Recycling water after filter them out by sand instead of WC

[redribbon]

Could I recycle the discus water tank back to it after filter them by sand ?

[redribbon]

Look like no one try this method before huh? I try to set the bucket 2/3 of sand at bottom and 1/3 of rock on the top of sand ,with the small hole hook with small pipe at bottom to drain the water which come slowly from the 48 gallons tank at top .This filter water will collect in next tank & will pump back up to big tank with small pump which i bough at plumper store.The pump will work automatically when ever the filter water reach the design level. All thing of this system could hide into the cabinet at the bottom of the tank for neat.
The good thing of this system is :
_ It suck all the remain food which sink down at bottom of big tank and lay on top of rock of bucket
-The water which go back to the big tank is so clean & i don't have to do WC or age tap water
The unknow thing of this system is :
-Do it safe for the discus with the water condition like that ?I did not test the water at all cuz i run out of liquid but the fish same fine to me
Any idea????

[brandy]

This method definately won't replace water changes with new water. There are dissolved wastes in discus water, like nitrate. The only way to get rid of the waste is to remove old water and add new water to the tank. Filtering the water will not accomplish this. New water also has minerals in it that the fish need to grow and remain healthy. The only way to replenish these minerals is through water changes with new, clean water.

[Carol_Roberts]

Juveniles discus do best with daily water changes of fresh, clean water.

[Larry Grenier]

Sounds like you're attempting to set-up what the reef folks call a "Deep Sand Bed" where you have aerobic layers on top to take care of ammonia and nitrites and an anerobic layer underneath to process nitrates. Many folks have seen nitrates decrease over time with this method. Every so often you hear of these "crashing" and the bacteria dies and the toxins rise to unhealthy or even toxic levels; scares me :scared:

Bottom line is, I believe you still need to keep-up with the frequent water changes.

I have one discus tank a little too-far from my plumbing so water changes are a pain. It has a well lit sump in the cabinet full of hardy plants (water-column feeders like annubias, jave fern, and the fast growing water sprite). Plants actually "feed" off of nitrates and other nasties in the water. I am able to cut-down my water changes on this tank but still do about 5 small water changes a week. As the plants grow, prune them back. I like this much better that the "deep sand bed" method.