My 1 year old Planted Discus Tank!!

[ktrandc]

Hi all, I'm new to this site and thought I'd introduce myself by showing my tank. I've had this one up and running for about a year. I had some problems with black hair algae at first because of some driftwood, but that problem miraculously just disappeard. My tank is 180 gallons and is a planted community tank. It has 17 discus, 100 rummy nose tetras, 20 cory cats, 3 clown loaches (for those annoying snails), 2 platys, 10 blue rams, 6 Singapore Wood Shrimps (my favorite), and a really weird long loach that likes to dig up plants and sleeps under drift wood. I'm planning on moving 2 of the discus to a 29 gallon tank because they started to lay eggs on a leaf (from advice from Carol :) ). I have 2 Eheim Pro 2's, a 1000W heater (overkill because I had 2 ebo-jagers 250W and it worked just as well), about 3 watts per gallon via JBJ retro-fits, and CO2 from a canister that runs for 12 hours during the day (same as lights) and a small powerhead that runs at night because I'm trying to get rid of some weird oily film on top of the water. I also have some oxygen running on the opposite end of the tank where the CO2 is running. Now for the pictures!!!

[ktrandc]

another

[ktrandc]

one more

[ktrandc]

again

[ktrandc]

a group pic

[ktrandc]

again

[ktrandc]

this one and the one above this are new discus in my tanks about a week so far.

[ktrandc]

group

[ktrandc]

a marlboro red

[ktrandc]

my favorite discus. I've had this one for a long time now. Well, that's it. Thanks for looking and hope to interact online on this site a lot in the near future.
Michael

[jules]

Welcome...I have only been here for a little while; but it is a great site.

Your tank is beautiful!!! Love the new Pigeon. I have some loaches also and they really do keep the snails under control. Your weird loach sounds like a weather or Dojo loach.

[ktrandc]

Hi Jules, I think you're right it is a Dojo Loach.

[Abercrombie6202]

WELCOME TO SIMPLY!! I love planted tanks too!! I have a 75 gallon planted tank with 5 discus in it. Just got them a week ago. So i've been hear for about 2 months maybe, who knows, i'm not an expert, but i know alot more than i use too. If you want to chat about discus soemtime, my AIM is Abercrombie6202 and my E-mail is Abercrombiefish6202.
I love your tank and your discus, personally i think it sounds overcrowded by the information you gave, but all your fish look healthy and that's all that matters! How many water changes do you do? What do you feed? Do you use any fertilizers for your plants?

Oh i really like your discus they have great colors and patterns. How big are most of them?

[jules]

What kind of Danios are in your community tank? Are the Platies having fry?

[ktrandc]

Hi Abercrombie, I used to think that it was too over-crowded too but all the fish are healthy and gaining size. I do a water change about once a week or every other week and take out about 50-60 gallons of water using tap water (I just add a conditioner and dechlorinator). I used to do RO but it's just too much water to do that and the fish don't seem to mind. The discus are all at least 4 inches and most of them are closer to 6 inches.
Hi Jules, the danios are zebras except they have spots and not stripes, and the platies haven't had any fry's yet although when I had my 55 gallon a year ago they had tons of them. I don't know why they don't have any in this tank (although it is only one pair so maybe I need to get some more frys).
thanks and if you guys would like to chat my email address is ktrandc@dslextreme.com.

[crazy4discus]

great loooking tank you got there and all of your discus looks pretty big whats there sizes and age?

[Debbie]

Welcome and WOW :love: that tank and those discus, beautiful. Of course they would look even better at my house ;D.

[limige]

nice tank!!!

welcome to simply!
i'm getting ready to setup my 190 planted soon. yours looks nice, i was wondering about the bioload from fish but yours seems to be doing well with all those fish :o

nice!

[ChloroPhil]

Very nice tank! I like your choice of plants, those fish must really enjoy that cover.

[ktrandc]

Hi all,
I've been thinking that my tank is way too stocked as well, but the Discus are still growing at a steady rate, and I haven't had any serious illnesses. I do have a Marlboro Red fighting off HITH Disease but I'm using Hex-A-Mit and it's worked in tlhe past for me (that and tetracycline). Does anyone know of a better way to battle Hole In The Head Disease? I don't have a quarintine tank so everyone gets treated. I've been told by some discus breeders that once your tank is past 150 gallons you can support as much as 20 discus because it becomes a "small lake" (his words not mine) and the ecosystem stays very stable. I haven't ran into any problems so maybe he's right. I've been able to raise Singapore Wood Shrimps in the tank and I've been told they're difficult to raise but mine are doing fine (I have 5 or 6). Most of the discus are 5-6" and none are smaller than 4" (I think I only have one that small). They're all about a year old +, but I could be wrong because I purchased most of them when they were at 4". What is the recommended number of discus for a tank my size (180 gallons)? I've been told you need 10gallons / discus which would mean about 18. Am I wrong? Thanks for any input you may have. Mike.

[ChloroPhil]

If you're getting Hole in the Head I would recommend increasing the frequency and amount of your water changes. With all the additional stuff coming into my tank now in the form of food and feces I've got to do 30% water changes every three days as opposed to a 50% once every 7-10 days like I used to.

Your tank is definately overstocked, the amount of discus in there is high even for someone keeping a bare bottom tank and doing massive daily water changes. For a planted aquarium I recommend stocking at 1 discus, juvenile or adult, per 15 gallons, or 2/3 level of what most recommend. For example, I've got a 90g tank, and have 6 discus in there. In your case I would go even farther and say that a 1:20 (fish:gallons) ratio is better considering all the other fish in there as well.

I hope this answered your question,
Phil

[jules]

I have 6 juvenile Discus in my 55 gallon(I don't want to admit to how many other fishies I have in there)
I am constantly testing my Water. Apparently clown loaches need good water so they are also a judge of the quality.

Would you post a picture of your sick Discus...I am wondering what Hexamita looks like.

thanks.

[Abercrombie6202]

Phil, i have 5 discus at the moment in my 75 gallon tank. With 3 other 1.5" fish and 1 ghost shrimp. Does this mean i can't add any more discus to my tank?

[ChloroPhil]

Adam,

It doesn't mean you can't, but everyone will be much better off with the extra room. I wouldn't add any if it were my tank.

Show us some pics! :)

[Debbie]

Adam,
I agree with Phil. Unless your discus are juveniles and you have another tank to put some in when they are grown.

[jules]

What is the plant in the front left corner?

How is your sick Discus doing?

[ChloroPhil]

That's a Nymphaea zhenkeri, commonly known as a Lotus. Technically it's a water lily but we *** backward aquarists call it a lotus.

Funny story, I ordered 10 of what i thought were lilies for the LFS pond dept and got 10 $100.00 apiece lotus instead. WOOOOPS!

[jules]

Thanks Bio, I think I need one of those. :D

By the way, what do you think of algae balls?

thx

[ChloroPhil]

There are few types of algae that I can abide by.....Cladophora is one...if it's on my wood.

I really can't stand those balls. They're a neat little novelty, but I wouldn't purposefully put algae into my tank regardless of the type. Many people like them, I happen to not be one of those people. It's just a personal opinion.

[Pick]

Great looking tank. HITH has pretty much been narrowed down to a nutrition issue. There's bound to be something in the disease section but I believe the #1 cure for true HITH seems to be earthworms of all things!

I have no personal experience with HITH - I'm just repeating what I've read.

TC

[Mykiss]

Michael, I like the tank! and the fish as well of course. How often to you add fertilizer to your tank? every water change? Don't you get any problems with discus fighting with each other in such a tight space?
PT