Fish from Philly
04-19-2013, 04:42 PM
Hey everyone, here we go!
1) Please Introduce your self and tell us what your experience is with fishkeeping, give us as much information as possible as to how long in the hobby, what you have kept in the past and what you currently are working with.
Hello there! My name is Barry and I have been in the hobby since last December (about 18 months now). I have kept a tropical community with tetras, rams, apistos, plecos, shrimps and snails, and have a 55 gallon planted tank now with a school of rummynose, cardinal, emperor, plus a headstander, GN pleco, BN pleco, and GBR.
2) If you have no previous experience with keeping discus, have you done any research to properly prepare yourself, e.g. have you read any Stickies in this section of SimplyDiscus, or other material?
Read hours upon hours and have decided I am upgrading to 150 gallon low tech planted discus tank
3) Describe your tank, its size and dimensions, breeding or display. Include how long it has been setup or if it is still being cycled.
150 gallon, 6 foot standard display. It's been up with current owner almost a year.
4) Describe the décor for the tank; type of substrate or bare bottom (BB), whether the tank will be planted or a biotope. Currently have dirftwood and amazon biotope in my 55 and plan on replicating the same but will change the neon green gravel (forgive me, my first tank!) to a sand substrate with carribsea eco complete planted substrate under the sand in certain sections that will be more heavily planted
5) Describe your water changes planned or practiced, percentage and how often. Include if you age your water and use of tap/RO or mix.
I currently do 1 to 2 w/c per week about 30% each time. I do not age water and simply treat with tap water conditioner, let sit for 10 min, then add to tank in buckets. I bought a python and plan to use this for the 150
6) Describe the type of filtration planned/used for the tank; sponge, HOB and/or sump. Also include the other equipment you are, or will be, using in your tank, e.g. heater, lighting, etc.
The new set up will have (2) 300 watt heaters, (2) Fluval F5, (1) Fluval 406. Rather than running a sponge, I was thinking to attach sponge to the intake of the 406. Also included in the package are double bright Marineland LEDs. I do not intend to use CO2 just yet.
7) If the tank is already setup and running, include the water parameters;
- temp _____
- tank ph _____
- Ph of the water straight out of your tap _____ neutral
- ammonia reading ____
- nitrite reading ____
- nitrate reading ____
- well water ____
- municipal water ____
8) Describe your current or planned stocking levels; number/size of discus and number/type of dither fish. Where did you get your discus from or do you have a proposed source for getting your discus?
I plan on increasing my current schools to 30 cardinals, 20 rummys, keep the 12 emperors (unless I find more females then I will get them since I have double the amount of males now) adding a few octo or maybe 6 small sterba corys plus of course, the KING of the Aquarium - eventually a dozen or so discus (more like 6 to start). I plan to get mostly from Vlad Discus in Philly but considering driving to Hans in Maryland as well
9) Describe your planned or existing feeding regimen. Include what and how often you are feeding on a daily basis. I feed every other day flake food, and various frozen foods like blood worms, daphnia, baby brine. I also feed live brine once or twice a month
10) What are your goals in this hobby? For example are you looking to keep discus in a planted community tank, or do you hope to become a hobby breeder of Discus? Do you want to raise Discus with the hopes of competing in shows?
1) Please Introduce your self and tell us what your experience is with fishkeeping, give us as much information as possible as to how long in the hobby, what you have kept in the past and what you currently are working with.
Hello there! My name is Barry and I have been in the hobby since last December (about 18 months now). I have kept a tropical community with tetras, rams, apistos, plecos, shrimps and snails, and have a 55 gallon planted tank now with a school of rummynose, cardinal, emperor, plus a headstander, GN pleco, BN pleco, and GBR.
2) If you have no previous experience with keeping discus, have you done any research to properly prepare yourself, e.g. have you read any Stickies in this section of SimplyDiscus, or other material?
Read hours upon hours and have decided I am upgrading to 150 gallon low tech planted discus tank
3) Describe your tank, its size and dimensions, breeding or display. Include how long it has been setup or if it is still being cycled.
150 gallon, 6 foot standard display. It's been up with current owner almost a year.
4) Describe the décor for the tank; type of substrate or bare bottom (BB), whether the tank will be planted or a biotope. Currently have dirftwood and amazon biotope in my 55 and plan on replicating the same but will change the neon green gravel (forgive me, my first tank!) to a sand substrate with carribsea eco complete planted substrate under the sand in certain sections that will be more heavily planted
5) Describe your water changes planned or practiced, percentage and how often. Include if you age your water and use of tap/RO or mix.
I currently do 1 to 2 w/c per week about 30% each time. I do not age water and simply treat with tap water conditioner, let sit for 10 min, then add to tank in buckets. I bought a python and plan to use this for the 150
6) Describe the type of filtration planned/used for the tank; sponge, HOB and/or sump. Also include the other equipment you are, or will be, using in your tank, e.g. heater, lighting, etc.
The new set up will have (2) 300 watt heaters, (2) Fluval F5, (1) Fluval 406. Rather than running a sponge, I was thinking to attach sponge to the intake of the 406. Also included in the package are double bright Marineland LEDs. I do not intend to use CO2 just yet.
7) If the tank is already setup and running, include the water parameters;
- temp _____
- tank ph _____
- Ph of the water straight out of your tap _____ neutral
- ammonia reading ____
- nitrite reading ____
- nitrate reading ____
- well water ____
- municipal water ____
8) Describe your current or planned stocking levels; number/size of discus and number/type of dither fish. Where did you get your discus from or do you have a proposed source for getting your discus?
I plan on increasing my current schools to 30 cardinals, 20 rummys, keep the 12 emperors (unless I find more females then I will get them since I have double the amount of males now) adding a few octo or maybe 6 small sterba corys plus of course, the KING of the Aquarium - eventually a dozen or so discus (more like 6 to start). I plan to get mostly from Vlad Discus in Philly but considering driving to Hans in Maryland as well
9) Describe your planned or existing feeding regimen. Include what and how often you are feeding on a daily basis. I feed every other day flake food, and various frozen foods like blood worms, daphnia, baby brine. I also feed live brine once or twice a month
10) What are your goals in this hobby? For example are you looking to keep discus in a planted community tank, or do you hope to become a hobby breeder of Discus? Do you want to raise Discus with the hopes of competing in shows?