CajunAg
08-11-2010, 02:23 PM
Hello All,
I apologize in advance for the length I am expecting this first post to be, there are just so many questions!
First off, my aquarium background is keeping various hardy fish (zebra danios, gourami, barbs, white clouds, bettas, etc) alive in simple, all-in-one 5 and 10 gallon kit tanks when I was younger - like before high school. I can't say I learned all that much technical info, anything I read about water chemistry or species compatibility was usually way over my head! I did have a burning passion about keeping fish tho, I tried my best to keep everything alive.
Well, now that college is over, working professionally for over 2 years, just married, I'm ready to take the plunge again! So, as you can probably guess, I have a lot of catching up to do. One of the first books I bought about aquarium fish when I was younger, Aquarium Fish by Ulrich Schliewen (http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Fish-Pet-reference-books/dp/0812013506/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281548486&sr=1-12) had a beautiful discus on the cover, and I had always been fascinated by them since. For the longest time I thought they were out of my reach both in skill and financially, but I have reached a point where I think I am ready to give it a shot.
So, I am just in the beginning stages of planning my first discus tank, which also happens to be my first try at a huge (>10 gal :)) tank. My initial plan is to keep about 6 discus in a lightly planted aquarium (plants being hardy Java Fern and Anubias), with some driftwood (maybe rock or 2), and a sand substrate. Tankmates I'd like to include are Cardinal Tetras (6, 8, 10?) and a Bristle Nose (2 or 3?). I don't plan on breeding any of these, for now I just want to show off to all apartment entrants!
My first big question is what size tank would be a good starting point. I have visited a few local fish stores, my favorite tank thus far has been a 65 gal Aqueon pre-drilled aquarium (36x18x24). Why pre-drilled? After I have mastered the discus (or rather submitted fully to all of its needs), I'd like to upgrade to a larger tank for the discus and play around with saltwater aquaria. I don't plan on doing that anytime soon, but it is something I want to prepare for. Another consideration on the tank is my current living situation, which is a large second floor apartment. I have checked w/ management and there aren't any restrictions on size, but after helping a buddy move his 100 gal glass tank I don't really want to go there yet (maybe after a house purchase...). But, in the end, would a 65 gal be large enough for all the fish I'd like to get? If not, is there a good combination of fish that would be ok?
Next question is on filtration. I thought initially I could just use a wet-dry setup, since I eventually want to go salty anyway, but it seems like a lot of people discourage their use with discus. So, any recommendations? The other option I thought of was to use a power filter like an Emperor 400 and maybe a HOT Magnum canister? Cost and noise are a factor, but I am willing to bend to get a great setup.
Next, water. I am still trying to find out what Houston's water is like (anyone know already?), but with my luck it is probably quite hard and alkaline. So, when considering tank size and the need for future water changes, would an RO system be necessary? Since I am limited on what I can do with the plumbing, I found a counter top unit (http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/ro-counter-detail.htm) that I can connect directly to the faucet. Then again, maybe I don't even need it. I plan on asking the LFS this weekend for their recommendations as well.
Finally, maybe perhaps most crucial, is how well I am setting myself up for success. I am trying to diligently to do my research, read as much about fish keeping and discus as I can, and get advice along the way. I don't have any impressions that I can go from an empty carpet space to healthy discus aquarium in less than a few months, or that I will never make mistakes. It's my hope that with everyone's advice, a lot of work, patience, and perseverance, I can provide a happy home to a few of nature's most beautiful fish!
Wow, this is long. Again my apologies.Thanks!
I apologize in advance for the length I am expecting this first post to be, there are just so many questions!
First off, my aquarium background is keeping various hardy fish (zebra danios, gourami, barbs, white clouds, bettas, etc) alive in simple, all-in-one 5 and 10 gallon kit tanks when I was younger - like before high school. I can't say I learned all that much technical info, anything I read about water chemistry or species compatibility was usually way over my head! I did have a burning passion about keeping fish tho, I tried my best to keep everything alive.
Well, now that college is over, working professionally for over 2 years, just married, I'm ready to take the plunge again! So, as you can probably guess, I have a lot of catching up to do. One of the first books I bought about aquarium fish when I was younger, Aquarium Fish by Ulrich Schliewen (http://www.amazon.com/Aquarium-Fish-Pet-reference-books/dp/0812013506/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281548486&sr=1-12) had a beautiful discus on the cover, and I had always been fascinated by them since. For the longest time I thought they were out of my reach both in skill and financially, but I have reached a point where I think I am ready to give it a shot.
So, I am just in the beginning stages of planning my first discus tank, which also happens to be my first try at a huge (>10 gal :)) tank. My initial plan is to keep about 6 discus in a lightly planted aquarium (plants being hardy Java Fern and Anubias), with some driftwood (maybe rock or 2), and a sand substrate. Tankmates I'd like to include are Cardinal Tetras (6, 8, 10?) and a Bristle Nose (2 or 3?). I don't plan on breeding any of these, for now I just want to show off to all apartment entrants!
My first big question is what size tank would be a good starting point. I have visited a few local fish stores, my favorite tank thus far has been a 65 gal Aqueon pre-drilled aquarium (36x18x24). Why pre-drilled? After I have mastered the discus (or rather submitted fully to all of its needs), I'd like to upgrade to a larger tank for the discus and play around with saltwater aquaria. I don't plan on doing that anytime soon, but it is something I want to prepare for. Another consideration on the tank is my current living situation, which is a large second floor apartment. I have checked w/ management and there aren't any restrictions on size, but after helping a buddy move his 100 gal glass tank I don't really want to go there yet (maybe after a house purchase...). But, in the end, would a 65 gal be large enough for all the fish I'd like to get? If not, is there a good combination of fish that would be ok?
Next question is on filtration. I thought initially I could just use a wet-dry setup, since I eventually want to go salty anyway, but it seems like a lot of people discourage their use with discus. So, any recommendations? The other option I thought of was to use a power filter like an Emperor 400 and maybe a HOT Magnum canister? Cost and noise are a factor, but I am willing to bend to get a great setup.
Next, water. I am still trying to find out what Houston's water is like (anyone know already?), but with my luck it is probably quite hard and alkaline. So, when considering tank size and the need for future water changes, would an RO system be necessary? Since I am limited on what I can do with the plumbing, I found a counter top unit (http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/ro-counter-detail.htm) that I can connect directly to the faucet. Then again, maybe I don't even need it. I plan on asking the LFS this weekend for their recommendations as well.
Finally, maybe perhaps most crucial, is how well I am setting myself up for success. I am trying to diligently to do my research, read as much about fish keeping and discus as I can, and get advice along the way. I don't have any impressions that I can go from an empty carpet space to healthy discus aquarium in less than a few months, or that I will never make mistakes. It's my hope that with everyone's advice, a lot of work, patience, and perseverance, I can provide a happy home to a few of nature's most beautiful fish!
Wow, this is long. Again my apologies.Thanks!