Semi-planted tank?

[Willin]

Howdy, I just got an idea that I am almost sure has been done before (?). It is a possible way to make a planted discus tank while still being able to clean the tank with relative ease. Before I explain further, let me say that I am a complete newbie and don't even own discus yet, so feel free to flame me unmercifully if this idea is preposterous. :P Oh, and if this is in the wrong section, feel free to move it!
I know that having a planted tank with gravel is very hard to clean compared to a bare-bottom tank. I was thinking that there may be a happy medium between a bare bottom tank and a planted tank. It is a pretty simple idea really, so that's why I think someone may have done it before? My idea is to divide the tank into sections. If you look in to the bottom of a tank from a bird's eye view it of course looks like a large rectangle. My idea is to divide the tank using plexiglass or some such material along the bottom and secure it in place using something like silicon? You would divide the rectangle up into three parts that are each triangles. It would look like this, once again from a bird's eye view:
[1/ 2\3]
The area's labelled 1 and 3 would be filled with some gravel or sand and plants. In the area labelled 2 the tank would be bare-bottom. When you feed your discus (with presumably sinking foods) you would place the food over area 2 and let it sink to the bare bottom. This would allow quick clean up of left over food. You would only have to clean your gravel/sand area occasionaly to pick up the discus' excretions and algae build-ups. Throw in a bushynose pleco or two and I don't imagine that the tank would get too dirty. This set-up would provide show tank looks with bare-bottom ease of cleaning goodness. Would this theory work when applied or no? Like I said I am a newbie so I am just making assumptions here. I think that it would be a neat tank to have if this is a plausible idea!

[RandalB]

Actually it's a very good idea. I've seen German and European tanks with a setup very similar to this. I believe there is an illustration in one of Degen's books (Can't remember which) of a tank like that.


RandalB

[Carol_Roberts]

That would probably work nicely for adult discus. :)

To grow out baby discus into full sized and beautifully colored adults nothing works better than a bare tank. I liked tha analogy someone here recently used where they likened discus grow out tanks to glass feeding troughs. (who was that?)

Fill with clean water, fill with food. Empty uneaten food, feces and dirty water. Fill with clean water, fill with food. Empty uneaten food, feces and dirty water. Repeat ;D
Carol :heart1:

[Willin]

Carol, in your opinion, what percentage of water should be changed out of a 55 gallon tank per day if one were to raise 2" fish in it? 25% or so? Also, what type of discus is that under your name? Is it absolutely beautiful. It almost reminds me of the "Jack Wattley Red Panda" which happens to be my favorite discus. Is it a Marlboro Red? Whom did you get it from? Thanks so much for information on that fish, I really love it!

P.S. Do you happen to have more photo's to post on the forums of that fish? Don't worry about it if it is too much of a hassle!

[Carol_Roberts]

Hi Willin:
Here is a link showing the pigeon blood discus in my avatar as an adult
http://daah.info/index.php?board=14;action=display;threadid=542
I purchased him from Ray Kosaka of Discus Hawaii who imports quality discus from Asia.

It depends on how many 2 inch discus you have. Yes, 25% daily water changes would be fine with 6 - 8 two inch discus, but they become 6 - 8 five inch discus in a few months and then you need to change 50% water a day.

I've got seventeen 3 and 4 inch discus in a 55 right now and am changing 60 - 80% water daily. Water pumps and storage barrels make life easy!
Carol :heart1:

[mas]

yeh that can work. if your biological filters can keep up with the waste it shouldnt be a problem. i clean my large tank that has a good number of plants once a week with 6 discus, and i hardly ever suck up anything that hasnt been decomposed. it also helps to periodically remove any dying plant matter.

im fairly new to discus, but the thought of keeping them in a bare tank sounds horrible for the fish. (i wouldnt like to be stuck in a glass box like that all day :)) the world seems to do it so the fish must not mind too much. :) personally i like planting my tanks so theres places where they can shelter, but which also lets me see the fish at the same time. good use of vals and aponogeton species (pics at http://www.petswarehouse.com/plants/plantpic9.htm the leaves are nice and mine grow quite tall) seem to work for me. with some nice rocks and lots of foreground plants thrown in this can be pretty nice.

its takes some trial and error with the plants though, if you plant your tank too densely and the discus find a way behind them they can hide there all day and be more skittish than if they had less cover. the tall stringy plants seem to give them them cover you (and probably the fish as well) can see through. i hear they like shade in general as well opposed to open water so that might be something to think about too. :)

[peety]

Good idea... :o
If you shaped the divisions you could probably grow the plants in a way that you'd never even notice there was a bb section.... unless you looked straight down :-X

Wow.

I'll keep that in mind for tank number 7!!

;D ;D

[Ralph]

I never heard that exact idea, it sounds good to me. Some people here do variants of your idea though. I heard of people putting sinking food in a large, flat bowl on the bottom of the tank. Also, others use clay pots for their plants so the uneaten food and solid wastes are easily vacuumed from between the pots. I'm working on a tank with no gravel, just plants that can be grown on driftwood, which can be pulled out completely for cleaning.
If I was going to use the plexiglas, I would get a thin strip and bend it slightly forming an arch from tank end to tank end. You could put it in the back, gravel and plant the rest of the tank and it would be virtually invisible. Just an idea.

[Mykuhl]

Hey Ralph, I was thinking the same thing. Having plants that grow on driftwood or rocks placed on a bare bottom would allow you to have the best of both worlds :). Floating palnts could work here as well.

[ChloroPhil]

I've seen people do a tank very similar to that. For an alternative you can also put fine grained sand in the front section... Ironically, I've found it easier to keep clean than a bb tank.

Species that would go well in the setup you described:

Cryptocoryne spp.
Echinodorus tenellus (Pygmy Chain Sword)
Rotala rotundifolia (Rotala indica)
Microsorum pteropus (Java Fern)
Anubias spp.
Aponogeton crispus
Vallisneria spp.
Nymphaea spp (Water Lotus/Lilly)

Hope this helps some...Enjoy!