Jumping in (planted tank+discus)

[Dissident]

Currently i have an established planted aquarium where i keep a handfull of tetras, angels and the regular crew of alge eaters. I am curious what I will need to take into consideration if I want to add a few discus... as in age of the discus I should start with, how many, proper levels for ph, nitrates, how the regular ferts my affect the fish etc..
My current setup:
55gal 48x13x28, temp 78F, ph 6.5 +/-.5 (not as much as a ph swing now that co2 is only added when lights are on). Plenty of filtration no carbon, just sponge and bio. 3.2W/gal florecent lighting 9600k.

Currently the plants and the fish are doing great. My only concern is that I do not have the means to do frequent water changes since i dont have the room to keep 25gal of treated water on hand.

pic of the tank:
http://alaam.com/casc/new2.jpg

[Carol_Roberts]

Your tank is very pretty. I always reccomend adults for planted tanks. Perhaps you can find a pair reasonably priced.

[Dissident]

Can you reccomend on breed being easier to keep then another. I don't want to risk flushing over a C-note by getting a strain that i should not be starting off with in thie first place.

[Abercrombie6202]

Your aquarium is magnificent! Well personally i think adults would be the best in your tank. Since you probably only want a couple discus, that might cause a lot of aggresion, but if you buy a pair then there should be that less of a terriotrial/aggression to each other. Most of the Turks and PB (Pigion Bloods) are pretty hardy. ut pretty much every discus is just about the same their are some weaker and stronger strains out there, but they aren't much different. Also many people will say wilds are more hardy then domestics. But i don't recommend starting off with wilds or heckles. I'm not sure if they are hardier as i've never kept any, but would like to get some in the future :)

[ronrca]

Also many people will say wilds are more hardy then domestics. But i don't recommend starting off with wilds or heckles. I'm not sure if they are hardier as i've never kept any, but would like to get some in the future Well Adam, if you are not sure if wilds are hardier or not, than perhaps recommendations should be avoided. ;) Just a thought!

Definitly what Carol says! Go with some beautiful adults. There are so many strains around and most will be fine as long as the water parameters are stable. Pick a nice color and/or pattern that you like and think will really look good in your tank. That is a very nice tank! Good Job! ;)

[Dissident]

Thanks,
does anyone have a link to the best water peramiters for keeping discus so I can get my setup to those requirements and attempt to keep it stable there for a week or two before adding the fish?

[ronrca]

Well, the perfect water conditions are stable. Ph isnt a concern unless your way up/down the scale. In my case, my best water conditions are straight from the tap, aged 24 hours and add dechlor. The ph is 7.8.

In your case, ph is fine however I would increase the temp from 78 to at least 80 if not 82F. Other than that, stable conditions are the perfect conditions. ;)

[RyanH]

One of the problems I have had with keeping plants and Discus in the same tank is finding plants that can handle Discus water temps. I really prefer to keep my fish at 84 degrees minimun and finding plants that can flourish in those temps can be challenging.

[Mykiss]

Ryan is right. I once had a planted discus tank and it looked wonderful....for a while. After a few weeks, the plants started to look ratty and grew slow. I think it was the high temp.
I would also go with adults rather than juvenille discus. The larger discus seem to do better in planted (sand filled ) tanks than the wee little ones.
pt

[ronrca]

Good point Ryan! You do have to take care in choosing the right plants. ;) I keep my planted tank at 90F and dont have problems with my plants. I only have some valls and swords though.

[Carol_Roberts]

Some of the older strains are hardier than the newer colors. Turquoise, cobalts and pigeon bloods are hardy and adults of these varieties may be less expensive and readily available

[jules]

Your tank is very beautiful and will look so nice with Discus in it.

[Dissident]

Would it be more advisable to get one pair or two pair. Or one pair then wait to get a second pair. I would really like to have more then 2 adults in my tank, all the same or similiar colors. My concern with 2 pair would be agressiveness towards eachother I really dont want them beating eachother up, and I'm not concerned about them breading. What kind of combination should I look for if I was to add 4 adults?

[Carol_Roberts]

I would purchase the adults all at once from the same supplier. If you purchase from different suppliers or at different times you will have to quarantine.

[Debbie]

I would recommend adults also since you are unable to do frequent water changes. Awesome tank your discus will be very happy in it. I would go with a pair since you do have other fish in the tank. You should QT no matter what since you have other fish in the tank.