Daniel's 75 G + 20 G sump DISCUS TANK

[DanDiscus]

Thank you Filip !!!

I know I will not get the XL size on these discus. Could be in some, but I am not sure on how many. For now my target is to enjoy them and keep them healthy.

Many of them went from the ~4 " to 5 " and bodies are getting rounded.

They ate like pigs and are all the time swimming. Their colors are amazing.

I travel a lot. Right now I am in a departing flight. Also if I wanted to do more WC it would be impossible. So i am following Stendker adult discus care indications. Instead of a 30% y do ~ 70 % WC every weekend.

Nitates are always between 10 -20.

I vacuum all the bottom and move the stuff to do it.

Best !
Daniel

[DanDiscus]

Sorry....duplicated posting

[Filip]

That's a fair enough target to chase Dan .
When I advocate more WCs to people my primary concern is always illness and health problems that we can experience with our discus , and not so much the Jumbo XXL size .
I've been that road of treating sick discus for months and I know how dreaded and exhausting that experience can be .

BTW. I'm curious where did you read this Stendkers info that 30% WCs is for juvies , and 70% for adults ?
Everybody experienced here thinks it should be just the opposite , so that's why I ask ?

[DanDiscus]

Hi Filip

Sorry if my writting confused you. I was only talking about adult discus.

At the Stendker German site, the company has a lot of info on how to keep "adult discus". I asumed that 4" discus are "almost like adult" fish.

So, to my Stendker 4" discus, that I got from Discus Hans, I applied the care explained at the Stendker discus site.

They suggest a 30% water change per week.

After all the reading here and there, I decided to increase it to ~70% with a very nice vacuuming of the bottom.

Plus I have applied many filtration system to my sump to keep the best water I can, with only 1 change per week.

These discus are being more spoiled than my reef tank to which I only do a 20% WC per week...LOL. I do have the same filtration systems in both with exception of the skimmer that is only in my reef tank.

[Filip]

Yes Dan I addmit that your tank and bottom is very clean and that surely helps a lot in your discus upkeep and well being.
As for Reef and Discus keeping compared the two together, they seem as a whole different ball game to me .

Discus keeping requires a lot of cleaning and a lot of WC -ing and it can be a core I know . Reefers on the other hand change only 10-20% weekly , but they constantly test and monitor dozens of parameters and rethinking new ways of keeping them in appropriate range . So I guess this is their core compared to discus folks.
Anyway you look at it Dan , nothing that is worth admiring goes without hard work and effort .

[DanDiscus]

Filip....you are 100% correct.

Best !
Daniel

[DanDiscus]

Hi all

Another month another short video as update:

https://youtu.be/bYxR4WEa3Fk


Temp : 86 F

PH; 7.5-7.6

Water changes: Once a week. ~ 70% with a nice bottom vacuuming.

Feed: When I can twice a day. If not after work, once a day.

Filtration: Sump with Matt Filters, Matrix and media reactor with shyporax and plants. Filter sock also.

I will entertain questions, if you have.

[DanDiscus]

video help

Can someone help me on how to embed the video so you can see first picture instead of the link.

At Reef Central, I just copy the embedded link and past it in the posting. Here is not working that.

Thank you
Daniel

[two utes]

video help

Can someone help me on how to embed the video so you can see first picture instead of the link.

At Reef Central, I just copy the embedded link and past it in the posting. Here is not working that.

Thank you
Daniel

As far as l know you just click on the 'Insert Video' Icon which appears in the tool box when creating new posts, then insert the link of your utube clip in there.



Enjoyed the clip. Thanks

[DanDiscus]

As far as l know you just click on the 'Insert Video' Icon which appears in the tool box when creating new posts, then insert the link of your utube clip in there.



Enjoyed the clip. Thanks

Thank you !!!

I will try that next month.

Thank you also for the compliments. I have been enjoying the tank a lot. And at the end, so far, is has not been hard to keep discuss as I was thinking. It has only been 5 months. Lets wait the 1 year mark.

Cheers
Daniel

[rickztahone]

Hey Daniel, it is Rick from ReefCentral. I didn't realize this was your tank!

I should have made a connection between those beautiful first pics of that SW setup.

[DanDiscus]

Hey Daniel, it is Rick from ReefCentral. I didn't realize this was your tank!

I should have made a connection between those beautiful first pics of that SW setup.

Hi Rick

I hope you have had a nice end of 2016. It is amazing that the year has gone so fast. What happens at RC funny. Lets see if i am successful to keeps this Discus tank as i have been during years with reef tanks.

I have good news for everyone:

This weekend my first granddaughter was born !!!



Cheers
Daniel

[Phillydubs]

Daniel,

Congrats on the birth! Gorgeous!!!

I am sorry if this was stated earlier on as I have not read the entire thread - is there a reason you are going with the minimal water changes?

Your tank looks great and I love the decor and plants and wood. A few discus look very nice, there are 2, one may be a blue diamond or some sort of scorpion that seems to have some craters in the facial area, did I see that correctly?

I think your fish would really benefit from at least an added WC weekly .. IMO

[rickztahone]

Congrats Daniel! Beautiful baby

[DanDiscus]

Daniel,

Congrats on the birth! Gorgeous!!!

I am sorry if this was stated earlier on as I have not read the entire thread - is there a reason you are going with the minimal water changes?

Your tank looks great and I love the decor and plants and wood. A few discus look very nice, there are 2, one may be a blue diamond or some sort of scorpion that seems to have some craters in the facial area, did I see that correctly?

I think your fish would really benefit from at least an added WC weekly .. IMO

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE COMPLIME TS !!!

After I read your post I went to take a careful look to the Discus, but I do not see any abnormality. At least with my eyes.

Concerning WC : I will explain the why of doing 1 WC per week. I am not going to enter in the never ever ending discussions of Discus water changes.

- My life style will not allowed me to do more than what I do. I travel 3 out of 5 week busines days. The other 2 I am in the office or returning home. Bottom line, I only have weekends or Friday nights for WC.

-The Stendker site says that for adult discus it is enought a 30% weekly WC.

- I started the tank with all ~4" Discus from Discus Hans (8) and 3 from a LFS (I knew later about NO mixing, but it was already done).

-I have the tank with a sump that has 4 liters of Matrix and 2 Liters of Siporax Plus 2 matt filters. On top of that the tank waters drains on a filter sock that is changed, at least , twice a week. Plus the sump is also with lots of plants growing.

- During the first 3 months I never had Nitrates above 20 ppm. Then I stop measuring.

-Discus are feed on evenings and when i work from home or during weekends twice a day.

- I cleaned the tank glass only 2-3 times in 6 months !!!!!!!!! This means very low phosphates.

- I do not have HA growing in any place and all the plants tbat I have in the tank and in the fuge have been growing.

To summarize, In my case, In my tank, under my conditions, a ~70-80 % WC per week have worked. Of course, I do a good bottom vacuuming moving the stuff arround before the WC.

- from the 11 Discus, 3 Stendker will stay below the 5". Unless they grow in the following months, that its for them. All the others are between 5-6" from tail tip to mouth (not easy to measure without taking them out).

- I do not want them growth more, neither I do expect they will. I have to increase the feeding in at least a 50% more, that means more polution.

- As of today !!!! The tank is doing well. I knock wood.

I hope this answer the "WHY" .... :-)

Again, thank you very much for the compliments and the observation. Please, if you or somebody else, see or have the feeling something could be wrong, please do not hesitate to post it. That is why we have these threads.

Cheers
Daniel