Ready to start my Discus tank, I think.

[Merkey]

180 gallon tank, white sand substrate 1 1/2 inch thick( hate to remove this so is BB necessary ),0 ammonia,0 Nitrites,10 Nitrates, Ph 7.4 ( never buffered its just naturally stays at 7.4 ), temp 83 ( I know it needs to be higher ) Fx5 with 2 grande chemipure bags and 1.5 boxes of Fluval biomax. An Emperor 400 for filtration with emperor cartridges. Lighting is a 6 foot Odyssea quad t5 with moon lights. light is 6 months old not sure what spectrum the bulbs are its what ever is stock in them.

Quick background on my tank and myself. I have been into fish keeping my whole life. Currently I have several tanks and even a nice reef tank. I operate a water treatment plant for a living so testing and taking care of water and fish is all I do. I have access to the best testing equipment money can buy. I have keep Peacock Bass, Cichlids, tropical community, reef tanks, and even bluegill and crappie tanks. I have never ventured into Discus or planted tanks but now is the time. I just broke down my community tank and it has 2 Angels, 1 elephant nose, and 2 bristlenose left in it. This will become my new Discus home. It has been up and running for 6 years now.
My questions are
1- should I lightly plant with maybe amazon swords and water sprite ( dont want to go full planted or maybe even no plants )
2- these tankmates ok?- Want to add 6 Discus 2.5-3 inch range to start.
3- Live close to Discus Hans so going there and drop and plop method with my 7.4- 7.5 ph, seems ok to me or am I wrong in that?
4-normally changing 80 gallons a week from this tank, enough or not enough?
5-Please tell me what right or wrong about this setup and why, planning on Making a fish run next weekend.
6- Really like Brilliant Turquoise, Red Turquoise, and Cobalts- good beginner fish?

[troysdiiscus]

Hey and welcome to the forum. I am jealous, wish I had such a connection with the water plant here!! lol You will find the people on here on great with a ton of knowledge and experience in the discus world. Here are some of my thoughts and again alot of people will help you with this as they did me...

Some will probably say to sterlizie your tank so that there is no cross contamanation. Tank, equipment, driftwood etc...
BN will be fine, some say angels not cause they can be alitttle aggressive towards the discus. Elephant nose not sure, think they require alittle brakish water so wouldnt work.
You can also add some cory cats since you are using sand, they also help stir up the sand so not to have gas trapped in it or you will have to move it around from time to time.
Also I have found it better to grow out discus that size in a BB (bare bottom) tank because of the feeding required to grow them out or buy 4.5 to 5 inch..
WC in the grow out will have to be everyday, I change 70 percent daily, with aged water for 24 hours, heated and pump moving water in it.
Your PH is fine, water parimeters look good.
I keep my juvi at 85 to 86 degrees, some keep higher some keep lower.
I do a low tech planted tank, with swords, anubiaus, and water sprite and crypts, I feed root tabs..
Again this is my thoughts and some will offer other advice so you have many other opinions on this...

[Merkey]

I know that my water changes will have to be stepped up but 70 percent daily wow. I also forgot to mention that I have well water and have aged it before and the PH doesnt change. So is there any other reason to age it? No chlorine or chloramines to worry about. My water is also very soft.

[Jeff O]

I know that my water changes will have to be stepped up but 70 percent daily wow. I also forgot to mention that I have well water and have aged it before and the PH doesnt change. So is there any other reason to age it? No chlorine or chloramines to worry about. My water is also very soft.

Yes. CO2 bubbles will wipe out an entire tank of fish.
-Jeff

[troysdiiscus]

Now I do a 70 percent sometimes 60 in a growout 55 gallon, once fish are adult size your not feeding as much as juvi so wont need to do such a big WC in a tank of your size. Not saying you dont do WC. Start with 20 percent every other day and monitor your water levels and adjust. If you dont age your water, some on here degas there water with poring through a sock or some type of filter on end of hose. Again IMO if your growing out and big WC, that will be needed, you might want to age, some do some dont, your call. If you fill the tank and see micro bubbles, need to age for atleast sometime. If you dont want to grow out IMO buy the 4.5 to 5.5 size.
I know that my water changes will have to be stepped up but 70 percent daily wow. I also forgot to mention that I have well water and have aged it before and the PH doesnt change. So is there any other reason to age it? No chlorine or chloramines to worry about. My water is also very soft.

also will depend on how many fish you will have and how much load they will produce....

[Merkey]

I am changing my water with the FX5 so its being filtered as it goes into the tank, So aging the water is something I have never done and Im not going to start now,plus I can always test for C02. Push comes to shove then I have a full RODI setup for my reef tanks and can use that but I never have for my freshwater tanks.
As far as fish load We are talking about 6 2.5-3 inch discus, 2 angels, 1 elephant nose, and 1 bristlenose Pleco. Thats a light load for a 180 so I will be ok with water changes, I can always test and adjust thats no problem.Even at feeding 3-4 times daily thats not a lot of food.
I might just be way over thinking this whole thing because with my experience and connections if I cant make it work then no one can.

[troysdiiscus]

Well then I would go for it...Good luck post some pics when set up.....