Discus in my Planted Aquarium!!!

[ChloroPhil]

After two weeks I finally broke down and put my discus into my display tank. They've put on some weight and are showing much better color too. I'm just sick to death of that ugly empty bb tank. I'll have some pics as soon as I can get my diatom filter put together and running.

Oh frabjous day! Caloo! Callay! He chortled in his joy.

[dm]

Way to go Biotypical. I can't wait to see those pics.

[mas]

yeh definitely. i havent kept discus for that long, but it feels somehow not nice i think to keep them in barebottom tanks.

recently though, id have to say that having maybe a smaller bare tank around would definitely be handy for treating sick fish and/or quantine for new tankmates.

[ChloroPhil]

Pic...

It still needs some work and a few different species to get the right feel, but I'm pretty happy with the way the picture came out. That's under 302 watts of PC fluorescent and the colors aren't modified at all.

[Ralph]

Once you get used to seeing your fish in a planted tank, it is difficult to go back to BB tanks.
Nice tank Phil, what is the red plant? I really like the chain sword foreground, I did the same thing with half my tank and they fill out fast.

[ChloroPhil]

Ralph,

That's Alternathera reineckii (v. rosefolia) aka "Red Temple". I'm pretty fond of the E. tenellus in the foreground too. What you see there is a 6" strip across a 48" tank that grew from about five original plants.

[Don_Lee]

Very nice tank Phil! What substrate are you using in there??

Don ;D

[ChloroPhil]

It's Shultz Aquatic Soil over a filter sand/laterite combo base. I've found that this combination works really well for my root-feeders. They're able to quickly navigate the more porous substrate and then root strongly in the more dense and nutrient rich bottom layer. I've pulled up quite a few plants and haven't had a problem with the sand mixing with the top layers either. We'll really have to wait and see when I pull up that big Crypt. spiralis in the middle there.

[arpanlib]

wow
an amazing planted tank there.

keep up the good work.

arpanlib