How many water changes??

[gman]

I'm planning to set up 110 gal discus tank in my office with lots of plants modeled after the one on page 24 of the book "The Natural Aquarium" by Stoshi Yoshino and Doshin Kobayashi. I'm planning 6 - 8 discus, some neons and assorted algea eaters or shrimp. I've read and heard conflicting information regarding the filtering requirements and minimum number of water changes. My aquarium dealer, who also does maintenance, suggested that the discus will do fine with two Ehime filter systems and 50% water changes every three to four weeks. Is this realistic? Since the tank will be in my office, I have limited time to play with it. Given this realistic constraint, what would be the best size filter system to use? Are two better than one?

[ronrca]

Welcome to Simplydiscus!

First off, what size of discus are you intending to put in the planted tank? I would not recommend anything smaller than 5" especially if its going in at work. Why at work you may ask? Well, co-workers, clients, etc will love to see the tank and nothing is nicer than some full grown adult discus (and no runts).

About the water changes, I would not recommend 3-4 weeks. At least once a week. Even though the tank has filters and plants, fish in general require clean fresh water on a weekly basis. Im not saying it cant be done but for the best interest of the fish, clean, fresh water is essential (you perhaps could compare it with taking a bath with the same water 3-4x! So when we baths with clean water every time, dont you think its even more important for clean water in a tank where fish live!!! LOL).

Filtering
2 are better than one, 3 are better than 2, etc, etc! However, the down side is more filters, more time cleaning them. Imo, the best filter is a diy wet/dry filter similar to the ones that are shown in the diy section. Canister filters are good but a nuisance to clean. AquaClear filters are the best and really easy to maintain however they may cause surface movement which is counterproductive when using C02.

To be honest, I would not have a 110G planted tank at work. I dont really know your background in planted tanks but they can be more work than you intend. Since you did state that you have limited time to play with it, perhaps another style of tank may better suit your needs. I know that what Im going to suggest you will not like however once you see it, it may change your mind. Id recommend still using the 110G but going bare bottom with a few driftwood. Much easier to maintain.

There is another route though. Setup the tank how you like it and get your lfs to do the maintain.

Just some thoughts! ;)

[RyanH]

If you intend to add Juvenile Discus to your tank, the advice that your pet store gave you on water changes is not only innacurate, it is also irresponsible. Your fish couldn't be expected to get much larger than 3-4 inches nor can they be expected to flourish or even be healthy. a planted tank will require 2-3 hours a week in maintenence. Minimum.

If you add adults, the water change routine can be a bit more lax but at least one enormous weekly water change with AGED water is still a must for the health of your fish. In addition, you will need to clean the tank, feed a few times a day with quality food, trim and tend to your plants, test your water parameters regularly, etc.

You must also consider the equipment that you must keep at your office in addition to the tank and the food, testing equipment, and other supplies you will probably keep underneath the tank. A water aging container, hoses, CO2 equipment, etc. must be kept on hand to do your maintenence.

Remember, your lfs wants to make money off of you by selling you equipment and fish. If your fish die, they can sell you more fish. If they convince you that equipment will take the place of regular maintenence, they also win by selling you more equipment. The biases involved with taking advice from somebody that stands to gain if you fail or make a mistake needs to be taken into consideration.

If you intend to go through with this project, make sure you know what you are getting into. If you do not have time or desire to do the maintenence yourself, you will need to hire somebody COMPETENT to do it for you.

I don't want to be a fly in your soup but it is important that people are aware of the scope of money and time that needs to be invested into such a project beyond the initial investment. Your Discus and the people that would be enjoying the tank deserve no less.

-Ryan

[gman]

This is the first time that I have used a discussion board and I must say I am very pleasantly surprised. Thanks for the swift, informative comments. I ask these questions to get a better idea of what I will be getting into in the event I choose to establish the tank.