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Thread: 120 Planted Discus Community Tank

  1. #1
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    Default 120 Planted Discus Community Tank

    I've been poking around this site for a few years trying to pick up tips from you guys. Read through many of these tank builds so I thought I'd post my progress on a build I'm just starting so someone in the future may learn from my mistakes.

    I have kept discus in the past and attempted to grow out 20 small 2" to adulthood in a community tank. The results were mediocre with half the batch reaching 5+ inches with the rest being a variety of smaller sizes. After reading all the information I could on this site and watching some YouTube videos I realize growing discus in that environment is not ideal.

    My plan is to put six adult discus in the 120 along with six elephant noses (a favorite of mine) along with some tetras, algae eaters and cory's. I have no plans to attempt any breeding, just enjoy the fish in a more natural environment with plants.

    My equipment is the following:
    SCA 120 aquarium with Herbie overflow
    40 gallon breeder custom sump
    APEX Controller
    2 - 300 watt heaters
    2 - BeamWorks planted LED lights
    Mag Drive 1200 return pump

    CO2 system with the following equipment:
    50lb CO2 tank
    Digital C02 solenoid and bubble counter
    Aquariumplants.com C02 Reactor

    My water from the tap is good with a TDS of 64 with a PH of 7.8. I do have RO water available that I use for my salt tank but I see no reason to use RO water when the tap water is as good as it is. The CO2 is controlled by the APEX controller which will turn on the C02 when the PH is over 7.0. Water changes will be automatic again using the APEX to control a pump located in the basement attached to my water holding tank. The holding tank takes in the tap water and runs it through several carbon filters to remove any chemicals. The APEX will turn on the pump 4 times daily and change out 5 gallons of water. I'll vacuum the gravel in the tank a couple times per month.

    The sump design is pretty common. I've put many of these together over the years I've been in the hobby for salt water tanks. This is my first one for a freshwater tank. The water from the tank comes from the herbie overflow into one corner of the sump and then overflows into a filter pad to remove the bulk of the particles and drops into chamber of bio balls to keep the water flow quiet and also add some bacterial benefit. The water then flows in a upward flow (again to keep things quiet) through a large area that contains the heaters and MarinePure Ceramic Bio Media. If you have not tried this new bio media you should. Its amazing what it has done in my salt tank and I'm sure similar results will be seen in freshwater tanks. After the water overflows from the bio media section it goes through a couple of bubble traps and then a final chamber where I can put chemical media of some kind if I wish. Finally the water flows into the pump section. The pump section includes a overflow into a drain that I have plumbed into the house waste line. There is also a set of float switches in the pump section should the power go out and I lose tank water via the overflow the low water float switch will alert the APEX to run the pump from the holding tank to fill up the sump.

    At this point I have built the stand, the sump and installed my APEX. My tank has not yet arrived and I'm also waiting on the CO2 equipment and various other tidbits.


    My current plan is to run the tank at 80 degrees to support the discus but not get it so hot that it impacts other community fish I want to keep. Hopefully that will work out as a compromise for all the inhabitants.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: 120 Planted Discus Community Tank


  3. #3
    Registered Member White Worm's Avatar
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    Default Re: 120 Planted Discus Community Tank

    Don't know that adding 20g daily will be ideal for discus, even adult discus. Vac a couple times a month? What are you going to feed and how often? Seems like you will have a lot of junk collected in the substrate. The reason planted tanks are not ideal is because the requirements for plants and discus are unique and different. Adults will do better than young discus but they still require certain level of cleanliness for a long healthy life. May need to up the water change-over and the vac.
    Last edited by White Worm; 10-20-2017 at 03:18 PM.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: 120 Planted Discus Community Tank

    Hey WhiteWorm, thanks for the feedback. I can easily modify the water change intervals and amounts. I know the planted tanks do collect a variety of debris but I'm hopeful that using adult discus I'll be able to satisfy their needs while still having a planted tank. I guess I'll find out the hard way if it doesn't work. I do plan on feeding a variety of fresh foods like beefheart mix that I make as well as blood worms and flakes/pellets. I typically make all my own frozen food for my salt tanks and figured I'd do the same for this tank using beefheart as a base.

  5. #5
    Registered Member Ryan925's Avatar
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    Apr 2016
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    SF bay area
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    Default Re: 120 Planted Discus Community Tank

    Quote Originally Posted by Jbarnes View Post
    Hey WhiteWorm, thanks for the feedback. I can easily modify the water change intervals and amounts. I know the planted tanks do collect a variety of debris but I'm hopeful that using adult discus I'll be able to satisfy their needs while still having a planted tank. I guess I'll find out the hard way if it doesn't work. I do plan on feeding a variety of fresh foods like beefheart mix that I make as well as blood worms and flakes/pellets. I typically make all my own frozen food for my salt tanks and figured I'd do the same for this tank using beefheart as a base.
    Going with adult discus will definitely be better than younger. With adults I don't believe you need the beefheart but I could be wrong. If you don't have to feed a food as messy as BH you may be better off
    Im not illiterate...only my phone's auto correct is

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