Beginner's setup?

[:blackLancer:]

Hi, I have a setup I'm thinking of using for discus: 48"x18"x18" tank, 3 extra LRG sponge filters, a home-made box filter, a couple airstones, daily (sometimes twice daily) water changes, sand substrate (1inch or so), some amazon sword thickets and some large driftwood pieces. Any foreseeable problems adding some (like 6) 4" discus to this tank?
Thanks in advance ;)

[Howie_W]

Hi there,

If you are starting out for the first time...your best bet is to go with a bare bottom tank...much easier to keep clean, and the best route for growing out juveniles. Young discus require a constant healthy diet, and subsequently will pollute the water faster. By the time your Discus are full size, you can think about placing them in a planted environment.

Howie

[RyanH]

Howie has given you good advice. Stick with barebottom until they are adults and you have some experience keeping them alive. Then think about decorations.

[phishgroovin]

barebottoms aren't that bad. when i first thought of no gravel and no plants I frowned... But now that I have discus in a barebottom im smiling, and it doesn't even look bad anyways.

[:blackLancer:]

So...maybe I should just buy adults?

[Howie_W]

So...maybe I should just buy adults?


I think it's best to start with juveniles. This will give you a good opportunity to learn about the fish, and watch them grow. In addition, small fish are much less expensive. By the time they reach maturity you'll have a much better understanding of how to provide for them in a planted environment.

Howie

[aggie_67]

Left out the best part about juveniles, watching them eat!!!

[blaze]

you could always paint the outside botom of the tank , to make it look like gravle or sand.....I think the name of the spraypaint is 'stone creation, or stone effect'.
Im sure someone on simply will give u the right name

[groovay]

I know that spay paint, i'm not sure what the exact name is either but it's "stone something"...lol. Paint the outside black first then spray it on, my boss uses that on all his canopy and stands, very good stone effect.

[kelseygirl]

I've never seen anyone suggest this on this forum for barebottom tanks, but I use glass "marbles". Actually, not marbles, they are round and sort of flat. Irredescent colors. I don't have the bottom covered, but scattered around the bottom of the tank, single layer. Very easy to vacuum and I think the tank looks nice with them. The discus can easily get their food around them, and daily vacuuming keeps it very clean.

[:blackLancer:]

Thanks for the replys. I'm starting to have my doubts about adding discus to this tank, I've just finally finished setting up all these tanks and I cannot pull this one apart and start again...This setup is in my loungeroom, its a two teir 8'x18" stand holding 2 4'x18" tanks on each shelf. Water storage is next to the stand, water changes are easy. Took a long time to get it all setup.

[blaze]

but I use glass "marbles". Actually, not marbles, they are round and sort of flat. Irredescent colors.
I use them in my tank , not on the botton , but silicone them to the basees of plastic plants, so that the plastic plants wont float.

[kelseygirl]

Oooohhhhh, good idea!!!!!! :D