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Thread: In Search Of Elysium

  1. #1
    Registered Member Marc Davis's Avatar
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    Default In Search Of Elysium

    Journal time.

    I've only been keeping discus for 5 months. My tanks current set up is 4 months old. So please bare with me guys as im not completely clued up on all the terms and what not at the moment.

    Tank is L100cm x H50cm x D40cm. 200 Litres, 52 US Gallons.

    Stocking: 6 juvenile discus, 30 cadinal tetra, 2 rummy nose, 4 oto cats, 5 cory, 1 electrc blue ram, 1 bristlenose, 4 amano shrimp (soon to be 20!!)

    Water changing routine - basically, i have two other tanks. A 5 gallon planted low tech nano and a shallow 7 gallon blackwater. I take out about 5 litres of these a day and refill with water from the discus tank. I then refill the Discus tank. This means that i basically get a 5% change per day, and then on a sunday, i do a big 5% water change with water conditioner.
    Filtration - i have a 1000l/hr canister filter with modified trays from manufacturer recommendations (my way has all foam in the bottom tray going from course to fine and two trays of crushed lava rock). Also, a 1800l/hr internal filter for flow and water polishing. I have this facing the glass to obstruct the flow speed but still get the faster filtration.

    Soil/substrate - Under the sand capping (1 inch) is a mix of gravel and oliver knot aquasoil and tropica plant growth substrate on the base.

    Dosing method is 30ml chelated trace elements. I dont add any phosphates and what not as the waste load is already high with the stocking.

    co2 - no idea on specific dosing levels. i use a diy yeast/sugar method that fills two in tank reactors and lets the co2 slowly dissolve throughout the water over the photo period.

    Lights - I have 2x T8 tubes and fitted a diy LED 20watt floodlight to the centre of the canopy. the T8's are on for about 17 hours and the LED floodlight for 10 hours. Some say thats way too much light...i have my fish to view them and enjoy them so i like the lights on. Fish seem absolutely fine with it as you can see and are never shy.

    Here are some progress shots:

    After set up
    2018-07-31 20.57.11.jpg

    After 1 month
    2018-07-31 20.59.36.jpg

    After 2 months
    2018-07-31 21.00.11.jpg

    After 3 months
    2018-07-31 21.03.03.jpg

    After 4 months
    2018-07-31 21.04.43.jpg

    So thats the current state of play. Will keep updating as i go each month i think.

    Here is a video i made yesterday as well:


    That's all for now.

    As ever, any questions, don't hesitate.
    Last edited by Marc Davis; 07-31-2018 at 04:46 PM.

  2. #2
    Homesteader RogueDiscus's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Hi Marc,
    Your tank looks great! Welcome to SD and thanks for starting your journal. Many folks I think imagine a tank like yours, and it would be great to follow your tank.

  3. #3
    Registered Member Marc Davis's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Quote Originally Posted by RogueDiscus View Post
    Hi Marc,
    Your tank looks great! Welcome to SD and thanks for starting your journal. Many folks I think imagine a tank like yours, and it would be great to follow your tank.
    Thanks very much. Being a beginner myself, I'm very happy with the progress. I don't have an end goal at all so I'm just going along with the ride. As long as the fish are happy then I'm happy.

  4. #4
    Registered Member rickztahone's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Great looking scape. The sand looks rather deep in some places. Do you stir it often? Have you considered a runner plant in the foreground instead of a stem? Are those Seiryu stones? If so, they do tend to raise the pH, so be cautious.

    The plants have grown in nicely.

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  5. #5
    Registered Member Marc Davis's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Davis View Post
    Thanks very much. Being a beginner myself, I'm very happy with the progress. I don't have an end goal at all so I'm just going along with the ride. As long as the fish are happy then I'm happy.
    I've got dwarf sag at the front and like the sand area to stay clear for a more clean look to be honest.

    The sand is only an inch thick on top of fine gravel mixed with aquasoil. I never stir it up and no gas is released that I have observed

    pH from my tap is bang on 7 which is what the discus were raised in. My tank actually settles at 6.5 though everytime.

  6. #6
    Homesteader Filip's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Nice job Marc. Keep us updated regularly because I sense that this tank changes its appearance on a weekly level

  7. #7
    Registered Member Marc Davis's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Quote Originally Posted by Filip View Post
    Nice job Marc. Keep us updated regularly because I sense that this tank changes its appearance on a weekly level
    Will do. It changes fast and have to trim at least once a week. Thank you for the sub to my youtube channel by the way Filip.

  8. #8
    Administrator brewmaster15's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Marc, Great tank and I am glad you started this thread too! Do you happen to have a plant list for your tank?

    Al
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  9. #9
    Registered Member Marc Davis's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Quote Originally Posted by brewmaster15 View Post
    Marc, Great tank and I am glad you started this thread too! Do you happen to have a plant list for your tank?

    Al
    Thank you.

    I've compiled a plant list. I dont know the Latin names for all of them, but this is what i can remember:

    • Staurogyne Repens
    • Sagittaria
    • Micro Sword
    • Anubias Nana Barteri
    • Amazon Sword
    • Rotala Rotundafolia
    • Moneywart
    • Cryptocorne Wendtil
    • Cryptocorne Beckettii
    • Anacharis
    • Ambulia
    • Nesaea pedicellata
    • Hydrocotyle Japan
    • Nymphaea Sp. Taiwan (flipper Lotus)
    • Tiger Lotas
    • Ludwigia Palustris
    • Vallisneria Nana
    • Dwarf sag.


    Would probably have been quicker to list what i haven't got in the tank

  10. #10
    Registered Member jmf3460's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    what a beautiful tank OP and I love the video, especially the background music. love love love this natural looking scape. your fish all seem so happy
    ~JACKLYN~

  11. #11
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Great tank!

    Btw, what is your amano shrimp survival rate?
    Water change is not just a chore, it's my life now...

  12. #12
    Registered Member Marc Davis's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Quote Originally Posted by jmf3460 View Post
    what a beautiful tank OP and I love the video, especially the background music. love love love this natural looking scape. your fish all seem so happy
    Thank you very much Jacklyn

  13. #13
    Registered Member Marc Davis's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Quote Originally Posted by snxtif View Post
    Great tank!

    Btw, what is your amano shrimp survival rate?
    I've only got 4 in there at the moment and have done for months. I find amano's very hardy!

  14. #14
    Registered Member Marc Davis's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    I made a simple stand that i feel anyone with a very basic skills and tools can make:


  15. #15
    Homesteader Paul Sabucchi's Avatar
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    Default Re: In Search Of Elysium

    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Davis View Post
    Thank you.

    I've compiled a plant list. I dont know the Latin names for all of them, but this is what i can remember:

    • Staurogyne Repens
    • Sagittaria
    • Micro Sword
    • Anubias Nana Barteri
    • Amazon Sword
    • Rotala Rotundafolia
    • Moneywart
    • Cryptocorne Wendtil
    • Cryptocorne Beckettii
    • Anacharis
    • Ambulia
    • Nesaea pedicellata
    • Hydrocotyle Japan
    • Nymphaea Sp. Taiwan (flipper Lotus)
    • Tiger Lotas
    • Ludwigia Palustris
    • Vallisneria Nana
    • Dwarf sag.


    Would probably have been quicker to list what i haven't got in the tank
    Thank you for listing them, I have most of those in my other tanks but none with the discus so good to know they would be ok at discus temperatures

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