Shameful but I'm considering it

[LizStreithorst]

I have a 100 with 8 breeding age Discus that should pair up but nothing keeps happening them. The idea came into my mind about making a planted tank for them. They're showing no pairing behavior, so why the heck not? It would be nice to see them among plants and driftwood, even though I know that a tank like that is not like where they live in the Amazon.

I have one big amazon sword that is a baby of the one that I still have from 2001 when I first started in Discus. It was just a tiny little thing I bought at the LPS. This baby, that has turned into a mama plant. would love to spread it's roots all over the gravel of a 100 gallon tank. I have val's that I could put in the background. I have anubias and java moss that I can glue to the driftwood. I even have old rotted goat poo that I can use under the gravel.

All I need is a big piece of driftwood (I already have smaller ones to use to compliment it) and the nice gravel that my LPS sells in heavy bags. I'll need two bags for that tank. I can't abide that pea type gravel that is most usually sold in stores.

I've been around long enough to have learned how to keep Discus healthy in a tank like that. If the Discus get around to breeding they can do it there and I can move the pair to a breeding tank at that point. Can anyone find any problem with this idea that has wormed it's way into my fish mind?

[cooper666]

I'd love to see what you come up with.

Nothing shameful about having a nice display, that's all I've ever wanted from my hobby.

[discuspaul]

Go for it, Liz - you won't regret it - I've done it many times before and I love it - I'm sure you've seen some pics of my planted tanks - nothing special - but they look pretty good, I think.

Takes a bit of extra work to keep things squeaky clean in the tank, and grow the plants healthily, but certainly doable.

[Tshethar]

I'll bet you could pull it off, Liz, but I wonder about an intermediate first option if getting some breeding going is really what you're after.

What I'm thinking there is something to create some territory, like driftwood with or without plants, or your amazon sword (maybe potted) in the middle or a little off-center, whatever you prefer. Maybe if you had cones on both sides with some blocked site lines dividing the tank, a couple of discus might wander over into one side or one corner and try some egg laying.

That would be one step short of the gravel with the goat poo. But it depends on what you want to go for. :thumbsup:

[Sturiosoma]

My question Liz, why is a planted tank considered shameful.

Jeanne

[LizStreithorst]

It was a tiny joke, Jeanne

[bluelagoon]

That pea stone gravel in LPS is expensive. Go to a hardware store, in the garden and pond section and get it for $10 a bag instead of $50- $60. Colours are natural.

[Filip]

I like the idea of an eye catching planted discus tank Liz. Just go for it if this is what you want to experiment in at this moment. You can always go back to your old routines in a matter of hours , if you get fed up with it.
I would just ditch the gravel and goat poo idea because I do believe that you can succed with plants even with fine sand and clean water column . Root tabs and liquid ferts can always help if you see the need for fertilization and are much cleaner option than pea gravel and goat poo .

[JamesW]

I would suggest getting sand over gravel. Food and poop stay on top so you don't need to disturb the substrate as much (especially if you have goat poo underneath!!) and the plants root into it easier.

[LizStreithorst]

The sand sounds like a better idea. I don't know why I never considered it. I used the goat poo under my planted rainbow tank that has been going for 12 years. I have never had to add ferts. Unless anyone can think of a reason not to, I want to put it under the sand. The poo is from when I bred dairy goats back in a former life. It's compacted from and doesn't make A mess. I figured I'd put it in the back half if the tank only and leave the front with sand only.

[jeep]

I have one big amazon sword that is a baby of the one that I still have from 2001 when I first started in Discus. It was just a tiny little thing I bought at the LPS. This baby, that has turned into a mama plant. would love to spread it's roots all over the gravel of a 100 gallon tank.

Years ago, I had a 55g with pea gravel and a UG filter. The only plant was a scrawny little Amazon Sword I picked up at a LFS. When sold the setup a couple of years later, the sword spanned over 1/2 the tank, and the roots spanned the entire tank. I now know UG filters are a thing of the past, but it was the healthiest tank I ever owned. I would love to have a planted tank with discus and have been tempted to go the UG route, but I've resisted that temptation mainly because of the prolonged power outages I experience.

If you do this Liz, I hope you create a well documented thread. I will follow with great interest!

[LizStreithorst]

I will, Brian but don't expect anything interesting. I know more about plants than used to but I don't know much. I'm good at putting the green side up is all. Don't know much about aquascaping either. I'm going to have to spend a lot of time looking at pics and thinking before I jump in with both feet.

BTW, once, a long time ago, I was eating at a Japanese hibachi restaurant and the guy next to me new more about water than anyone I had ever met. I told him so. He said that understood water but there was no money in it, which is sad. He said that the best filtration was still an underground filter even though they had fallen out of favor. He said that everything that people say about them these days is untrue.

[jeep]

I totally agree about the UG. There are several Youtube videos that explain it well. Like I said though, my main concern is the extended power outages I experience (as long as 2 weeks). With the amount of waste that collects under the filter that actually creates the healthy environment, it can become a toxic waste dump if it loses its air supply.

[bluelagoon]

I had a wild discus planted tank about 8 years ago with pea stone and worked great. And a domestis discus tank with EI dosing and worked well for adult discus. Both low tech except for ferts. I wish "photo bucket" woudn't have hi-jacked all my pics and my old computer went out before I could back up my pictures.

[Second Hand Pat]

I had a wild discus planted tank about 8 years ago with pea stone and worked great. And a domestis discus tank with EI dosing and worked well for adult discus. Both low tech except for ferts. I wish "photo bucket" woudn't have hi-jacked all my pics and my old computer went out before I could back up my pictures.

If you remember your login info to Photo Bucket you can log in and download your content Mervin.
Pat

[Sturiosoma]

Think Mervin think

Jeanne

[LizStreithorst]

Yeah, I would love to see them, too. Think.

[LizStreithorst]

I for sure have the fever to do this. I hate when I get the fever to do something. When I get the fever I can't rest until it's done. It's one of the reasons I'm broke. Big deal. I'd rather have been happy in life than have money any day.

I will go to my LPS the next time Twee is there. Ken, her husband, knows that he is as honest as I am, but my connection it with Twee. I always love taking my free range hen's eggs to her because she thinks it's such a big deal. She is fascinated by my passion buy she doesn't use those words. She say's that she loves picking my mind. She's has started a couple of breeding tanks for her own enjoyment. Sometimes I can offer advise. When I can, I do. I enjoy giving help with what I know to who ever wants it

I want to tell Twee about my plans for a planted Discus tank. She'll be all over this project. I'll look at their pieces of driftwood. I have seen some good pieces there. Not what I see in my mind's eye for this tank, but perhaps I could work with them.

[LizStreithorst]

I for sure have the fever to do this. I hate when I get the fever to do something. When I get the fever I can't rest until it's done. It's one of the reasons I'm broke. Big deal. I'd rather have been happy in life than have money any day.

I will go to my LPS the next time Twee is there. Ken, her husband, knows that he is as honest as I am, but my connection it with Twee. I always love taking my free range hen's eggs to her because she thinks it's such a big deal. She is fascinated by my passion buy she doesn't use those words. She say's that she loves picking my mind. She's has started a couple of breeding tanks for her own enjoyment. Sometimes I can offer advise. When I can, I do. I enjoy giving help with what I know to who ever wants it

I want to tell Twee about my plans for a planted Discus tank. She'll be all over this project. I'll look at their pieces of driftwood. I have seen some good pieces there. Not what I see in my mind's eye for this tank, but perhaps I could work with them.

[LizStreithorst]

I just realized that I already have the main driftwood piece that I want. It's big. And...it has java fern all over it, and much of the rest has some kind of green algae over most of it making it look 100 years old. It is a very large piece. It is waited where I have it, in my rainbow fish tank.

Patty shipped this large piece of wood to me for free. She actually had tape two big boxes together to send it to me. I had to tell her my plans for her piece. It made her happy. That piece of wood was important to her.

I'm not ready to get started on this tank yet. It will start soon. I have the fever. Once I have the fever I can't stop myself.

[Willie]

In your shoes, I'd go with the sand, driftwood and plants on the driftwood, Liz. You can keep something like that very clean and adult discus don't need as many water changes as growing ones.

Willie

[LizStreithorst]

I know dang well what I "should" do, Willie. In this the case what I should do is not what I want to do.

I finally decided on rotted goat manure on the back and out to each side covered with PFS. I was leaning toward PFS but when I read this old thread I knew it's what I want to use.. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?105919-Live-Plants-with-pool-filter-sand

[pastry]

:eek: Alright, I am totally watching this thread. Liz, very excited to see what you turn out! I know that you know that I knowingly am some what lackadaisical with my planted tank but I also really love sharing my screw-ups and dumb luck successes. So don't hesitate to get ahold of me if you have a few ideas and want o know if I have already done them and screwed up!:antlers:

[cooper666]

I've got the opposite problem. My fish are in a decorated tank and they've started to spawn but I'd rather they focused on growth.

[LizStreithorst]

IMO once they start they won't stop until they darned good and ready. As long as the parents don't raise kids the spawning shouldn't affect their growth.

[bluelagoon]

I know dang well what I "should" do, Willie. In this the case what I should do is not what I want to do.

I finally decided on rotted goat manure on the back and out to each side covered with PFS. I was leaning toward PFS but when I read this old thread I knew it's what I want to use.. http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?105919-Live-Plants-with-pool-filter-sand

I'm really curiuos about this tread too and looking forward to see how it developes. I have never seen a dirtied tank for discus but know that they work well with other species. In the link post #4, IMO would not be a good example of a planted tank. The plants indeed look like something is missing for good growth. Might be the sand suffocating the roots or a PH problem. Ph for plants range from 5.5 - 7;either side of that and plants can't use nutients to thrive. When I see a planted tank not growing well; my first question would be lighting and the second question what's the ph.

[LizStreithorst]

I moved my piece of driftwood from Patty to the 100 gallon and dug my goat poo yesterday. Today, I'll go to home depot and buy my pool filter sand.

[Sturiosoma]

Liz I'm not liking the goat poo ,for whatever my opinion is worth, I use a recipe from William Trickers, the oldest aquatic plant nursery in the United States, over 100 years old I will look for the recipe or you can go to their website.

Jeanne

[pastry]

Please go send. Don't worry about forts. Definitely want to help

[LizStreithorst]

I took the plunge a few days ago and put my big Discus in the tank. So far they are happy, but I'm watching closely for signs of them being not right. Here's a few pics. The tank looks more well balanced when I put a big Bolbitis in on the other side to balance out the big Amazon sword.

[Mando]

They look awesome! those are some big guys..

[Captain Discus]

Liz. They look terrible. I think you should pack them up and send to me so i can clean them up!
JUST KIDDING of course. You always seem to make gold out of the seemingly mundane.
They look great!
Tom.

[guggas]

It looks like the tank I've always wanted since I was 12. I hope they stay healthy. Interesting thread for sure.

[LizStreithorst]

Thank you so much gentlemen. I bet the admins want to toss me out about now. (joke, I hope). I always 'fess up when I screw up so I promise that you will know if the fish aren't happy and I have to put them back into a BB.

I also have a bunch of L144 BN in the tank. I yearn for a nice school of Sterbai as well. May be next month...

Mando, all of these are home bred except their daddy who I won in an auction here and a spotted leopard I purchased from Chicago Discus.

[cooper666]

That looks great, overall, and those fish are stunning. Thanks for the share.

[Second Hand Pat]

Thank you so much gentlemen. I bet the admins want to toss me out about now. (joke, I hope). I always 'fess up when I screw up so I promise that you will know if the fish aren't happy and I have to put them back into a BB.

I also have a bunch of L144 BN in the tank. I yearn for a nice school of Sterbai as well. May be next month...

Mando, all of these are home bred except their daddy who I won in an auction here and a spotted leopard I purchased from Chicago Discus.

No way Liz :D Keep those fish happy and they look awesome in the tank :D:D
Pat

[danotaylor]

Wowsers Liz, that looks amazing!! The aqua's in the fish and the greens in your plants make for some serious eye candy. It looks fantastic!!

[bluelagoon]

Those spotted leopards are real nice. Nice tank as well.

[LizStreithorst]

No way Liz :D Keep those fish happy and they look awesome in the tank :D:D
Pat

Well that's a great relief.

This is the story. I was moving some Amazon Swords to another tank and the side of the pot broke. The plant is a daughter of the first Amazon sword I bought in 2001, so I have an emotional connection to it. (I don't care if that sounds silly.) I wasn't able to find a suitable container for it. That got me thinking about a planted thank and that I'd gotten tired of feeding, changing my 8 adult size Discus' water and not see them even show signs of pairing.

I figured that the most logical way to solve both problems was to set up a planted Discus tank. I would never had tried it if I didn't have an empty 100 to put them in at the first sign of something not right with them.

[LizStreithorst]

Danny, I just changed the settings on my lights. I think it makes the fish look better. I need to take more pics of the same tank. I like the colors, too. Thanks for the compliment

[LizStreithorst]

Thank you, Mervin.

[danotaylor]

No worries mate. Looking forward to seeing the update pics :D

[LizStreithorst]

I took the plunge a few days ago and put my big Discus in the tank. So far they are happy, but I'm watching closely for signs of them being not right. Here's a few pics. The tank looks more well balanced when I put a big Bolbitis in on the other side to balance out the big Amazon sword.

I have never loved to sit and stare at a tank like I love it with this one. I thought I'd post some pics of it as it is now. It has really matured.

[LizStreithorst]

The single fish in there is the best of all my homebreds. You can tell that his pattern is still not finished separating into little spots. It will happen. I saw the same thing in his older brother.

[DiscusDish]

Oh my god, simply gorgeous. What strain are these guys??? They are giants!! You are one lucky owner. I wish my discus were such a good quality. ;)

[danotaylor]

Stunning Liz!! Those discus look sensational in your beautifully planted tank. The plants look vibrant and healthy as well. I'd be lounging in front of that set up for hours a day if I could. Serenity...

[Second Hand Pat]

Beautiful tank and fish Liz :D All seem really happy now if they will only pay attention to that cone :D
Pat

[planter]

That looks really nice great job.

[Sturiosoma]

It's gonna work for you Liz.

Jeanne

[fljones3]

Nice Liz. I might have missed it but what are the sizes of these beauties.

[LizStreithorst]

Mr. Big is 5" SL and 6" TL. I just pulled him out and put a tape on him in order to make sure that I was still measuring with the lady's ruler.

[LizStreithorst]

Jeanne and Filipe, I'm glad you both like it.

[LizStreithorst]

Pat, all they ever do, when their not swimming back and forth, is pay attention to the cone. I keep telling them that just looking at it isn't doing me any good, but they don't care.

[LizStreithorst]

Danny, I am grateful for retirement. It allows me to sit and stare at them with much less guilt than it would give me had I been working.

[LizStreithorst]

Matt, they are all homebreds except their dear old dad (granddad of one of them, a domestic RSG. and one female Spotted Blue Leopard. Of my home breds, there is one Turk. He is the least quality of them and one of the 2 smaller ones at about 5". My big man is 6" TL. Another that I kind of think is a female is close in size. Her pattern is more spotted but less coverage on the ventral and dorsal areas. Those 2 would be a nice pair. The others are between 5" and 6". The mother of all of them except the 2 purchased fish was a Blue Scorpion that jumped out and committed suicide a good while back.

[Lytehouse]

Really nice
That would be great relaxing.
Big comfy chair and all worries float away

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat, all they ever do, when their not swimming back and forth, is pay attention to the cone. I keep telling them that just looking at it isn't doing me any good, but they don't care.

Oh dear :laugh:

[fljones3]

Mr. Big is 5" SL and 6" TL. I just pulled him out and put a tape on him in order to make sure that I was still measuring with the lady's ruler.

Very nice.

[bluelagoon]

Liz, those are really nice looking discus and their colors/pattern look awesome.

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks Mervin. I hope that one day I will have babies to sell.

[danotaylor]

I would like to go on the waiting list Liz :)

[LizStreithorst]

You'll be number 2, Danny. I'm first in line.

[danotaylor]

You'll be number 2, Danny. I'm first in line.

Lol, touche Liz. Haha!!

[DiscusDish]

i'm 3rd lol. When you have some Liz. Let me know and I will consider them. I don't have any space for them right now but I will have some someday. :)

[LizStreithorst]

You're 3rd. What I'm afraid of is that you will have an entire fish room before these guys decide to get in a family mood.

[jeep]

Very nice tank Liz!!

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks Brian.

[Mando]

These fish are so pleasing!!! Hope they breed for you, and soon.

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks Armando.

[Pices]

Wow Liz your tank and fish look so beautiful. I’d be gawking at it all day. Like living art! Well done Liz! Well done!
Patty

[Disgirl]

It is really good looking Liz, I may have to copy you one of these days. But I am so wary of gravel in my Discus tank now. It would take courage for me to do it.
Barb

[LizStreithorst]

It takes a lot of time, Barb. I have to vacuum the gravel every other WC and always do around 80% daily on that tank, and wipe downs twice a week just to keep it nice and clean. Time is at a premium for you ATM. I know when you can invest the time it takes your planted Discus tank will put mine to shame.

[LizStreithorst]

Patty, I know that your driftwood doesn't make a statement like it did in your planted 75 but it is the back bone of my arrangement. (If you can call my thrown together tank an arrangement).

BTW, it's good to hear that you've gone to part time work. Being retired is great except for the money part. You've got the best of both worlds.

[Ocellaris]

Do it, they may still attempt to breed. Mine just attempted in a community tank lightly planted with driftwood. They laid eggs but then ate them slowly, thier first batch. ... my tank 127411

[LizStreithorst]

I ended up taking them out. It was too much work just trying to keep their tank "Discus clean" and although they weren't sick, I thought they weren't looking as happy as they were at first.

I do have a pair on eggs right since I set up my RO unit. We'll see how that goes. I have another pair in a tank with a bunch of their siblings and their dad, wiggling and cone pecking, but they just started several hours ago. It may be they're a pair or it may be that they're just messing with me.

[coralbandit]

Hoping the RO gets you some fry ..

[LizStreithorst]

Something has to give sometime. What I have been going through is not normal.