Reading more and more of this forum has kind of got me thinking about the final goal: the discus.
Do I really want my first discus to be grown adults? Or do I want to experience raising some juvies first?
A few points:
1. I'm not going to hurry this build. I'm determined to get it right, or at least as close to perfect as any other aquarium project I have ever undertaken. So I can honestly say it would probably be early to mid-Summer at least before discus ever see the inside of the tank.
2. I could probably set up a 55-gallon in my kitchen as a grow-out tank, and get a lot of hands-on experience with them while I am building their future home. I am obviously going to need a good QT and hospital tank setup anyway, so maybe I'll just pick up a couple of 55's during the next Petco DPG sale. I have sponge filters coming out the wazoo already so there wouldn't be a lot more stuff to buy.
3. While raising juvies looks stressful(!), it also looks like FUN, and also very interesting. I'm a piscatorial junkie in general, so....I think I would probably take even more pride in my big 7-inch (ahem)....discus if I grew them out myself.
4. I work a lot from home (I do EE consulting), so I could be sitting at my CAD station (also in my kitchen) and have them always in view.
5. This would be a great opportunity to connect with the membership here in purchasing babies.
I'm sure I'll probably have a dream about this tonight...just another obsession.
Get 55 to raise some little guys... But buy a few adults for big tank... Problem solved
-Elliot
Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread
Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread
http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
Cafepress.com
You're right, of course. A gate valve has a lot more fine tuning control.
About the valve location, I think I read something Bean Animal himself wrote about it that said it was better below the overflow for some reason, but I can't remember why. Maybe I'm mistaken. I'll try to find it.
Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread
Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread
http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
Cafepress.com
i like growing them from small, seeing them change is neat, especially for kids
but if you buy small you might get some culls, some things don't show until bigger
sponge - i've been happy with poret foam from swiss tropicals. it works better than anything else i've tried. IME experience expensive bioballs, matrix etc have shown NO difference.
i've raised juvies in main tank, but it would be easier in BB.
Glass Cages called this morning to let me know my tank is ready to pick up. They had quoted 3-1/2 to 4 weeks, but it only took them 2 weeks! That's great, but I had to scramble my plans for travel (I'm in Evansville, IN) and getting some more muscle over to my house. I'll be renting a trailer and picking it up Thursday.
So I took 30 minutes today and built a "stretcher" for carrying it into the house. At 450 lbs, it should be pretty doable for 4 strong guys. The stretcher should help a lot. I can't wait! I'm going to hit some fish stores in Nashville too while I'm at it. Anyone got any suggestions for any stores I should see?
12743485_1040767229317103_3847057749639870958_n.jpg
People say planted discus tanks are unnatural. I wish I could figure out why the Amazon is so muddy...with that bare glass bottom it has.
Took off early this morning and drove to Dickson, TN to pick up my aquarium. Managed to get lost in the hills (my Magellan GPS is such a LIAR!!). But the people at Glass Cages were the best. While I was there, Joseph gave me a short tour of their fish breeding operations. Room after room of huge tanks full of angels and various other cichlids. Then he showed me their 900 gallon discus biotope. Sorry about no pictures, but it was enough to make my purchase see almost trivial!
Anyway, my good friends rallied and helped me get the 500lb tank into the house. WHEW!12790835_1041987379195088_6150559132579911947_n.jpg
Nofear is one happy Engineer! 1662002_1041987049195121_3698864404899379614_n.jpg
My driftwood will be home tomorrow morning. Anticipation...
People say planted discus tanks are unnatural. I wish I could figure out why the Amazon is so muddy...with that bare glass bottom it has.
Very nice tank. I like their approach to stand/canopy simplicity. Doesn't have to be overdone to look nice.
Click here to view my 75g Acrylic Tank w/ Bean Animal Overflow with 40g Sump Thread
Also, click here for my 25 group of discus grow out thread
http://i3.cpcache.com/product/162117...ht=75&width=75
Want to look like Al did at his ACA talk with his white Simply Polo shirt?(You can catch Al's awesome Discus talk HERE)
You can get this and many more items such as T-shirts/Polos/hoodies/cups from our merchandise shop:
Cafepress.com
I kinda like it too. The access panels are the pop out kind too...no hinges or anything. I'm going to paint it pure ultra white...eggshell finish. Clean.
People say planted discus tanks are unnatural. I wish I could figure out why the Amazon is so muddy...with that bare glass bottom it has.