is this a good set up for my first discus tank?

[shoggoth43]

With that much light you're going to need that CO2 to keep the plants running full tilt so the algae stays in check. Make sure you go heavy on the stem plants initially as well until the other plants get established. The effect should be stunning though.

I would also second the lighter substrate. Even the "normal" discus seem to darken considerably above black. Not so much it seems for the background color though. Mine definitely change colors depending on what they're over. If you're not really sure you can always do half the tank one color and half the other and just replace or cap the half of the tank you don't like.

For a Clean Up Crew you can look into the usual. Corydoras ( Sterbai or other ), ottos ( I've heard paraottos tolerate the higher temps better but have no idea ), and certain kinds of plecos. I usually see rubber lip plecos as recommended or the bristlenose ones as they seem less inclined to latch onto the discus. If you're up for it, you could look into some cherry red and ghost shrimp. Both should breed in fresh water and if the discus like them you've just gotten a source of live food. If not, they're pretty interesting in their own right. If you don't want to deal with a population explosion of shrimp, you could try Yamato/Amano shrimp. They need brackish water to breed so there's no risk of them breeding. I always laugh when a couple of shrimp try to swim off with an algae pellet from under a cory feeding frenzy.

-
S

[Coralife205]

i like ghost shrimp case of the price. i can keep them very easily and had no problem in my old planted 29 gallon. ive herd that they are hardry too.

do you think i should let the tank sit for about a month and let things grow , then start adding fish? i want the plants to be established when i add the fish.

[Coralife205]

i got the driftwood today. and i get the tank tomrrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! allmost there. im looking at 3 more weeks! 3 weeks cause im getting the auto shut off valve, i gotta order plants, and get the RO system hooked up.






you cant really see it, but the melysian is in the green tub. and the african stuff is what you relaly see. the one big one is relaly really sweet! its exactly what i was looking for. i wanted it to be close to the water surface so i can put some plants there. ive been soaking the melysian DW for 3 days. gosh i tell you the tannis was incredible. coudlent even see the bottom of the tub. not sure i can do anything about the african driftwood. ill just rinse it off and put it in the tank. too big to try to cure. besides, itel be about 1 month and a half before i add my first fish.

[Mr Wild]

OOh you have some nice peices there! Exciting isn't it!

[Coralife205]

yea im thinking i might use my dads batery-operatede saw and cut the big piece. i want to maintain its general shape, and i want to put it in the tank how i have it in the pic. but i may need to cut the bottom to the point where it will be completely underwater. i want to grow some crypts, and the true aquatic cardinal plant emerced. that piece was 250$, the melysain was all together 95$ and the other african was 75$ yea thats alot. i might sell some of the melysian, doubt ill use it. but who knows i could cut it up and scatter it around the tank, and make the sides that i cut NOT visible that way it looks natural ?

[Mr Wild]

yea im thinking i might use my dads batery-operatede saw and cut the big piece. i want to maintain its general shape, and i want to put it in the tank how i have it in the pic. but i may need to cut the bottom to the point where it will be completely underwater. i want to grow some crypts, and the true aquatic cardinal plant emerced. that piece was 250$, the melysain was all together 95$ and the other african was 75$ yea thats alot. i might sell some of the melysian, doubt ill use it. but who knows i could cut it up and scatter it around the tank, and make the sides that i cut NOT visible that way it looks natural ?

Sounds like a good plan!

[Coralife205]

Ocasionaly I have read some places online and have talked to some people and they said that I could bleech my plants for a few miniuts to kill all the algea and any snails / snail eggs that may be on them to prevent them from getting in to your tank...

is this safe for the plants?

How long do you bleach them for?

Are there some plants that are more sensitive to this or not?



Its just something that I have thought about from time to time and have had some qustions about, but has never gotton around to asking about it...

[Coralife205]

ok so i wastee 100 bucks on goign to fantastic fins and buying a bunch of melysian...im not going to use it ithink josh said he'll take it. these are the pieces im planning on useing. i need HELP. ive spent an hour comeing up with this design. i like it, but at the same time i dont. because it really limits me on the amoutnt of plants i an have in the tank to make it look nice. im trying to achive a goal where the discus can have a lot of room to swim but at the same time i can have a pretty densly planted aquarium. as a reminder, these are the plants i REALY want to use...

Anubias
Anubias Nana
Anubias Gracilis
Anubias barteri 'Coffeefolia'

Aponogeton
Aponogetons Ulvaceus
Aponogetons Boivinianus

Lillys
Red Tiger Lotus
Barclaya Longifolia orchard Lilly

Ferns/Moss
Java Moss
Bolbitis Heudelotil
Taxiphyllum ferriei

Crypts
Cryptocoryne Beckettii
Cryptocoryne Wendentit ‘Brown’
Cryptocoryne petchii

Swords
Ruby Melon Swordplant
Echinodorus "Rubin" Red Rubin Sword

Miscellaneous
Hygrophillia Corymbosa
Crinum Thaianum onion plant
Ludwigia Glandulosa
Drawf hairgrass
Limnophilia Aromatica
Rotala Macrandra
Cardinal Plant Lobelia cardinalis
Polygonum 'Sao Paulo'
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal'
Ludwigia Inclinata
Hornwort
Phyllanthus fluitans
Crystalwort
Bacopa sp. 'Colorata'

[Mr Wild]

Hi again
well you can add some plants attched to your wood ;

Anubias
Anubias Nana
Anubias Gracilis
Anubias barteri 'Coffeefolia'
and
Java Moss

Then plant in some of these swords;

Ruby Melon Swordplant
Echinodorus "Rubin" Red Rubin Sword

Then I would take a step back and have a good look!

[Coralife205]

well, this is the experiment i just did about 5 miniuts ago...'if you bought two pieces of driftwood thats way too big, clap your hands' haha i think i need to get my dads electric , portable, saw... i dident realise the pieces were SOO big. and i have to take in to acount, im going to have glass on all 4 sides, and its going to take about a half inch of of the perimeter of the tank being there, so its going to be even more enclosed then this.....damn.

still narrowing the list. Anubias Nana
Anubias Gracilis
Anubias barteri 'Coffeefolia'

Aponogetons Ulvaceus
Aponogetons Boivinianus

Red Tiger Lotus
Barclaya Longifolia orchard Lilly

Java Moss
Bolbitis Heudelotil
Taxiphyllum ferriei

Cryptocoryne Beckettii
Cryptocoryne Wendentit ‘Brown’
Cryptocoryne petchii

Crinum Thaianum onion plant
Ludwigia Glandulosa
Limnophilia Aromatica
Rotala Macrandra
Cardinal Plant Lobelia cardinalis
Polygonum 'Sao Paulo'
Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata 'Pantanal'

im starting to wonder , if i should even bother to use the rocks. i think it will look cool, except that they take up so much space. i mean lets think about it, i want to have a lot of plants, 6 huge fish,like 30-40 cardinals, and so on...i dont know. i defently have to cut the driftwood.i guess my tank isent as wide as i thought it would be.

[Disgirl]

Hi,can I make a suggestion here please? I have lots of experience with planted tanks that have wood and rocks in them. Since you are going to have discus in this tank, hopefully adults that you will get, you need to keep cleanliness in mind. I suggest you don't use the rocks and just go with wood, plants and gravel. Keeping the gravel clean, with a vac, will keep you busy enough without having to wonder what all is down in amongst all the rocks. All those rocks can also hurt fish that scrape into them. Perhaps pick 3 of your favorite rocks and leave the rest out. Are you going with a light colored sand or gravel? Your tank will be beautiful, let the fish and plants take the stage with the pretty wood and gravel accenting them. Good luck!
Barb

[Coralife205]

why does everybody keep suggesting light colord sand or gravel. ive already bought 16 bags of flourite black.

[Disgirl]

Because a dark substrate will make your discus turn dark as they try to "blend" in with it. My turquoise discus looked gray with the black painted bottom glass. I painted it tan and within seconds he turned turquoise again and has stayed that way. We are just trying to help you. I have other things I could be doing but I am trying to offer advice since you have asked.
Barb

[Coralife205]

thank you! i never would of known that discus have a "chemelion" efect on there inviroment. should i jsut place ligher gravel over the flourite black then?

[Disgirl]

Yes indeed, discus can change their coloring depending on how they are feeling. That is one reason sick discus often turn black. They try to make themselves become invisible to hide from predators, back in the Amazon. The best thing would be to avoid the dark gravel completely. You could put lighter over the darker but as soon as you use your gravel vac, which you will need to do to get debris out, you will end up mixing it all together. Maybe you could sell your flourite and go with the plain sandbox sand from HD or Lowes that so many people here at SD use. Plants love it I am told. Ask all the questions you need to. I don't mind helping and others will too.
Barb