First planted discus tank? Help?

[seshat]

I have my two discus in a 36 gallon tank, they are about two years old and it's about time to upgrade in tank size. I'm thinking 55 gallon? Would that be sufficient?

Anyway, my question is, how do I set up a planted tank. I have never had one before, my current tank just has plastic fixtures. Do you have to plant seeds and let them grow? Is that how water-plants work? Or can you buy them already grown up and then stick them down in the gravel? What plants would you recommend for a discus tank? What do I need to know to keep them? Do you have to give them anything, like you give regular plants water and sunlight, do underwater ones require anything special I should know about?

Tank-mates being (currently) a pair of rams, 6 tetras, and 3 apple snails.

Thanks In Advance! ;)

[Psionic]

I have my two discus in a 36 gallon tank, they are about two years old and it's about time to upgrade in tank size. I'm thinking 55 gallon? Would that be sufficient?

Anyway, my question is, how do I set up a planted tank. I have never had one before, my current tank just has plastic fixtures. Do you have to plant seeds and let them grow? Is that how water-plants work? Or can you buy them already grown up and then stick them down in the gravel? What plants would you recommend for a discus tank? What do I need to know to keep them? Do you have to give them anything, like you give regular plants water and sunlight, do underwater ones require anything special I should know about?

Tank-mates being (currently) a pair of rams, 6 tetras, and 3 apple snails.

Thanks In Advance! ;)

You can visit The Planted Tank forums. That's why people do there, talk about planted tanks. All your questions will be answered there.

But to do some super quick answers... You don't use seeds, you buy the plants already grown and plant them. Some plants come from bulbs also. Same thing though, drop them in your substrate.

Substrate is another, you can use what you like. For discus, pool filter sand seems to be the easiest since its easier to clean than inches substrate. A lot of people also put their plants in pots so that way the tanks easier to clean all the time.

Plant lists for that you can google "plants for discus tank" or something like that.

Planted tanks take different amount of care depending on the type of plants you want/get. You might need different light , fertilizers, pressurized co2. Those are the big ones.


-Val

[seshat]

Thanks for the advice, I'll check out that site and start figuring out what plants to get :)

[zchauvin]

Good god.....

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[ericatdallas]

If you buy adult healthy discuss, kiss your tetras good-bye.

[zchauvin]

If you buy adult healthy discuss, kiss your tetras good-bye.

Not necessarily. I had wild tefe with neons, could've sworn I saw them hugging one day they got along so good. Lol the canister filter claimed more than the discus

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[ericatdallas]

To be upfront and honest I NEVER personally witnessed a tetra perish at the jaws of my Discus. I kept about 30 cardinals in with about 8 Discus and they slowly disappeared over the course of a month. With the exception of a few, there were no bodies found anywhere and I have a pre-filter over the intakes of my canister/HOB filters.

Although, "not necessarily" just about applies to everything I am a little surprised that wild discus wouldn't be more inclined to eat smaller fish. Maybe you just give your Discus better and tastier meals. I did stick a worm in the other day with 9 adult Discus and it was a lot smaller than a tetra a few days ago and the Discus just ignored it. Well, about two hours later it was gone, but the 10 minutes I stood their waiting they just swam around it.

[zchauvin]

Lol they had to be sure it was food ;) and yeah I'm not sure if they were eating or what but I did find the body of 1 inside my canister and that was the only one I had ever seen dead

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2