100 gallon square tank morphed into discus tank

[2wheelsx2]

I just realized that I had not posted any pics up here of my tank as it was setup, after asking all kinds of questions and getting suggestions from John and various other people. Thought I would post up that I caught on to the this addiction and also the wilds movement!

Anyway, after an ordeal with an infection that was pleco specific, I was able to drown my sorrows with these guys, thanks to a couple of friends. Enjoy.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TUzTdCd_X_I/AAAAAAAACxw/yvnUGHErU-A/s800/DSC_2714.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TUzTeGqbg5I/AAAAAAAACx0/dRIW3fht4ko/s800/DSC_2715.JPG

Full tank shot, sorry for the bubbles, I was still running a venturi at this point, which I have since disabled and have just aimed the UV outlet skimming along the surface of the water:
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TUZHAjXH9YI/AAAAAAAACv4/er7fInkiXl4/s800/DSC_2700.JPG

[jball1125]

Very nice tank!

Thanks for sharing

[Jennie]

I love what the tetras add to it!

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks. And yes, the tetras make it very interesting. The black neons stay closer to the surface while the rummy nose stay nearer the substrate, forming very distinct shoals. And the discus drive them around the tank, making for a very interesting display. I'll have to put a video up when I have a chance, as I've taken some.

[ZX10R]

See I don't get it how do you guys keep those planted tanks like yours so clean looking. I really like the tank looks great!!

[2wheelsx2]

See I don't get it how do you guys keep those planted tanks like yours so clean looking. I really like the tank looks great!!

I have a lot of flow in the tank. Eheim 2078 direct plumb into the tank from the back with locline directing the flow to the surface. Maxijet 400 in the back corner, Hydor Koralia 1 on the front right and JBJ Submariner 13w UV in the left corner. I plan to replace the Maxijet 400 with an HK2 at some point for more surface agitation. I do 3 - 4 water changes a week at 60 - 75%. I have plecos and Corydoras sterbai in the tank which cleans up anything hitting the gravel, and the tetras get most of the stuff in between what the discus don't eat.

[ZX10R]

I have a lot of flow in the tank. Eheim 2078 direct plumb into the tank from the back with locline directing the flow to the surface. Maxijet 400 in the back corner, Hydor Koralia 1 on the front right and JBJ Submariner 13w UV in the left corner. I plan to replace the Maxijet 400 with an HK2 at some point for more surface agitation. I do 3 - 4 water changes a week at 60 - 75%. I have plecos and Corydoras sterbai in the tank which cleans up anything hitting the gravel, and the tetras get most of the stuff in between what the discus don't eat.

I have one tank with substrate and I could clean it every day because there is always poop, food, or whatever laying on top of the substrate. I have discus, cardinal tetras, and cory cats in there. I will be adding 4 more cory cats and several plecos in the next week I guess I will see if that helps some. I have a 92 gallon tank close to your tank size how many tetras, cory cats, and plecos do you have in yours?

[2wheelsx2]

I have 60+ tetras in there. And 24 Sterbai. And currently about 10 small Hypancistrus. The thing is that I have that rockwork/plants in the center which hides some of the poop/debris. When I go for a big clean, I'll flush water in there and drive all the poop/debris out. and suck it up with my gravel vac.

[ZX10R]

I have 60+ tetras in there. And 24 Sterbai. And currently about 10 small Hypancistrus.

WOW that is way more then I have in mine at the moment. I have 16 tetras 5 cory cats but I will be adding 4 more cory cats and 5 plecos.

Thanks for the info

[target]

Yeah, Gary has finally been bitten by the discus bug. Took a while. But his pleco addiction is much worse.

[2wheelsx2]

The tetras are probably sufficient, but the cories behave much more naturally if you get a dozen or more. I wouldn't get more plecos as they do add to the bioload, but I just can't help myself, as target indicated below. :D

[ZX10R]

I had the chance to get some plecos so I had to get a few. Here is the list I had to choose from.

L14
L15
L18
L34
L75
LDA33
L152
L177
L136B
L129
CLOWN PLECO
ROYAL PLECO
SPOTTED ROYAL PLECO
L146
SPOTTED ALBINO PLECO
BRISTLENOSE PLECO
L52
LDA25
L128

[2wheelsx2]

Managed to get a few fish shot a couple of nights ago....sans air bubbles, since I removed the venturi from the UV.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TWB9icjUZ5I/AAAAAAAACzc/uIJBEm8nfJY/s800/DSC_2735.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TWB9i__DZRI/AAAAAAAACzg/dkD1aMzziRo/s800/DSC_2736.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TWB9jZVmofI/AAAAAAAACzk/E_IGClUXkj4/s800/DSC_2737.JPG

Some of the other inhabitants:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TWB9kH7FbDI/AAAAAAAACzo/fmjdQOX3xn8/s800/DSC_2739.JPG

[Second Hand Pat]

Love the tank and the wilds. All greens I'm guessing and agree that the tetras do add a nice touch.

[2wheelsx2]

I'm fairly new at this, but from the original owners I'm told 2 are blues while 2 are greens. I can never get all of them from the side in the same pic.

[Cuchulainn]

Simply amazing looking tank! Thanks for sharing
What is the substrate, pool filter sand?

[2wheelsx2]

It's Estes white quartz sand that I bought at a LFS which sells SW livestock. They sold me the whole setup and had the tank drilled. The owner is a real enthusiast and worked with me the way on this, and was probably just as excited as I was to get this finished.

[Jennie]

awesome looking!

[josephl]

Wow, those fish look awesome, well done

[2wheelsx2]

I really appreciate the positive comments from everyone, since I'm a total n00b when it comes to discus. I'm enjoying this new adventure in fishkeeping so far. So much so that I'm considering expanding the herd. :p

[GODSNAKE73]

That’s a beautiful tank. Nice work.

[Len]

I really like your tank. The tetras do make a big difference. I especially like those discus, where did you get them?

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks, Len. The discus were originally sold by April (from here) to 2 different members of my local fish forum, BC Aquaria. When I got 3 from one member who offered them to me at a great price, another member offered me 2 from her collection so that I would have enough for a proper group. I'm really enjoying them.

[3dees]

awesome setup. I usually don't like plants with wilds but you made it work. well done.

[2wheelsx2]

awesome setup. I usually don't like plants with wilds but you made it work. well done.

Thanks. It never really started out as a planted tank. I had fully planted 20 and 15 gallons and when I took them down, I chucked most of the plants and just kept the ones I wanted. Then I added about 20 bucks worth of plants and all of a sudden I have a planted tank. I just wanted a few to help with the water quality and for contrast. Seems to always happen with me and plants. :p

I may eventually prune most of that stuff out as I'm looking for some shade plants, like a red lotus.

[2wheelsx2]

Here's a vid of the tank my friend took. I've since removed the venturi so there are not so many bubbles and the fish are less shy.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=---u4nZV5x4

[JL15219]

Very nice tank and discus!!! I used to have venturi setup on my planted tank long ago but never really liked the seltzer water look so went with a DIY co2 reactor.

[2wheelsx2]

Very nice tank and discus!!! I used to have venturi setup on my planted tank long ago but never really liked the seltzer water look so went with a DIY co2 reactor.

That wasn't for CO2. I have run atomizers and diffusers for CO2 in my others tanks (and still do in my 125 gallon) but am not injecting CO2 into this one. This was just for more surface agitation which I manage with the powerhead outflow near the surface. I'm going to use a HK mini to do that once I remove the UV sterilizer.

[JL15219]

That wasn't for CO2. I have run atomizers and diffusers for CO2 in my others tanks (and still do in my 125 gallon) but am not injecting CO2 into this one. This was just for more surface agitation which I manage with the powerhead outflow near the surface. I'm going to use a HK mini to do that once I remove the UV sterilizer.

Ohhh okay gottcha I thought you were doing it for CO2.....my bad lol

[2wheelsx2]

Ohhh okay gottcha I thought you were doing it for CO2.....my bad lol

No problem. I would have assumed the same. I just decided to keep things simple this time as I'm a discus n00b. Didn't want to tackle too many things at once....high bioload, high light, high temps, CO2, etc. I am using plain quartz sand, no dosing except a bit of Excel and low lighting, just enough to keep the plants growing slowly to minimize my work.

[tacks]

Hi great tank and video and love the sound track. Ed

[2wheelsx2]

Hahaha...yeah, I forgot to edit it out.

[JL15219]

No problem. I would have assumed the same. I just decided to keep things simple this time as I'm a discus n00b. Didn't want to tackle too many things at once....high bioload, high light, high temps, CO2, etc. I am using plain quartz sand, no dosing except a bit of Excel and low lighting, just enough to keep the plants growing slowly to minimize my work.

I know what you mean it can get complicated really quick.....

[eco-mod]

Great setup! I actually expected at least some co2 which made it more impressive that you didn't. Keep up the good work, for a "newbie" it looks pretty darn good.

[2wheelsx2]

Great setup! I actually expected at least some co2 which made it more impressive that you didn't. Keep up the good work, for a "newbie" it looks pretty darn good.

It would have a lot easier for the plants part with CO2, but more difficult with the fish and this tank is fish first, unlike my past tanks, so no CO2, at least for now or the foreseeable future.

[Apistomaster]

Hi twowheels,

I am in the process of rehabbing my 125 gal tank to be a primarily SA Characin tank and any of my 10 F1 Nhamunda Blues which do not pair off are destined to be the primary show fish in it.
I am also going with a low tech planted tank. Many of the plants I plan to use are the same as what you used, Brazilian Star Grass, the formerly named, Alteranantha reinekii, Cyperus helfneri, Dwarf Chain swords, Cryptocoryne affinis and Limnophila indica. These will be planted in the 1-1/2 inch thick layer of quartz river sand. I will pot the few larger plants and medium sized plants. I have 2-dual lamp. 36 inch HO T-5 light fixtures so the total lighting comes from 4 X 39 watt lamps but they produce more light more cheaply than equivalent T-8 or T-12 lamps. I will have 156 watts of light so that is barely enough lighting. My few larger plants will be potted. I will have one large Amazon Sword, several E. parviflorus "Tropica", a few dwarf lilies and a few Kleiner Bar Swords.
I plan to stock at least 60 Green Neons which have always done well in the warm water Discus need, 2 dozen Rummy Nose, 2 dozen Silver Hatchetfish and I am trying to find 2 dozen Nannostomus eques Pencilfish. I should add a group of rhomboid shaped Tetras like Diamond Tetras, Black Phantoms or similar for shape contrast. The Bottom feeders will be some of my F1 L134 plecos and no Corydoras. My algae eaters will be 6 Farlowella Twig catfish, 6 Spotted Headstanders and 2 dozen Otocinclus. I will leave out common Bushy Noses because they often damage large sword plant leaves and uproot other plants.
I have begun working on the change over but it takes time to do by myself and I have a back problem which slows me down but none the less, I am getting excited to have a planted tank this large stocked with mainly various species of Characins of different shapes and habits. Your thread reinforces my plan to go with mainly Characins. I have had a dozen Black Darter Tetras which are also going to end up in this tank so I will have several odd shaped or rare Tetras. I expect about 4 to 6 F1 Nhamunda Blue Discus as my major show fish. I have a wet/dry filter powered by a MagDrive 9.5 and a refurbished Fluval 404 Canister filter so I will have at least 1100 gph of filter inflow per hour so the tank will be well filtered.
I am a competent aquatic gardener but I prefer to not rely on CO2 injection either. The idea is to have as nice a looking tank as I can but as technologically simple as possible using the equipment I have on hand. I do hope some of the F1 Nhamunda end up being un-mated females I can eventually pair with a couple top grade wild Royal Blues. This would allow me to work on two lines of tank raised wild type Blue Discus.

[2wheelsx2]

Larry, 156 Wt5HO is more than plenty for most of those plants. I am running 2 banks of T5NO in my 125 (84 watts) and 2 banks of Marineland Doublebrite LED's in plain gravel and have no problems growing huge amounts of Java Fern and Anubias, along with Jungle Vals, but I am using pressurized CO2 in this tank so it allows me to use less light.

In this square tank, once I'm done the canopy, I am planning on running each back of 2x24w t5HO for 6 hours with a 2 hour over lap where all the light are on, so it'll be mainly 48 watts. I have grown dwarf chainsword (E. tenellus) in very low light, but they don't not propagate as fast as when using CO2/higher light. I do not intend to pot any plants, but rather, I use root tabs with all the bigger rooted plants, including the red lotus I recently got. The tabs I use are from Root Medic. Many people use the Jobes plant sticks, but as my cories and plecos disturb the substrate, I prefer not to use something which will affect the water quality.

I like the Sterbai cories for the bottom dwellers and they stir up the substrate more allowing my filter and water changes to pick up more detritus than the plecos. They also in smaller quantities (IMO) making the cleaning more manageable. I do have 5 L134 in there now, along with 4 L066 and 6 L340 and 3 or 4 L333 and that's about all the plecos I want in there. I did have some BNP's at one point, but either they didn't like the 29 C temperature or couldn't compete well enough for food (they were pretty small) and perished due to unknown causes. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with the growth so far even with the 48 w of t5HO only. The characins add some flavour to the tank that having just discus does not. Unfortunately, I think my mistake was what you suggested, that the black neons are not tolerating the higher temperatures very well, as I've had about 20 of them perish. The Rummy Nose, on the other hand, are getting fat and huge. I look forward to seeing your tank, as I love the Nhamunda Blues, and if I had access to some, I would have got them instead of the Tefe's for this tank.

[Apistomaster]

I have always had good success with keeping Black Neons with Discus. Black Neon Tetras are a species I breed every few years to get a 100 or so. I was comparing the difference in temperature tolerance between Black Phantoms and Red Phantoms. Red Phantoms do better when kept at 80*F or less but Black Phantoms handle warmer water better, My Red Phantoms in my Blue Discus tank have done better than I expected.

You have an excellent selection of plecos well suited for Discus tanks but as you know, these do not eat algae.
I raise these kinds of plecos and plan to use them as my bottom feeders instead of Corydoras. I will try a couple dozen Otocinclus and 6 Farlowella as my algae eaters. These species clean plant leaves without damaging them. I am also planning to include Chilodus punctatus as they are also gentle on the leaves algae eaters although they are a Tetra.
One Bushy Nose I like to use is Ancistrus claro(LDA 08) but they are hard to find. I have lined up a breeding trio and maybe 18 1" fry. These attain a maximum size of 2-1/2 inches but they are harder to breed and not as hardy as common BNP. They are well worth breeding for a small scale breeder such as myself.

I am pleased to have my F1 Nhamunda Blues but it has been very hard for me to control my impulses to not buy some wild Green Discus. I decided that my F2 gen of my Nhamunda Blue must pay for any new wild Discus I get in the future. I have one favorite and that is any wild Discus. I only have given up Heckels because they are so difficult to breed. I have a few friends getting back into keeping wild Green Discus and they have bred them successfully in the past. I am hoping they do so again so i can get some of their F1 Greens. Both only use the natural feeding methods and not any artificial method. The artificial discus larvae feeding method works but some people only change the water 3 times a day at 8 hour intervals. That isn't frequent enough to to maintain a minimal bacterial bloom which can cause defects like deformed gill plates and some other problems. That is why it is more widely practiced on the SE Asian Discus farms where labor costs are low. Any bright 10 year old kid can learn the technique but it is important to add fresh egg yolk paste and fresh water about every 2 hours in order to avoid the bacterial blooms which can cause defective gill covers and other defects.

[2wheelsx2]

I have always had good success with keeping Black Neons with Discus. Black Neon Tetras are a species I breed every few years to get a 100 or so.
.
.
.

You have an excellent selection of plecos well suited for Discus tanks but as you know, these do not eat algae.

Yeah, I don't why I am having a problem. Although at this point, it looks like the population has stabilized. I am down to about 30 from the original 50. I've lost maybe 4 rummy nose, which may be due to old age, as 6 were from my original population which is over 3 years in my keeping.

As for the plecos, yeah, I am only keeping them as bottom feeders and for my own plecos, not really expecting them to clean any algae. At some point, I may add some Baryancistrus species in there which will eat some algae, but at this point I am happy with what I have, although I was about to contact you about some Peckoltia compta soon. :D

And don't be too complacent with plants and Hypans. Some of my Staurogyne repens has been stripped bald by my L333 or L066 (I know it isn't the Peckolita as this happened before I added them and the L340. My L333 also stripped my Bacopa carolinia in my 15 growout. So much so that I began to add them in as food from my CO2 injected tank. I've taken to providing quite a bit of greens for my Ancistrus and Hypans to prevent them from eating my more delicate plants. Nothing seems to touch the Ludwigia though, so I seem to be safe there, as that's my favourite plant in the tank.

[Apistomaster]

The main reason I prefer to pot my larger plants in pots made from clear juice bottle bottoms is because it allows me to rearrange their locations without damaging their root systems. My pots do not have a drain hole so roots do not spread. But to make this work well enough for the plants to thrive, the potted plants must be supplied with plenty of substrate fertilizer but in a closed pot that fertilizer remains available to that potted plant.

I have only experimented with small DIY yeast based CO2 systems but it is my understanding that supplemental CO2, even from a sophisticated delivery system, doesn't help much unless the light intensity is on the high side. I was able to provide intense light in 20 gal long tanks but for my six feet long 125 gal I would need more light than 156 watts to gain much from CO2. I enjoy a planted tank but not quite well enough to invest in a sophisticated automated CO2 system. But plenty of plant species can do well in a tank as well lighted as mine. But many of the most demanding plants need more light plus CO2 in order to thrive.

Is it possible that when using a high tech CO2 system but with less intense lighting that the algae problems are less likely? I know enough about aquatic gardening to be dangerous but I lack experience using sophisticated CO2 systems on large and heavily planted tanks.

[2wheelsx2]

I have only experimented with small DIY yeast based CO2 systems but it is my understanding that supplemental CO2, even from a sophisticated delivery system, doesn't help much unless the light intensity is on the high side. I was able to provide intense light in 20 gal long tanks but for my six feet long 125 gal I would need more light than 156 watts to gain much from CO2. I enjoy a planted tank but not quite well enough to invest in a sophisticated automated CO2 system. But plenty of plant species can do well in a tank as well lighted as mine. But many of the most demanding plants need more light plus CO2 in order to thrive.

Is it possible that when using a high tech CO2 system but with less intense lighting that the algae problems are less likely? I know enough about aquatic gardening to be dangerous but I lack experience using sophisticated CO2 systems on large and heavily planted tanks.

Tom Barr spoke on this very topic when he was in Vancouver at a hobbyist meeting. He stated that CO2 helps growth at all lighting levels, unless you are well below the threshold where anything grows. The 2 things the plants need to grow are light and nutrients in the form of NPK and CO2. So by removing the CO2 limiting you can then experiment with lighting levels to grow at the rate that you want. And you're correct, CO2 seems to aid in algae management at all lighting levels, although the balance between poisoning your fish and growing plants well without algae in a very high light tank is beyond me (tried and and always had some algae problems, so I gave that up).

So I'm currently experimenting with 2 systems: One is low light, CO2 injected. The second is moderate light with high surface agitation. The latter is my cube. So far, I've had no BBA, but have had the usual start up brown diatomaceous algae which is probably exacerbating by the quartz sand, but it seems to be abating now, especially since I inserted all the root tabs. Time will tell.

[2wheelsx2]

Since I'm been on this thread, thought I should update with a few pics.

Cryptocoryne parva:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TXxQCBGiPSI/AAAAAAAAC4g/prXxnwICXDI/s800/DSC_2780.JPG

My attempt at a moss treetop with Xmas moss which hasn't taken yet:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TXxQC5qmPRI/AAAAAAAAC4k/ZSg3zgt1J64/s800/DSC_2781.JPG

Ludwigia repens:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TXxQDZh9fnI/AAAAAAAAC4o/F-tXPHCVgXg/s800/DSC_2782.JPG

[2wheelsx2]

Just realized I hadn't posted updated pics for a while. I added some manzanita branches and some apistos and rams (but no pics as they are fast buggers). Full tank shots from 2 sides from about 2 weeks ago:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TZKoua3bF_I/AAAAAAAAC6U/CZCLq--RJ7c/s800/DSC_2791.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TZKovKf1saI/AAAAAAAAC6k/nysfgPXlz0I/s800/DSC_2792.JPG

And the lineup!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TZKoxh3BTgI/AAAAAAAAC60/RrES0rLG4OQ/s800/DSC_2796.JPG

[Sameen]

Beautiful!

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks, I'm really enjoying this tank right now. Still have to get the canopy finished and then I can stop fiddling with it.

[Disgirl]

Beautiful tank of beautiful fish and plants. Good luck with it and show us more pics as it matures.
Barb

[neon]

What kind of sand and brand did you go with to put in your tank?

[2wheelsx2]

More pics will be coming soon as I already have a new addition planned, but only after a couple of weeks of quarantine.

The sand is white Estes silica sand that I got from a local marine specialty fish store. I told them I wanted inert sand so they ordered me 50 lbs of white sand for that. It seems like very little in weight, but most of the bottom was already occupied with rocks and wood.

[2wheelsx2]

Some recent additions to the tank:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/TZvcY9RNeLI/AAAAAAAAC7s/Q_ibK9pAoQ4/s800/DSC_2799.JPG

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/Taeq3JjEC0I/AAAAAAAAC_g/pAq0z2hX4LI/s800/DSC_2837.JPG

And the star addition peaking out:

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/Tau3-LAq2gI/AAAAAAAADBc/wT0VQWq0SMI/s800/DSC_2851.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/Tau3_wYma-I/AAAAAAAADBk/YJiQHGlPg5s/s800/DSC_2853.JPG

[Northwoods Discus]

Beautiful wilds!

[IslandFish]

What is the difference between wilds and the other types. Excuse my ignorance I am just starting to get into discusssssssss :) My tank has cycled after 2 months and I am slowly adding new friends into the tank.

[2wheelsx2]

By wilds, we mean wild caught. The other types are tank bred.

[jcardona1]

Awesome tank! What is this guy here? I really like him. Alenquer or Nhamunda?

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/Tau3_wYma-I/AAAAAAAADBk/YJiQHGlPg5s/s800/DSC_2853.JPG

[2wheelsx2]

It's a Solomon. I bought it off a member who got it from Dale Jordan's private stock. He's coloured up significantly since I took him out of the quarantine tank and I should really get some new pics.

[IslandFish]

Ok now which ones are better to keep, wilds or tank bred. And where do you get the Wilds from? Also where did you get those nice pieces of wood in the tank

[Vee]

I love your new apisto! I'm thinking of having apistos in my new 90 gallon.

[hydrophyte]

Wow those fish are gorgeous!

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks everyone. IslandFish, I'm not trying to put you off or anything, but you might want to start your own thread with those questions so more people see them, as a) I'm in Canada, and b) I'm only one point of view.

[Stussi613]

Some recent additions to the tank:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/Taeq3JjEC0I/AAAAAAAAC_g/pAq0z2hX4LI/s800/DSC_2837.JPG


Are those blue ones apistos too? Can you tell me the specific strain and where you got them?

[2wheelsx2]

The blue ones are wild caught Rams. I got them from a local fish vendor Canadian Aquatics.

[2wheelsx2]

Few shots from tonight. I guess the bigger Tefe's decided they needed to show the new guy in town who's got game. First 2 shots are of the Solomon:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/Ta-03XRoSKI/AAAAAAAADCU/QVLih07kOT8/s800/DSC_2857.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/Ta-04Zlv6aI/AAAAAAAADCY/pQVU73IPDDM/s800/DSC_2858.JPG

Tefe's competing (couldn't get a proper shot as the fish turned as I shot it):
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_92IVadGjH2w/Ta-05Ff5oxI/AAAAAAAADCc/lzZsjjgdVSs/s800/DSC_2859.JPG

[Vee]

I didn't know one could get such exotic fish in Canada. I'm a Canadian (Vancouver) living in Minnesota.

[2wheelsx2]

You can get pretty much anything you want in Canada, unless the Japanese get it first, but you do have to pay more than in the US.

[BobB]

What are the dimensions on your tank? That display is a #10+

[Stussi613]

The blue ones are wild caught Rams. I got them from a local fish vendor Canadian Aquatics.

I wonder if they ship to Ottawa...

[2wheelsx2]

What are the dimensions on your tank? That display is a #10+
Thanks very much. It has a 30" square footprint and is 24" tall.


I wonder if they ship to Ottawa...
Yes, they'll ship anywhere, even to the US if the customer wants to pay for shipping. I know they ship out east all the time. Might not be worth it for Rams though. I know they ship exotic plecos and stingrays out all the time.

[BobB]

Who built the tank? Oceanic, Marineland?

[2wheelsx2]

Who built the tank? Oceanic, Marineland?

Neither. It was custom order with my LFS, which contracts a local tank builder. The owner and I worked on the specs of how it would look, what silicone to use, where to drill the holes and how the glass edges should be beveled, so that I got exactly what I wanted.

[Stussi613]

I'm going to be on the hunt for some of the rams. They look amazing. Any suggestions for stocking? Do they do better in groups?

[2wheelsx2]

I don't know if they do better in groups, but I think they colour up better because of the social interactions/territorial disputes.

[BobB]

You can get pretty much anything you want in Canada, unless the Japanese get it first, but you do have to pay more than in the US.

Don't worry Minnesota is Canada South.

[northtexaswildbettas]

Awesome tank! great pics!

[AMAZING-FISH]

great setup

[BobB]

How many discus do you have, lighting and filtration? I am goiing to bite on a cube tank soon. Just want to see where to start.

[2wheelsx2]

6 discus.
Eheim 2078, HK450, HK550, and HK 1 for circulation.
2x24w T5HO for 7 hours with an additional 2x24 for 4 hours.

[2wheelsx2]

Time for an update as a lot of changes have happened. First of all, the canopy and all the lighting got finished:

Gratuitous moonlight shot (ISO compensation and long exposure made it a bit bright):
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a585Bdfg-Vg/Th0y7NqLl0I/AAAAAAAADQU/lKvE-Rb6x8w/s800/DSC_3089.JPG

As it sits in the living room.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GXqDc-pL9B8/Th0y7_RCV6I/AAAAAAAADQQ/unq2pvpDcOI/s800/DSC_3090.JPG

My L134's spawned, and I only found out when I saw fry at a water change:

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OHlJS5KK5h0/Tjt3y-mEjFI/AAAAAAAADUM/9ByxqJePpMQ/s800/DSC_3497.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Gu16zCaRweM/Tjt3zsiE8FI/AAAAAAAADUQ/zumpH_KFqtA/s800/DSC_3498.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mZ10XNh5xL0/Tjt30Bh__DI/AAAAAAAADUU/kkazTJMRSvo/s800/DSC_3499.JPG

And I added 4 Curipera crosses from Forrest thanks to April:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VnYVxCmNKQM/TkCqyWEq_9I/AAAAAAAADWE/2fA7ZBeQbVg/s800/DSC_3501.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6oJzRzenhI8/TkCqzQ_31nI/AAAAAAAADWI/qxb0HNVkdqk/s800/DSC_3502.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1nRT9JGKVac/TkCq1YYp8CI/AAAAAAAADWQ/2aGarWXowz8/s800/DSC_3504.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-dzvbMwowP6o/TkCq2NGp3tI/AAAAAAAADWU/MCVdN-Z6osM/s800/DSC_3505.JPG

[BobB]

Did you build the stand and canopy?

[2wheelsx2]

Nope, my friend Daniel (target on here and on BC Aquaria) built it for me, based on my requirements.

[crf50hugo]

I thought that cory catfish is don't in a Discus tanks

[2wheelsx2]

I thought that cory catfish is don't in a Discus tanks

Never heard that. Sterbai seem to be very common with discus.

[seanyuki]

Hey Garry......you bought another discus last week.......this time a big or small one......plus you tank is awesome.

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks Francis. Big one. And I bought a bunch more wood.

[crf50hugo]

What temp do you keep your tank at ?

[2wheelsx2]

What temp do you keep your tank at ?

28 C.

[Apistomaster]

Hi Gary,
Do you know if the L134 fry was produced by some older specimens you had or did the F1's have anything to do with it. I have had some females breed as early as 18 months and the fish I sent would be about that old by now. Usually it is the females which spawn before males from the same age group; often with an older male and the first broods tend to be small at 12 to 15 fry.

There are many species of Corydoras which are fine with Discus. C. sterbai is among the most popular but C. trilineatus is also suitable. Virtually all the Corydoras from the Rio Negro Basin are suitable at Discus temperatures. Best known because they are among the most handsome species are C. sterbai, C. duplicareous and C adolfi but the list is longer. The rarer but beautiful Corydoras C-121 is another good one.

Your Discus look great. They resemble my F1 Nhamunda Blues quite a bit.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/F1Blues3-15-11003Small.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/F1Blues3-15-11002Small.jpg

[2wheelsx2]

Hi Gary,
Do you know if the L134 fry was produced by some older specimens you had or did the F1's have anything to do with it. I have had some females breed as early as 18 months and the fish I sent would be about that old by now. Usually it is the females which spawn before males from the same age group; often with an older male and the first broods tend to be small at 12 to 15 fry.

Your Discus look great. They resemble my F1 Nhamunda Blues quite a bit.


Thanks Larry. Appreciate the compliment, as I'm a discus n00b still.

As for the L134, they are not from yours. I got a group of 5 from a local collector who had them lay eggs once but didn't rear the fry. I ordered yours before these became available, so when they did, I picked them up, and then I received yours. Yours are in a 46 gallon bowfront where I'm growing out some smaller plecos.

[grindman620]

Sharp looking tank!

[BobB]

Wow, I am speechless. The tank, the fish the cabinet and the aquascaping is a 10+

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks. I'm pretty happy with it. I recently went through a bout of what looked like columnaris and lost 2 Tefe and one of the Curipera, but everyone is now happy and I continue to get regular spawns of plecos and cories (but only the pleco fry make it).

[2wheelsx2]

Just happened to take a few shots of the happy camper today.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5mdXW8PFn2I/TpOT-70APcI/AAAAAAAAD1A/svUfvf0PjSs/s800/DSC_3749.JPG

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WvT7scT8eto/TpOT_3pQjFI/AAAAAAAAD1E/T76MuoxqBoE/s800/DSC_3750.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K8Y_4XWO4tM/TpOUBBd6WqI/AAAAAAAAD1I/S3zxDH6ZSDU/s800/DSC_3751.JPG

[BobB]

Please stop, I want one now. I will have to check how much the setup would run?

[2wheelsx2]

It all depends on how you want it executed. I could have cut a lot of corners, got a cheaper canister, sumped it, not go rimless, etc. and made it cheaper. Or I could have got special substrate, LED lighting etc. and made it a lot more expensive. But all in all, I would say, if you're looking at something like this, your budget would be deep into the 4 digit range before any stocking.

[2wheelsx2]

Just thought I would put an updated pic up as the tank has been evolving a bit.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-m_uR8yKJuE4/TvKL2sO4qcI/AAAAAAAAD6c/OlaIA7XCPl0/s800/DSC_4048.JPG

[jay973]

Holy moley that swarm is awesome!

[sayitfast]

Awesome tank & fish!

[Chicago Discus]

that is a great looking tank

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks for all the compliments everyone.

[Skip]

i am not really a wilds person.. but thats awesome!

[seanyuki]

Hey Gary.....sweet tank and those guys looks good too.


Thanks for all the compliments everyone.

[Second Hand Pat]

2wheelsx2, tank looks great, cube tank right? Nice assortment of wilds and two Cuipeua Xs?

[2wheelsx2]

i am not really a wilds person.. but thats awesome!

Hey Gary.....sweet tank and those guys looks good too.
Thanks again. It's been a bit of a ride to get to this point, but I'm finally able to enjoy this tank.


2wheelsx2, tank looks great, cube tank right? Nice assortment of wilds and two Cuipeua Xs?
Yes, it's 30"x30" x24" high, Eurobraced and rimless. It started out as an all Tefe tank, but then I saw those Cuipea crosses from Forrest and had to have some and got some from April. Then a local dealer got 3 Heckels on trade and I got them at a steal of a price and hence the current collection.

[bugman2494]

Was never into them until recently seeing a scape on youtube. Yours are looking very nice.
Do these wilds regularly school?

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks. Yes, they regularly swim in formation now. Not so when I only had 5. When I doubled the fish, they started schooling regularly. It wasn't something that had an obvious explanation. Maybe they were just more comfortable with larger numbers since this tank is in the living room. They hid a lot more when I had 5.

[Aqua North]

Very nice, great job.

[Schmolly]

Nice Wilds!

[BillyinNYC]

Beautiful fish and set-up!

[2wheelsx2]

So, my Heckels each paired up with a Cuipeau Cross from Forrest and one pair looks viable as I keep getting wrigglers. Caught them in the act after supper tonight.


http://youtu.be/32IZmxTjqOU

[wavesurfer]

Great tank setup and wilds! Makes me want to revamp my own tank setup! (but probably need to buy a bigger tank first...)

[2wheelsx2]

Didn't realize that I have been missing updates. Recently added a bunch of beautiful wilds from Unungy.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e4PiO-LNpJE/UQ3ys2NXmOI/AAAAAAAAA-g/0PotBTzpG40/s800/DSC_5383.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mmwTma9HyxE/URWuPDTcAjI/AAAAAAAABAM/ghNkb2F_tv4/s800/DSC_5402.JPG

[ZX10R]

Nice to see you back around and the new fish are amazing

[Tharr]

That is such an awesome wild discus tank!! Even the setup is amazing even though it isn't a biotope!!
I would die or even kill to have a tank like that!!:p

[2wheelsx2]

I have a tough time with a plantless biotope since I really like the greenery. I have one that's very close to a Xingu biotope for plecos, but it's 46 bow that I don't want want discus in.

[xKevinx]

looking great! any babys survive from the spawns?

[2wheelsx2]

Nope, no wrigglers ever survived. Too much flow and too many predators.

[dm.67]

Love those new editions, beautiful fish. You've got a real variety of wilds there, well done on the spawning. Did you have much aggression toward the others when that pair formed and started breeding?

[2wheelsx2]

Love those new editions, beautiful fish. You've got a real variety of wilds there, well done on the spawning. Did you have much aggression toward the others when that pair formed and started breeding?

There was a lot of aggression. That was the main reason I got the new Vermelhos from unungy. My last little Tefe was being picked on mercilessly and there were a lot of injuries. But alas it was too little too late and the Tefe died about 2 weeks ago. But now the fighting is spread out a bit so there is no one fish being picked on. However, there has also been no breeding, which could be that there are enough fish that they cannot defend a territory properly since the tank is square.

[dm.67]

That's a shame. I was just wondering what I was going to have to deal with if mine ever bred... thanks for the info and I hope things calm down for you.

[2wheelsx2]

Well I guess I spoke too soon as I noticed one of my Heckels was really aggressive last night and sure enough, upon checking I found this:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5RF7JDLQ73M/USri5OntHSI/AAAAAAAABNM/NUk8H1XqEkA/s800/DSC_5491.JPG

[Sandy Clay]

Very beautiful fish!

[jobber]

Very nice collection. They look like monster discus seeing that the tank is 3' tall.

Sent from my mobile phone

[2wheelsx2]

Very nice collection. They look like monster discus seeing that the tank is 3' tall.


Not quite. 30" wide and 24" tall.

[jobber]

Didn't realize that I have been missing updates. Recently added a bunch of beautiful wilds from Unungy.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e4PiO-LNpJE/UQ3ys2NXmOI/AAAAAAAAA-g/0PotBTzpG40/s800/DSC_5383.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mmwTma9HyxE/URWuPDTcAjI/AAAAAAAABAM/ghNkb2F_tv4/s800/DSC_5402.JPG

Btw. Nice group shot. Those discus are monstrous big. Must be feeding them extremly well.

Sent from my mobile phone

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks. They're eating well but a couple of guys are still a bit skinny.

[marinum]

Excellent!

[ynot]

Wow! I have always loved wilds. I just started a 75 last year after being away from the hobby for about 27 years. I stocked this 75 with cobalts and brilliant turquoise but after seeing your tank of wilds I know what my next tank will be!
Thanks,
Tony

[Allwin]

Beautiful setup and fishes!!!

[2wheelsx2]

Thanks for the compliments folks. Yes, I'm glad I started with these wilds, although they have been a bit of a challenge at times.

[jobber]

What are the sizes of these monsters? They look to be almost 8" from mouth to tail and 1" thick.

Sent from my mobile phone

[2wheelsx2]

The biggest ones are about 7" and the smallest is about 5.5".

[DiscusLoverJeff]

Beautiful wilds and tank. Good setup.

[Red Turk]

Top looking Wilds ! Packed some size onto those buggers.. Congrats

[Ziyaadb]

Amazing setup man. Im in love

[discuspaul]

I'm always envious when I see your gorgeous wilds, Gary ..... and Pat's...and Mauro's.... and several others too.
And I'd bet many other discus-keepers are too.
Have you posted some pics of those beauties on the new canadian CDA forum ? I'm sure that many of the new cdn. members there would be thrilled to have you share some of your pics with them.

[2wheelsx2]

Working on it Paul. Been on the road for work lately so haven't visited many forums. I'm going to try to contribute more to the CDA.

[2wheelsx2]

I just realized I have not updated this thread in eons. Sadly most of the fish except my original Cuipera X from Forrest went the way of the Dodo bird. I was so discouraged that I almost got right out of discus, but a friend sold (almost gifted) me a few of his Blue Diamonds which were not happy in his tank to make room for some Yellow Lollipops so now I am hooked on domestics. I am once again enjoying discus, the Blue Diamonds are coming around and I have a few new ones from Rick at Canadian Aqua Farm so I thought I would post a vid.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGBQixf2nNA

[jmf3460]

pic don't show for me, never seen this thread and love it

[2wheelsx2]

pic don't show for me, never seen this thread and love it

Not sure why it doesn't show for you. It's been going for a few years. Perhaps it's a privacy or security setting on your computer?