The Forum's Position on Discus in Planted Tanks....

[Filip]

How anyone can say that a bare bottom or hardscape tank looks better than a planted tank with discus is beyond me. I know nothing more beautiful than healthy discus in a planted scape! The fact that it's one of the hardest things to keep and maintain is another subject...

I completely agree with you on the looks of the planted discus tank Jorgen . Nothing can beat a good planted setup with a fullgrown quality discus in it.

One of the most important aspects or should i say drawbacks or succesfull discus keeping under theese conditions IMO is to way under stock your tank .
Whenever I see a succesfull story of a fully planted tank with discus in it and it runs without problems for a longer period its almost always stocked with 1 discus per 20-30 gallons or maybe even less , like in this case here .
So its a compromise that we have to deal with .

[Susana]

I keep both BB & planted discus tanks. I like them both. I feel a planted discus tank is a beauty to behold.

Hello,

I am new to this forum, so I hope i'm doing this right.

I was reading the forum and came across your response to the dialog to planted discus tanks. It seems like you have some experience under your belt on this topic and I would really like to pick you brain if you will allow me.

I have wanted to keep discus in my new heavily planted tank (it has been cycling for a month now - no i do not plan on putting them in at this moment). I was planning on adding the discus once my other inhabitants are fully settled and no problems have shown up (none so far) I have been listening to presentations, talks and reading forums about discus keeping but there is much information to sift and hope i get the right guidance. I am confident in the planted aspect but a complete blank slate on experience in discus. I do not like bb tanks, i dislike the look and would really like for this to be a successful undertaking yet i keep reading "if you don't have experience in discus AND planted tanks then it's a no go. How can i gather experience in this area if it is shun?

(did not want to write a book so I kept the details to a min)

My tank below to show I'm not blowing smoke and I really do take this hobby seriously.

54 sm.jpg

All advice is welcome. No rudeness.

[ecadena]

I’m new here and this topic called my attention.
I guess the key for successfully keeping discus in planted tanks is to learn about both subjects.

In may case I kept a planted tank for about 8 years. During that time I learned about it. Then I started little by little switching to fish from the amazon (my tiger barbs were dying of old age). After keeping otocinclus, ramirezis and rummynous for about 6 months I found some discus available. I wasn’t sure about it but I decided to take them home anyway. At the beginning I had a hard time adapting them and learning about them. But now after one year, my plants are fine and all my discus and the other tank mates look happy.

Now my problem is having 10 discus that have grown about three times their original size (about 6”) in a 75gal with plants the keep growing and also reducing the space.

I have to specify that I’ve never use CO2 after having discus. I tried that with some homemade solutions but it was unreliable and the CO2 fluctuations were starting to promote the growth of algae. And I understand that those fluctuations aren’t good at all for the fish either. So maybe even with a professional CO2 equipment that would be a problem for the discus. But there I have no experience.

[Iminit]

Planted tanks take more work. Starting the discus at the 2” size for me was a plus. They grew up in a planted tank. What I’ve learned is once established don’t add to them. Qt any new dither fish. Planted tanks can go bad very quickly if a sick fish is added.
Welcome to the site!! Introduce yourself in that section of the site. We all like pictures . I’ve got a thread in the planted section. Showing my journey with 2” discus and a planted 125g.DAFCCC5C-7359-4D1C-803E-CF391A088A24.jpgCCD4BA2F-2F69-4E1D-ABB2-A031B542E846.jpgF4E3043B-BB63-466F-839B-9FA8F04F7329.jpg

[LizStreithorst]

I'm different from most Discus enthusiasts. I'm into growing the highest quality Discus I can. I'm a breeder so quality maters. I go the BB route. It all depends on what look you want. I agree that a beautifully planted Discus is more beautiful to everyone except for a few Discus geeks.

[farebox]

In the last 11 1/2 years into discus keeping, I had good results with a bare bottom tank with just potted plants in the tank. Like Liz stated I enjoy the best quality in growing out my fish from 3.0 inches upon purchase. Current proof of my 125-gallon discus tank: https://youtu.be/FdR-6EEQOGA

[ecadena]

This is my 75 gal tank.
Sorry for the poor quality of the pictures. The discus were eating, that’s why they’re all gathered in the same corner. And you might not be able to tell but there’s a lot of fish in there. 10 Discus, 20 Rummy nose, 14 Corys, 2 Rams, 4 Otos and lots of snails and shrimps. I’ve been thinking about rearranging everything to give the fish a little more room but I don’t have many options because the aquarium’s footprint is 4ft x only 12in. 01.jpg02.jpg03.jpg

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi ecadena, based on the dimensions given your tank is actually a 55 gallon unless it is a tall tank. A standard 55 is 21 inches tall. A 75 is 4 feet by 18 inches width by 21 inches tall. Pretty tank BTW but would suggest reducing the number of fish or get a larger tank
Pat

[ecadena]

The tank is 28in tall, but you're right it's actually a 70 gal. I don't know why I though it was bigger.
And the # of fish in there is definitely the problem that I'm dealing with at the moment. I'm fighting against the idea of set up a second tank and I don't want the give my fish to anybody. People tend to let them die.
Thanks for your kind works.

[Second Hand Pat]

The tank is 28in tall, but you're right it's actually a 70 gal. I don't know why I though it was bigger.
And the # of fish in there is definitely the problem that I'm dealing with at the moment. I'm fighting against the idea of set up a second tank and I don't want the give my fish to anybody. People tend to let them die.
Thanks for your kind works.

A second tank is definitely well worth considering and I think your fish would thank you also
Pat

[Nico F.]

My custom made 190 gallon tank.
Switched from a reef aquarium to a discus tank.
Running for 2 months.
12 piwowarski red turquoise are in the tank for 4 weeks.

overzicht 1.jpg

[Willie]

Hardscape that allows daily, 100% water changes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSWxK...channel=Willie