My first Discus Tank

[wood]

Hello everyone.

I am starting my first discus tank soon and I wanted to make this thread in order to get all of the help and suggestions I could get. I don't have much equipment at all yet, which I think is good because I can really implement a lot of the suggestions I get from here. Since this is my first discus tank I will most likely do a bare-bottom tank, but I would like to have gravel/sand if possible.

Here are the specs:

55 gallon with corner overflow; wet/dry filter underneath. Lots of bioball space. (used to be a saltwater tank before I inherited it.)

That is all I have as of today.

I plan on getting lights and heater of course.

Here is what I may get as well:

CO2 system (to control ph)
RO unit

I am going to install the RO unit with a 30gallon storage tank. I want to be able to do water changes with the flip of a switch. Run a pump from the storage tank to the aquarium, and run a drainage line from the aquarium to the drain pipe underneath the sink. Have both pumps on a switch in order to change the water 50% daily. I have friends that are plumbers so they will install all of the equipment (RO & auto-water change), fish the lines through the drywall, etc. Is this a bit unnecessary? I was thinking of running the pumps on a timer, but that could lead to disaster so I opted not to even try that.

I also wanted to have some driftwood and plants in the tank. I was thinking of a barebottom tank with driftwood that has anubias and christmas moss attached. I do have experience with plants (I found out about this forum on aquaticplantcentral.com when I was interested in discus).

I want to keep 6 discus total. I will purchase them from some of the sponsors/breeders on this site (not a certain place nearby :) wink)

OK. I am very open to suggestions, expertise, advise, etc. Please let me know what you think. If I am doing something wrong... Where you recommend I get the RO unit from... Do I need CO2 system? Can I used gravel/sand with my first tank, or should I go barebottom as it being my first tank? What chemicals should I possibly get?


Thanks a lot guys. I haven't been on this site long at all but so far I am learning a lot. I have read some of the threads in the beginner section, but I figured I could get more detailed advice if I made my own thread.

Enough of my rambling...... :)

[poconogal]

Hi Wood. If you plan on getting small juvie Discus, BB would be best. If you plan on getting larger Discus, 4" and up, then you can do gravel or sand. Your plan of having BB with driftwood with some Anubias etc. attached is good. For Anubias, you won't need CO2. I've just ventured into some live plants, myself, and have Anubias, and Java Fern, among others, (all low light plants). I have no CO2, no special lighting (I do have a lot of ambient room light, though) and the plants are growing like crazy. If you don't want that totally bare look, you can put some of those plants in small clay pots - it really perks up the BB tank. What is your tap water like? Have you checked parameters? Are you on "city" water or private well? While many people must use RO water, there are many that use straight tap, as I do. Depending on your tap water readings, you may be able to just age your tap water in your storage container. I have very clean, soft water and Discus that are now spawning, so I suppose they like my tap water.

[brewmaster15]

Hi Wood!

Glad to see you posting here with your questions!;) :)

I agree with Connie on the bare bottom tank to start. I think a good place to start is your water... what are your parameters?

-al

[wood]

Hi Wood. If you plan on getting small juvie Discus, BB would be best. If you plan on getting larger Discus, 4" and up, then you can do gravel or sand. Your plan of having BB with driftwood with some Anubias etc. attached is good. For Anubias, you won't need CO2. I've just ventured into some live plants, myself, and have Anubias, and Java Fern, among others, (all low light plants). I have no CO2, no special lighting (I do have a lot of ambient room light, though) and the plants are growing like crazy. If you don't want that totally bare look, you can put some of those plants in small clay pots - it really perks up the BB tank. What is your tap water like? Have you checked parameters? Are you on "city" water or private well? While many people must use RO water, there are many that use straight tap, as I do. Depending on your tap water readings, you may be able to just age your tap water in your storage container. I have very clean, soft water and Discus that are now spawning, so I suppose they like my tap water.

I live in Miami, Florida. The GH is 5 the KH is 4. PH is about 7.5

I only meant to use the CO2 in order to drop the PH. With the anubias and moss the discus themselves will supply enough CO2 for them to grow.

Is there a better way to drop the ph? Chemically?

[poconogal]

I live in Miami, Florida. The GH is 5 the KH is 4. PH is about 7.5

I only meant to use the CO2 in order to drop the PH. With the anubias and moss the discus themselves will supply enough CO2 for them to grow.

Is there a better way to drop the ph? Chemically?
You don't need to drop PH at all, for keeping purposes your PH is fine. Better off having your 7.5 PH than trying to drop it and winding up with unstable PH and large swings. Stability is much more important. You have almost exactly the same type of water I have, soft but with a higher PH. My tap PH ranges 7.7 to 8.1, with KH & GH of 5. I use my water as is, only adjusting the amount and frequency of WCs depending on what my PH is on the day of the WC (I always test it before I do the WC), so as not to impact my tank's PH, which runs about 7.7, GH & KH of 4. I've even had wrigglers in this water. (Alas, the wrigglers made a good snack for somebody... :( )

I would test your PH and then let the water sit for 24 hours, then test PH again to see if it rises. If it rises, there are ways to deal with that without using RO. With your water, you may not need RO and may be able to store straight tap water in your storage container, and use a water conditioner if you are on muni water with chlorine/chloramine in it. Also, have you tested your tap for nitrites and nitrates? Its good to know exactly what's in/not in your water regarding these items.

Connie

[White Worm]

Nothing wrong with 7.5, why lower it? Stability is the key. Unless you intend to breed, your Ph is fine for discus keeping. You actually have some good numbers there. Playing with Ph adjustment is just asking for trouble if you have limited experience especially with chemicals.
OOPs, hi Connie, we posted same time, lol.

[wood]

Awesome, that is all good to hear.

I will therefore not have CO2 nor RO. Only when I intend to breed, which wont be anytime soon.

Sounds like I will go barebottom, with driftwood and some anubias and moss.

Any ideas as to the flipswitch water change? Should I just keep it simple and manually do it with a python? I simply won't have the time to change the water 50% everyday, but I definitely want to. I want my discus to be as healthy as possible.

I will still use a storage tank underneath the sink to hold 25 gallons of water, treated to remove Chlorine/chloramine.

I also forgot to ask, is there a recommendation as to tankmates that are beneficial for the discus? I don't want to add any tankmates unless they help the discus.

Thanks everyone.

[brewmaster15]

If you have someone to do the plumbing...go automatic ! I wish when I started this I took the time to make my life easier... I'm filling a 125 right now... saying to myself.. "I know theres a better way!" problem is, when its filled with fish isn't the best time to do it!

-al

[poconogal]

Awesome, that is all good to hear.

I will therefore not have CO2 nor RO. Only when I intend to breed, which wont be anytime soon.

Sounds like I will go barebottom, with driftwood and some anubias and moss.

Any ideas as to the flipswitch water change? Should I just keep it simple and manually do it with a python? I simply won't have the time to change the water 50% everyday, but I definitely want to. I want my discus to be as healthy as possible.

I will still use a storage tank underneath the sink to hold 25 gallons of water, treated to remove Chlorine/chloramine.

I also forgot to ask, is there a recommendation as to tankmates that are beneficial for the discus? I don't want to add any tankmates unless they help the discus.

Thanks everyone.
I use my Python. Been using that thing for 15 years, but it depends on your schedule. Right now, I wish I could flip a switch for WCs.

And since I've already had wrigglers with my tap water, 4 DKH and DGH, and PH 7.7, you probably won't need RO for breeding, either.

As for tankmates, Cardinal Tetras are good, as are Rummy Noses, (dither fish) Blue Rams, some Corydoras for scavenging, but not all, since there are those that cannot take the Discus temps, to name just a few. Bristle Nose Plecos are also good, they don't bother the Discus and keep the tank clean, especially of brown diatom algae and they also scavenge. Some have found the Albinos do a better job.

[poconogal]

Nothing wrong with 7.5, why lower it? Stability is the key. Unless you intend to breed, your Ph is fine for discus keeping. You actually have some good numbers there. Playing with Ph adjustment is just asking for trouble if you have limited experience especially with chemicals.
OOPs, hi Connie, we posted same time, lol.

Hi Mike! :wave:

[TheXman]

Any ideas as to the flipswitch water change? Should I just keep it simple and manually do it with a python? I simply won't have the time to change the water 50% everyday, but I definitely want to. I want my discus to be as healthy as possible.

I will still use a storage tank underneath the sink to hold 25 gallons of water, treated to remove Chlorine/chloramine.


I have a wet/dry filter for my 100g tank and just thought that I should point out that wet/dry filters will add to the volume of water in your system, so if you really want to do a 50% water change, you'll need to make your storage tank somewhere around 30 gal instead of 25 (depending on the size of your wet/dry and how much overflow space it contains, mine has a lot, and it was also a saltwater that I inherited and converted to freshwater). Also, I'm assuming that you have something to deal with the noise that a corner overflow can generate? Check to make sure that it has a standpipe or some other silencing equipment, otherwise Google "Durso standpipe" and you can get instructions on how to make a quiet standpipe quite easily out of PVC for cheap. You may also need to modify your overflow if you are going to have small fish. I had to put some wire mesh over the teeth of my overflow to keep the little guys in the main tank.:rolleyes:
I love the idea of an automatic WC system, not only will it make it easier for you, but if you have to go out of town for an extended period of time, it should be simple enough that a friend can come over and do it for you while you're gone, even if they aren't fishkeepers themselves!:cheesy:

[poconogal]

=wood;354829]Sounds like I will go barebottom, with driftwood and some anubias and moss. ...I just remembered something - I had to remove my driftwood, because with 5 DKH out of the tap, the driftwood lowered it too much. I ended up with a KH at 0. Since you have water very close to mine in parameters, you might not be able to keep driftwood in your tank, either. Keep an eye on your KH once the driftwood is placed in your tank.

[Bainbridge Mike]

I just remembered something - I had to remove my driftwood, because with 5 DKH out of the tap, the driftwood lowered it too much. I ended up with a KH at 0. Since you have water very close to mine in parameters, you might not be able to keep driftwood in your tank, either. Keep an eye on your KH once the driftwood is placed in your tank.

I've had driftwood in many tanks and my carbonate hardness is lower than yours--like 40 ppm (or a little more than 2 german degrees/2 drops). I've never experienced a dramatic drop in hardness. Maybe it was something particular about the driftwood you were using? I think Wood will be ok using driftwood (boil it first or it will turn your water brown!). Driftwood is also a requirement if you are going to keep bristle nose in your tank (they need to munch on the fiber).

Mike

[poconogal]

I've had driftwood in many tanks and my carbonate hardness is lower than yours--like 40 ppm (or a little more than 2 german degrees/2 drops). I've never experienced a dramatic drop in hardness. Maybe it was something particular about the driftwood you were using? I think Wood will be ok using driftwood (boil it first or it will turn your water brown!). Driftwood is also a requirement if you are going to keep bristle nose in your tank (they need to munch on the fiber).

Mike
Mike, the driftwood is Mopani wood, very hard, doesn't need a base and sinks immediately. Think that type would cause the drop in KH? I've also heard of others having the same issue with driftwood, though. I would love for it to be the type of wood that caused it since I see so many beautiful pieces of driftwood and would love to have a nice piece in my tank. Now I just keep a tiny piece for the BNs.

[lhforbes12]

Mike,
More than likely it's what is making your water's KH that is the difference. KH is controlled by carbonates and/or bicarbonates, depending on what is the exact makeup of the water the KH can easily drop or not. Your water is probably more stable than is Connie's. Which is another way of saying your water probably has CaCO3 (Calcium Carbonate) and Connie's has some form of bicarbonate.

[poconogal]

Mike,
More than likely it's what is making your water's KH that is the difference. KH is controlled by carbonates and/or bicarbonates, depending on what is the exact makeup of the water the KH can easily drop or not. Your water is probably more stable than is Connie's. Which is another way of saying your water probably has CaCO3 (Calcium Carbonate) and Connie's has some form of bicarbonate.
Yep, I am blessed... :( Oh well... in any event Wood should just keep an eye on his KH once he puts driftwood in his tank. Wood, maybe you'll be lucky and your KH will not drop like mine did!

Connie

[wood]

I am lucky, this place is 10 minutes from my home Neighborhood Fish Farm.

http://www.tropicalfishmiami.com/shop/

Has a lot of stuff including the "Huge Columbian Driftwood selection" ( http://www.tropicalfishmiami.com/shop/custom.asp?recid=7 )

It is a big pile of driftwood and I think it wont cause tanins.

The fish farm has a ton of different fish.

If anyone is in south florida you should check this place out, they are very helpful.