impractical or impossible a 360 gal planted discus tank

[bryalk1]

my dream tank when i started discus was a biotype tank full of differing wilds. i don't see it as a possibility if i still have to work a job. anyone have luck doing this? i have a dark substrate so i can't see feces to clean etc. i also have 11 other tanks and my wife is getting irritated at my lack of time as i am. maybe a 360 barebottom. still not sure. bryant

[RAWesolowski]

Wild biotope tank... I think that Hagen had set up a tank like that at one of the Eurpoean shows. Biotope was basically sand and wood for discus. Something like that may keep your maintenance time down if you add an overflow with a drip system to continuously do water changes.

For color, plants, I would think that Amazon swords in a couple of groupings would work well. Headache would be vacuuming the sand and wiping glass. How deep? Hopefully it be no deeper than your arm length!

[bryalk1]

hi bob, thanks for the reply my tank is 96x30x30 so its more than my arms length. maybe a magnet for the acrylic, add a large sponge in the botoom of the wet dry to catch debris. i can't use the algae buster plats too much maintaince. bryant

[angel12]

well you may well need a sub of 3-4" deep to give plenty of depth for the root feeding plants like Crypts to grow so that will reduce the depth to about 24-25" Plenty of clean up crews like shrimps- octocinclus corries plecs will help to get rid of any uneaten food you will always have a build up of detrius and decaying plant leafs but this can be benefical if kept under control ... I Can only wish I had the scope to house such a massive tank .... I also think brewmaster is starting an experiment with peat and barley straw ....

if you go ahead with it keep us informed on its progress step by step

:)

[chavez720]

Just wanted to share my experiences with you to get you thinking. I am starting on a project similar to yours. Not quite as big, 220g 72" X 24" X30". Some of the issues that I am dealing with:

Tank Support - I live in a home with a crawl space. To have a tank this big I will have to support the joist somehow. Before I even think about water I will have to put posts under the house.

Stand - No one has a reasonably priced stand must DIY

Canopy - Same as Stand

Filtration - Wet/Dry is the only way to go. Pump size and price are what I am dealing with right now! Will be trying to do a HOB aerial plant filter and maybe RDP Plant filter in the Sump. Reduce water changes and maintenance.

Heating - Need close to 1200 watts!!! Have heard some people only going with 250-300 on larger tanks but this may be a myth. Will have to go with Titanium heater with temp controller - $$$$.

Lighting - PC or MH. In my opinion MH is the way to go - again $$$$. Personally I do not want to limit my plant selection.

Do not forget the decoration - wood, rock, substrate. The normal sizes that are found at the LFS just will not do in a tank this size. Even on-line for a nice piece of wood of decent size is expensive.

These are the obstacles that I am running into right now during set-up of this tank. How long is it going to take me to do water changes? Pruning? Planting? Feeding? How am I going to pay the electric/water bill? Some days I think I should just sell this tank and forget the whole project!!! That thought soon disappears thinking about how many discus I could put in there!!

Good Luck.

[ChloroPhil]

Speaking of which, how are those discus doing?

[chavez720]

Discus are doing fine! Went thru a bout with Fin/tail rot, looks like I damaged a few of them transporting back from Atlanta and some from aggresion. The pecking order seems ot have been set. Looks like I may have a couple pairs already.

These things are huge!!! One of the browns that I got looks like it is getting some spots.

You really missed out on the discus! Do not worry, bought a couple of the ones that you were gonna get.

[ChloroPhil]

I'm glad to hear they're doing well. I was pretty upset that I wasn't able to get them. I'll have to come up one of these days soon and get a good look at them. I'm getting torn between getting some Browns and Blues/Greens.