Keeping a planted discus tank

[a.person61]

Hey guys,
What is the best way to maintain a discus planted tank? I've been working on mine for just over a year and im planning on adding some discus after holidays.
My original plan was to QT for maybe 9 weeks to not only make sure there healthy but alsomget some experience in them first as well hopefully grow them out abit. After the 9 weeks place them into the planted with 20 to 25% wc every 2nd day or mon wed fri and filter Plus, plant trim and wc on sundays. Feeding flake, pellets, bloodworms here and there, blackworms and some live cultures here and there.

Tank specs
Lightning-7000to 75000K, full spectrum, programed sunset sunrise and moonlight (led)
Heaters- currenty the conventional aquaone heaters hopeing to get a inline and a better quality heater tomstick on the back. 28 degrees is what i wantmto set it on 29 is possible
Power head/wave maker-maxspect gyre placed vertically creating a full water motion (back going left and front going right) can also get waves or a ripple at the surface
Filter-eheim pro 3 ?500? Not sure what pacific one it is, the outlet is conected to my aquaone trickle filter so the water ends up been filterd twice. Currently a blueplanet uv filter hoping to get a eheim inline. NO CARBON
Co2 with ph controller- up aqua ph controller set to 6.60 to 6.70 original ph is 7.5 trialing to get it lowered within 2 hours. Food grade co2
Ferterlizer- liquid ferts micro and macro will be controlled once i get some test kits for it.
Tank size claims to be 540L but aquaium calculator says its 150 gallons (more them 540L)
Substrate- part sand part eco complete live growing a carpet on the eco
Other objects seriyu stone and 3 foot cured driftwood with cave system in to and anubias, javafern and java moss attacked on it

Live things
Number of plants that can handle the temp most of rhem claim to be easy to keep with 1 or 2 difficult to keep
Live stock-2 angal fish, 4 corrys, 2 bn 1 male 1 smaller female, controlled ramshorn (corrys figured out how to eat them but snails figured out how to hide during the day) 30 to 40 tetras, hopeing to get 7 ADULT discus and hopeing to get some German rams.

Plant placment dutch style at the back only about 5 to 10 cm worth from back to front other low plants around driftwood and stones with the rest of the soil a marsilea carpet.

Please tell me if i should change or missed something thanks in advance

[warblad79]

The best way to maintain Discus planted tank is do water change at between 50%-80% everyday or every other day and also must vacuum the substrate because foods and poop gets stuck in there. Whether planted or BB you still need to do more water change.

[a.person61]

How often is every other day? The max i can do is 45% is that ok? The reason is because i like to keep my filter running 24 7

[Jason.M]

Every other day refers to every second day. If you can only do 45% at a time because of your filter intake height then you may want to consider doing this much water change everyday with that many discus. I assume your going to get near adult size to avoid trying to get them to grow out in your planted tank. Which from what I've read(never tried) is next to impossible. Can you lower your filter intake? Turning off your filter for a short period to do a water change won't hurt anything. Unless your filter/s are a pain to get get primed for restarting.

[bluelagoon]

If they're going with slow growing plants such as anubias and java fern,you will not need any added CO2 or ferts.Then there will be less a chance on a ph crash especially at night and no need to worry about high nitrates/phosphates for that extra algae growth that the nutrients will produce.Just good lighting and viola.The more you add to a discus tank the more work/complicated it gets.

[Kyla]

the bigger the wc u can do the more benefit u will get from them.

are u concerned about losing beneficial bacteria when u turn off ur filter? i wouldnt... many ppl shut off their filters while water changing. ive been doing it forever.

what type of filters do u have?

if u have canisters and their tubes empty when u lower the water level, shut off the filters and then disconnect the hoses to maintain the siphon. when ur water level is back up, reconnect the hoses and turn on the filters again.

[a.person61]

I have a canister but its a pain to prime (eheim pro 3) im sure theres something i can buy to lower the intake... but the main reason i don't really want to do daily is because taking the water out takes to dam long, 15 minute siphon; 30 min for 45 to exit (connected to a hose out the back) then 20 to fill wich can be reduced to about 10 if i pump it in stead of buckets....

Ive also got plants that need co2 and ferts, all are measured and im thinking about raising the kh on all of my tanks

[MendoMan]

I have the same filter and if you shut it off and restart without moving the intake you don't need to prime it. It will start right up. You can get extensions for the intake but be damn sure all your tubing is secure and fastened with clamps. If you did have a leak it will drop the water level to the bottom of the intake tube.

[pamdb33]

I would suggest bying intake extentions to lower the filter intake. I did this so I don't have to prime the filters again with each water change. And when I disconnect a canister to clean it out, there is no priming needed when its hooked back up, just let it fill up and plug it back in agaon. I can do up to 80% WC without the intakes emptying out.

I have a canister but its a pain to prime (eheim pro 3) im sure theres something i can buy to lower the intake... but the main reason i don't really want to do daily is because taking the water out takes to dam long, 15 minute siphon; 30 min for 45 to exit (connected to a hose out the back) then 20 to fill wich can be reduced to about 10 if i pump it in stead of buckets....

Ive also got plants that need co2 and ferts, all are measured and im thinking about raising the kh on all of my tanks

[a.person61]

Is there a way i can take out the water quicker? Thanks for the replys as well

[nolefan]

Is there a way i can take out the water quicker? Thanks for the replys as well

Buy a python best money you will ever spend

[Kyla]

python works well, but uses a lot of water if ur running the tap to drain the tank (mine ran pretty slow with the water on).

i drain the tank faster with a hose: i use a large hose and lay one end into the basement floor drain (but if u r on an upper level u can put it out a door or window into a garden).i attach a smaller clear extension to use in the tank to move around and suck up debris. i start the siphon with a sand pump.



my fastest drain method is with the fluval fx5 canister filter - i use the same black hose which has a connecter piece from the fx5 attached, into which i typically push the clear tube for a regular drain. for the faster drain i take out the clear tube and just attach the connector end to the output of the fx5 and turn on the canister. it drains super fast