Jakes
09-14-2018, 06:33 PM
Good evening all,
So after 20+years in the aquatics hobby I have decided to try my hand at Discus. I have always been intrigued by them but never wanted to take the risk. However I have since kept marine and reef aquariums and freshwater aquariums with species ranging from the venerable Guppy to tank busting Oscars.
My current tank was initially an aqua-scaped planted aquarium that used to look like this:
(p.s. I tried to add the images they are massive so links to the pics will have to do!)
118092
To change things up I went for a ‘jungle look’ and as my current stock die of old age (most fish are 3+ years old… old age is getting them one by one) I aim to make it a South American Bio-tope ‘Like’ aquarium during the rainy season hence the selection of Echinodorus species of plants. My current system looks like this…
118093
My current setup is:
200L (52 Gallon) All glass aquarium (minus substrate and décor probs closer to 180L)
AquaManta EFX 300 canister filter with mostly bio media and filter sponges, I run carbon now and then but not to often (rated at 1100L but more like 900L actual flow) I want to get a new canister with built in heater thinking Oase BioMaster Thermo 650
I also run a Air Driven Sponge filter Primarily to keep the sponges ‘alive’ for when I need to set-up a temporary QT system as I can't have a permanent set-up and a ‘insta’ cycled basic filter is useful… also extra biological filtration never hurt anyone!
Fluval Fresh&Plant 2.0 LED lighting
JBL Substrate
Heavily planted with Echinodorus varieties (7 varieties)
I feed Primarily Stendker beef heart and Tetra discuss granules and flake mix
Parameters are:
Temp: 29C
Amonia and Nitrite 0
Nitrates … Pretty low my test kit barely discolours so hard to tell
GH 14
Kh 7
pH 7
Maintenance Schedule
Weekly 30-50% (depending on water parameters) water change with tapwater that has been filtered for a week with an activated carbon filter
Plant leaves trimmed
Additives for plants (Macro/Micro elements + Liquid Carbon) I used to use CO2 but due to deployments I had to simplify the setup so that the wife can look after the aquarium
Front glass cleaned every week
Stocking:
3 Blue Diamonds (recently added)
3 Red Turquoise (recently added)
6 Corydoras sterbai
2 Pair Bristlenose Plecs (grown from babies)
2 Otto Cats
4 Ammano Shrimps
5 Cardinal Tetras (used to have 13 before the discus arrived – old age is getting them oe by one)
6 Dwarf Neon Rainbows (same detail as the Cardinals)
1 SEA Flying Fox
The 6 discus are still trying to figure out the pecking order though the smallest Red Turquoise is definitely at the bottom, he does however eat and swim with the rest but he is very dark and generally keeps a low profile. I have experimented with adding a mirror and his colours change when he sees 'the other' Discus so I am contemplating adding a mirror on a semi-permanent basis. once these guys mature and their tank mates die off (old age gets you eventually) I don't think the tank can support more than 6 fully grown discus (1mx45cm45cm). My target stock in the tank will be 6 discus 6 Cory's max 2 pleco's and some amono shrimp. Yes I know the Amano shrimp isn't from South America but they are just so damn efficient at dealing with the odd algae outbreak and general scavenging... hence my Bio-tope 'Like' comment earlier!
Thanks for taking the time to read this essay
Jakes
So after 20+years in the aquatics hobby I have decided to try my hand at Discus. I have always been intrigued by them but never wanted to take the risk. However I have since kept marine and reef aquariums and freshwater aquariums with species ranging from the venerable Guppy to tank busting Oscars.
My current tank was initially an aqua-scaped planted aquarium that used to look like this:
(p.s. I tried to add the images they are massive so links to the pics will have to do!)
118092
To change things up I went for a ‘jungle look’ and as my current stock die of old age (most fish are 3+ years old… old age is getting them one by one) I aim to make it a South American Bio-tope ‘Like’ aquarium during the rainy season hence the selection of Echinodorus species of plants. My current system looks like this…
118093
My current setup is:
200L (52 Gallon) All glass aquarium (minus substrate and décor probs closer to 180L)
AquaManta EFX 300 canister filter with mostly bio media and filter sponges, I run carbon now and then but not to often (rated at 1100L but more like 900L actual flow) I want to get a new canister with built in heater thinking Oase BioMaster Thermo 650
I also run a Air Driven Sponge filter Primarily to keep the sponges ‘alive’ for when I need to set-up a temporary QT system as I can't have a permanent set-up and a ‘insta’ cycled basic filter is useful… also extra biological filtration never hurt anyone!
Fluval Fresh&Plant 2.0 LED lighting
JBL Substrate
Heavily planted with Echinodorus varieties (7 varieties)
I feed Primarily Stendker beef heart and Tetra discuss granules and flake mix
Parameters are:
Temp: 29C
Amonia and Nitrite 0
Nitrates … Pretty low my test kit barely discolours so hard to tell
GH 14
Kh 7
pH 7
Maintenance Schedule
Weekly 30-50% (depending on water parameters) water change with tapwater that has been filtered for a week with an activated carbon filter
Plant leaves trimmed
Additives for plants (Macro/Micro elements + Liquid Carbon) I used to use CO2 but due to deployments I had to simplify the setup so that the wife can look after the aquarium
Front glass cleaned every week
Stocking:
3 Blue Diamonds (recently added)
3 Red Turquoise (recently added)
6 Corydoras sterbai
2 Pair Bristlenose Plecs (grown from babies)
2 Otto Cats
4 Ammano Shrimps
5 Cardinal Tetras (used to have 13 before the discus arrived – old age is getting them oe by one)
6 Dwarf Neon Rainbows (same detail as the Cardinals)
1 SEA Flying Fox
The 6 discus are still trying to figure out the pecking order though the smallest Red Turquoise is definitely at the bottom, he does however eat and swim with the rest but he is very dark and generally keeps a low profile. I have experimented with adding a mirror and his colours change when he sees 'the other' Discus so I am contemplating adding a mirror on a semi-permanent basis. once these guys mature and their tank mates die off (old age gets you eventually) I don't think the tank can support more than 6 fully grown discus (1mx45cm45cm). My target stock in the tank will be 6 discus 6 Cory's max 2 pleco's and some amono shrimp. Yes I know the Amano shrimp isn't from South America but they are just so damn efficient at dealing with the odd algae outbreak and general scavenging... hence my Bio-tope 'Like' comment earlier!
Thanks for taking the time to read this essay
Jakes