I think I finally FIGURED IT ALL OUT!!

[Ax]

Hi Angie, yes all my plants are based on Mid to Low light. I am not going to debate the 3 watt rule, from my experience it’s the depth of the tank and the plant hight (tall ones covering bottom ones) that will determent the wattage. For X-tall (33” tall) that I have if I would get high light bottom plants (no taller than 5”) I would need at least 4 watt per Gallon. But in a 70 Gl 20” high – 160 watt is giving me good results with limited green algae (when I trim down plants I get some).

Yes I use light chart before getting my plants – here is the website http://www.tropica.dk/plant_print.asp



I do use CO2 now and there is two reasons for me: 1 – my water is pH7.8 from the tap, with CO2 I keep it at 7 with 50% water changes every two days (so there is no ph fluctuation CO2 added in the barrel), 2 – I don’t have big fish load now for my tanks to provide sufficient CO2 for the plants.



Also this is a link to my 110 and a 30GL tanks, they more less unchanged.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com//showthread.php?t=40606



Amazon that I have has levees around 24”, one at about 20” in X-tall is at 16”

[Spices]

Fantastic Ax! Those Amazon Swords absolutely grow nicely. And just to think you only had two of them. Thanks for sharing.

*Angie*

[Spices]

Well, I found one simple large Amazon and installed it into the tank. I was gone for part of the day and I wasn't able to feed the tank, although I fed them twice before leaving and even gave snack just before I locked up. Well, here's the Amazon plant. Not too bad. It could have been worst.



*Angie*
Some updated images. Enjoy!

[Spices]

Here's a large look at the tank now. *A*

[SantaFeDiscus]

Looks great Angie!
Fred

[Ax]

Looks great,



If you going to look for small plants - one or two Anubias (they are heat tolerant) and look great (only grow up to 3") in the shadow of the Amazon.....recommend only because sometimes it's hard to stop on one plant



Cheers.

[Spices]

Looks great Angie!
Fred

Thank you!! I dig the colors more and more; every week it gets better and better. And the cheese block skin is slowly but surely diminishing. I'll try and shoot a very close up frame to show. Problem is that the resolution qualified to post any picture on this forum is a standard size 640 by 480 and lower. Meaning less pixels to show true natural colors of the picture. Oh, well. LOL

How are yours doing?

Thanks, Ax! I had anubias before and you're right...they grow nicely in the wild areas. Good idea. Only problem is that it's pretty scarce (for some odd reason). May have to do an auction or mail order.

*Angie*

[Spices]

Something about plants and driftwood creates an effective breeding program. This is my umpteenth time assimilating a planted tank and I notice every time I do, the discus begin doing their cleaning and guarding post duties.

Look on here. This image shows the parent cleaning the ideal area (on my filter cap of the Emperor).

[Spices]

The others (one a larger sized cobalt / violet reflection) seems to be interested and is always nearby watching the courting but gets yanked away by either his/her date or the parent who is trying to mate but cannot get privacy. LOL

Check it out.

[Spices]

...
This cobalt / violet reflection is absolutely gutzy. It don't care if it gets the boot. It just has to know how...why... and what....
LOL

[Spices]

... fascinated by lights and crystal balls. It works on fish too.

[Spices]

...

[Spices]

... all loving and happy campers. Only time of aggression is when food is scarce and/or they want their privacy. This is what I've noticed. One of my cobalts did get a slight bite mark from one of the jumbo angels. But the wound is very small and nearly closed.

I'm going to swap those jumbo angels (replace them with more kois).
*A*

[Spices]

Last one for now...
A group shot.

Thanks for looking. *A*

[Spices]

Since the inception of the barebottom transformed to planted tank I've had loads of interesting things going on. Many of my fish began finding partners. One pair even spawned well and had as many as 40 eggs. I lost those eggs (because I scared the living daylights out of the mom when I worried that the tank was too dirty for the eggs; maybe I should have left it and then I'd have a new set of discus ... ).

Anyway, the plants seems to be doing fairly well. The cabombas are springing up and rooting from left to right to bottom.



Enjoy!

*Angie*