

[ChrisH]

Hello Everyone,

Been lurking around here for a week or so, and I've already learned quite a bit about Discus. Of course I have TONS MORE to learn. I'm thinking of starting a 180g planted Discus tank, but I have a few ?'s.
Since I've never kept Discus before, or live plants, am I asking for trouble by trying to do both at once?? I'm starting to think that I should just start out with the fish, and progress on to the live plants at a later time. I don't want to jepardize the health of the Discus by trying to "adjust things" to help the plants.
If keeping just fish for the time being, what kind of substrate should I go with, so I don't make a mess later on when I want to start plants? I assume that I should go with less lighting also, until I start adding plants, correct? Let me know if I'm making sence here. Give me any advice that I need. Thanks very much!!
ChrisH

[GWdiscus]

Hey Chris,
Welcome.
I'm new too. Its been a challenge but with the help and expertise from the great people here at simplydiscus I've come a long way in a short time.
I have a bare bottom 75 g tank with 7 young discus. I also have six plotted plants, just assorted plants (I don't know their names, I went to a local pet shop that had some knowledgable people and asked for low light and high temp tolerate plants). I used clay pots with a 1" layer of coarse gravel followed by a couple of inches of peat which I placed a plant in and covered them with another inch of gravel.
I really like the plants. Make sure the pots have no broken edges along the bottom where food and waste can get into and hide. All my pots fit snuggly on the bottom of the glass.

Years ago I tried discus and could never keep the ammonia down, now I never have ammonia levels large enough to register. Is it the plants or is it the extra care I put into cycling the tank, I don't know, most likely both?

One other thing about plants, treat your plants with P P first to kill off the snails. There are posting here that discuss dosage. I didn't and I'm just beginning to win the battle of siphen vs snail reproduction after 2 month from a snail population explosion.

Good luck, go slow, and ask lots of questions.
Michael

[dm]

It is probably better if you are new to Discus and plants to go with a bare bottom tank. Once you have the basics of Discus keeping down good you can later add plants and a substrate.