Update pics of planted tank

[jannima]

Hi guys, here are some update pics.
New discus are still in QT, can't wait to move them in.:D

Tank spec : 60Gal, temp 84F, PH 6.8, pressured CO2 injected.
Subtrate: ADA aqua soil (Amazonia), ADA bright sand.
Illumination: Tek light T5 54WX4 (6500K and 10000K)
Plants : Pogostemon stellatus, Anubias nana, Java Lace Fern, Java Fern, Didiplis diandre, Blyxa japonica, Alternanthera reineckii
Habitant : rummynose tetra, blue ram, otto cat, cory, rubberlip pleco, Queen Arabesque pleco, cherry shrimp, Discus (Leopard, Stendker Red Scribbelt, Stendker Brilliant turq and Red turq.)

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0014L.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0027.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0033.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0018.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0037.jpg

[Ed13]

I still can't believe this is your first high tech tank!!:inquisitive:

Great job!!!Beautiful tank and amazing pictures!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

BTW, squish your eyes while looking at the first pic, what stands out?

[traco]

Those are stunning discus you've got!! And the tank is not half bad, either.;)

[GrillMaster]

Wow... What else can ya say but....

That tank would look alot better if...Hmmmm lemme see here....

If it were in my living room!!

Nice scape, awsome fish! Well done!:thumbsup:

[wolfbane]

This is your 1st high tech tank?? I am humbled! And.. someone slap my hands...... I can't afford it, keep repeating, I can't afford it..............

[cowchick]

WOW Those photos are unreal! And your tank is just amazing...and WOW the fish are freaking beautiful! How many more descriptive words can a girl use!

[marilyn1998]

Just a gorgeous tank. And your discus are stunning!!! Love those rams, looks like they are doing better.

Do your rotala shed alot? I am always losing neddles from them and tops float too!!

[Ed13]

Do your rotala shed alot? I am always losing neddles from them and tops float too!!

I think you are referring to the Didipilis diandra, it won't shed needles unless weak or handled to rough. I will turn even more reddish if it had more light. One of my favorites

[pcsb23]

Wonderful.

[marilyn1998]

I think you are referring to the Didipilis diandra, it won't shed needles unless weak or handled to rough. I will turn even more reddish if it had more light. One of my favorites


Yes, I was. I had to go back and look again.

[bumblebee]

Very impressive planted tank Jannima, Your Leopard are growing very well. I have 2 Leopards at 3.5" didn't do too well in my community tank, your tank looks like a paradise for them, shoot me a pm if you want to adopt them, lmk.

Alex

[disvegas]

Breathtaking & speechless!

Collin,

[Organic Farmer]

very nice great work

[candyl70]

WOW!!!! What a beautiful tank!! I love the colors and shape of your discus too! Simply gorgeous!!!!

[bz79]

Great looking tank and fish! :)

What lighting are you using for that tank? How many watts and what color temp (kelvin) bulbs?

[AADiscus]

Very nice tank and fish. I love all your plants. They look so nice and full. Your discus have some really nice coloring also.

[jannima]

Thanks all for the kind words. :)

Ed13
I did what you mentioned before, moved the Alternanthera reineckii to the left a little bit, it turned out pretty well. I had to pull out all the star grass, it grew way too fast .I increased the light hour 1 more hour, hope it will get Didipilis diandra more reddish.

marilyn1998
As Ed13 said, it is the Didipilis diandra, and it doesn't shed. Some of the trimmed parts became black color, but overall it grows well.


There are some things that I didn't expect. Cory mess the ADA aqua soil and bright sand, even I put stones as divider; and the tank is becoming a snails swarm, I probably need to get some loach to control the snails. Is Botia striata loach a good candidate? (never seen it in LFS tho).
I should have put half space as foreground, the discus need more space to swim.

Btw, is there any good way to trim Blyxa japonica? What I do is to pull it out, and separate it smaller and thinner, but this will cloud the water. (Definitely a low light tank next time, low maintenance! :p)

Thanks to the Excel, overdose made black algae almost gone. :D

[jannima]

Great looking tank and fish! :)

What lighting are you using for that tank? How many watts and what color temp (kelvin) bulbs?

48" Tek Light T5 54WX4, 2 of 10000k and 6700k.

[GrillMaster]

Get a half dozen clown loaches...They will desimate any snails in the tank in a week, an are awsome discus tank mates!!

[bz79]

Get a half dozen clown loaches...They will desimate any snails in the tank in a week, an are awsome discus tank mates!!

I think they get a little big and lots of people who have high tech tanks seem to regret getting clown loaches in the long run.
I put a dozen yo-yo loaches or Botia Lohachatas into my 125 high tech to control snails. I had a snail epidemic that I thought was unstoppable but one week after I added the yo-yo's all snails disappeared. Snails are now only found in my canister filters in small numbers as it's the only safe place for em. :bandana:

[Wahter]

Nice job! Good photography too. :)

[jannima]

I think they get a little big and lots of people who have high tech tanks seem to regret getting clown loaches in the long run.
I put a dozen yo-yo loaches or Botia Lohachatas into my 125 high tech to control snails. I had a snail epidemic that I thought was unstoppable but one week after I added the yo-yo's all snails disappeared. Snails are now only found in my canister filters in small numbers as it's the only safe place for em. :bandana:

Aye, I do have 3 clown loaches in another community tank, but I hesitated to move them in, since they will get quite big.
It's time to call LFS to see if they have yoyo or botia loach in stock. :p

[jannima]

Nice job! Good photography too. :)

Hey Walter, just want to thank you for your discus aquarium page.
When I had no idea about the discus and tried to google it, It was the first discus website I browsed. I learned a lot from there and found the links to Simplydiscus! woot! :)

[jpfelix]

botia sidthumunkii are great small snail nabbers as well. they can be a bit pricey, so shop around if you like 'em!

[russell]

I think they get a little big and lots of people who have high tech tanks seem to regret getting clown loaches in the long run.
I put a dozen yo-yo loaches or Botia Lohachatas into my 125 high tech to control snails. I had a snail epidemic that I thought was unstoppable but one week after I added the yo-yo's all snails disappeared. Snails are now only found in my canister filters in small numbers as it's the only safe place for em. :bandana:
Fantastic.
One question. Did you bank the back substrate high to give the impresion of the hight of the plants. if so it makes it even better.
What circulation do you have & how do you keep it so clean & pristine.

[david patterson]

Nice tank and discus.

David:sun:

[jannima]

Hi guys, here are some update pictures.
Put in new three discus 2 weeks ago; they formed 2 pairs and had lots of fights. Both pairs already laid eggs two times, but ate them later.
I pulled out most of Blyxa japonica, it was totally out of control. :smash:

russell The filter is Eheim 2028.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0007.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/discus%20eggs/DSC_0005.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0022.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0039.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0011.jpg

[LoJack]

Wow those discus are absolutely Stunning!!

[Elite Aquaria]

Great looking setup...

Dan

[ejbbean]

Great looking fish and plant, how often and how much do you do water change?

[crash]

this is the by far the best looking planted tank and best looking discus i have ever seen.
incredible.
Amol

[jannima]

Great looking fish and plant, how often and how much do you do water change?

Weekly water change 40% - 50%

[crash]

Hi,
I am one of the few that advocate planted tank for discus,
Can you please give us bit more information on,
1. What is the subtrate you using.
2. What is your fertilizer schedule. (which ferts)
Any information which can help get your kind of success.
Thank you in advance.
Amol

[jannima]

Hi Amol, here is some information.

Subtrate: ADA aqua soil (Amazonia), ADA bright sand.
The tap water in my city is pretty hard, usually around ph 7.8, ADA aqua soil does a great job for lowering ph to 6.8.

Fertilizers:
-Weekly: 12.5ml of Tropica MasterGrow
-daily: 20ml of Florish Excel (DIE BBA!!!!! :flame:)

Illumination: T5 54WX4 (6500K and 10000K), 9 hours per day.
I am thinking about to increase it to 12 hours tho.

[crash]

Thank you for the information.
Great tank, post some more pics when you can.

[White Worm]

Where did you get your discus? Old ones / new ones? Did you get them all from the same source? Very impressive tank btw.

[jannima]

Where did you get your discus? Old ones / new ones? Did you get them all from the same source? Very impressive tank btw.

The old leopards were from a LFS in monterey park, CA; The other three were Stendker.

[GrillMaster]

I pulled out most of Blyxa japonica, it was totally out of control. :smash:

What did ya do with the blyxa anyways??;)

[crash]

what kind of lights do you have. I am wondering whats bringing that bluish tone out?
Thank you,
Amol

[scolley]

That is one spectacular looking Planted Discus tank! Congratulations on a JOB WELL DONE!

One question... did you mention the size of the tank? If so, I missed it - would love to know.

Either way though - GREAT JOB!

[jannima]

bastalker I thought I could do some garden work and planted the trimmed blyxa outside, oh well.....lol.

Amol Tek light 54WX4 (6500K and 10000K), I heard about 8000k will be better, but can't find it anywhere online.

scolley The tank spec is 48X15X17. Btw, I love your platned tank on plantedtank forum, especially the part of the DIY all glass tank. Awesome job!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[ItsGeoff]

that looks very very nice since i saw it last over at APC. and just for kicks, your discus are currently the desktop of my computer and have been for about a month now.

[blaze]

and just for kicks, your discus are currently the desktop of my computer and have been for about a month now.

same here..........

[Marinemom]

Those are absolutely gorgeous discus and your tank is stunningly awsome! Keep up the good work.

Diane

[jannima]

just for kicks, your discus are currently the desktop of my computer and have been for about a month now.


same here..........

Glad to hear you guys like the discus pics :) Let me know if you need a higher resolution picture, I will upload it.
Time to grab DC to take more pics. :D

[ItsGeoff]

hehe sure if you want to try and get a cool one of the newer fish you added that is brown bodied. i love the colors and pattern of him

[MrBlackCat]

Great Pics! Great Discus!

I have just got into Discus and planted tanks this past year. Please tell me your secret for no algae. I have a 55 gal tank and even with 25% water changes three times a week I still get some algae. I use Tropica liquid plant food but no nitrate or other suppliments.

[blaze]

Let me know if you need a higher resolution picture, I will upload it.


pllz send on the hi res , tnx in advance

[jannima]

Please tell me your secret for no algae. I have a 55 gal tank and even with 25% water changes three times a week I still get some algae.

The secret is......DO NOT post the photos with algae.:p
Well, my tank is still struggling with algae, green spot algae on glass, BBA on driftwood, some algae I don't even know the names.
I dose EXCEL daily, it does help a lot.

[jannima]

Here are some plants pics before the trimming. Wish I could get Didiplis diandre more reddish. Please ignore all the snails.:D

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/Plants/DSC_0021.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/Plants/DSC_0014.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/Plants/DSC_0006.jpg

[MrBlackCat]

The secret is......DO NOT post the photos with algae.:p
Well, my tank is still struggling with algae, green spot algae on glass, BBA on driftwood, some algae I don't even know the names.
I dose EXCEL daily, it does help a lot.
When you say EXCEL do you mean Seachem Flourish Excel?

[architect1]

OK I don't know if I seen this fourm before but my god what a beautiful tank and what amazing fish. there so bright I wish my turq would stop being an *** and keep his bars from showing. He plays tricks on me all the time. He knows I love seeing him when there not there but he will put them on just because he knows it iritates me.

Good luck hope there a spawning pair and if they are Id love to have some babies. lol

[jannima]

MrBlackCat: Yes, it's Seachem Flourish Excel.

architect1: Two pairs lay eggs weekly, but always ate them all within 3 days. The onlye thing I success was Ram frys spawn, however, ram parents ate all frys :whip:

[architect1]

hehehehe same hear I feel you pain when it comes to the eggs I have 2 blue dimonds that are at my grandmas and man they would spawn all the time.

Are the discus natural or no? there so bright I just am amazed.

[jannima]

. Are the discus natural or no? there so bright I just am amazed.

They are not wilds, another pair just laid the eggs agian. :D

[jannima]

update photos.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/original/DSC_0031.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/original/DSC_0049.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/original/DSC_0060.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/original/DSC_0087.jpg

[fishmama]

Awesome looking photos of your gorgeous fish as usual!
I have your fish on my desktop screen saver!!!

Have a Good Day!
Lisa

[kingborris]

all the blues on your pictures look very, well, blue! what lighting do you use? does it actually look like that, or is that in part down to the photography?

[jannima]

The pics I posted yesterday are not edited, only resized.
The tank light is Tek light T5 54WX4 (6500K + 10000K); on my screen, the color looks the same actually under the light.
Btw, I set my DC color mode to Color Mode IIIa, it helps the color brightest. I might have to drop the exposure more; the pics look overexposured under the T5 light.

[Organic Farmer]

very nice

[KingDiscus]

What kind of bulbs do you use? a mix of midday and acintic?

[ItsGeoff]

two posts above , 6500K and 10000K

those are daylight bulbs, no actinics, as they have no worth in planted tanks

[RoninGai]

hello i'm also ins so.cal where in montery park did u purchase the discus?? can you PM me the info it would be great. also which stendekler discus did u purchase? did you go the the only dealer in so.cal located in riverside or do you have a connection on the stendekler strains. great looking tank btw: i have planted 75gal that i wanna put some discus in, plants are only aboutr 3weeks in though so i want them to grow out a bit.

[KingDiscus]

do you have the 2 different sets of bulbs staggered thoughout the day? or are they on at the same time? Also, did you purchase them online...i'm looking for the same setup you have, simply because its so gourgous. if you could pm me the exact details, or on here is ok for me if its ok for you. thanks alot!!!

[jannima]

RoninGai: I bought 2 leopards at 321 W Garvey, Montrey park CA; the store had some nice discus and flowerhorn fish; I also visited the riverside store you mentioned, was kinda disappointed with the discus status. Check Discusdave in sponsor forum, I got those Stendker from him/Hans.
Btw, you might want to check West Lake aquarium(10 E whittier blvd, La Habra), the owner breeds discus himself, had some nice discus and angelfish when I visited; or Hacienda Aquatics(1075 N hacienda, La Puente), they sometimes has good 2-3" discus.

KingDiscus: 2 different sets, but only 30 mins different. I bought all the light equips online, Tek light from specialty-lights.com; the bulbs were from reefgeek, I would have ordered tek light from reefgeek if there is no CA tax. :p

[RoninGai]

Thanks Jan u rock!!!:thumbsup:

[jannima]

Hi guys, here are some update pics. Please click the links below for higher rez pics. (photobucket only allows file size around 1M tho)

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/Plants/DSC_0045.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0007-3.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0007-2.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0043-1.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0043.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0012-1.jpg
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0012.jpg

[tacks]

what is they say : a picture is worth a thousand words. tacks

[grelot]

the colors of your discus are so bright. The blues are so blues and the reds so red.
What camera do you use

[RoninGai]

it's looking good jan, i went to that breeder in la habra he was funny as heck. i went there like 10mins b4 he was closing and ended up talking to him for about an hour. i got a pair of wilds from him about 5.5 and 6" really nice, i'm thinking of going back and p/u a pair of whites he has. not bad on price either. thanks for everything hope you're having a good holiday season.

[jannima]

grelot: Old pics were Nikon D50, some new pics are D80; lens nikon 60mm.

RoninGai: Grats on new discus!! Does he still have any good wild? Maybe I should check the store this week. :p

[RoninGai]

i bought the last 2 he had,i went there about 2hrs ago and bought a nice turq and a pearl looking female. there getting acclimated right now. there's a nice female turq w/orange on her and the male pearl. the rest are kinda Ughh......yeah:p

[Palue]

Very beautiful tank, your fish are also amazing. Keep up the great work and thanks for posting.....:)

[Rek]

very nice ... how are temperature?

[neskens]

Wow! This is probably the most beautiful discus tank I ever seen.
Maybe I don't find, can you write something about preparing water and water changes?

[Darren's Discus]

Your tank and fish are both amazing,the fish look super healthy and happy.

cheers

[jim_shedden]

You may have converted me. I am a bb person but I am considering a display tank..........its a whole new science and state of mind.
Thanks for the pictures and info.....outstanding.

Jim

[jannima]

Happy new year everyone!! Nothing new happened to my tank, just bunch of plants without aquascaping. :p
Here are some update pics.

Rek: 84F

neskens: 40-50% water change weekly, I usually put the tap water in a 50gal storage one day before the water change, only with aeration.

darren burgess: PM sent.

Jim: I was going for a BB tank at first, but the daily WC thing really scared me :p.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0004.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0026.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0013-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0028-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0038.jpg

[Darren's Discus]

Thanks for the pm, I never get tired looking at pics of your tank one of the nicest iv'e seen and the fish look better every time i see them.


cheers.

[grelot]

keep on showing us pics of your tank.
It makes me want to have planted tanks again.
I dont know if its because you have amazing photo skills but the colors of your fishes are amazing

[GrillMaster]

Hey jannima...How many desk tops do you think those pics made it to??? ;) :D

I for one would never do it without your permission...Can I???:inquisitive:

You truly have the gift of both worlds!

[moneyLaw]

Hi jannima,

What type of discus is that? I am talking about the two Disuces on your first pictures. And where did you get these guys? How much does one cost? This is the most amazing discus color I have ever seen. Please tell me. Thanks.

I must buy. I must buy, I must buy. :)

[Stu]

Picking my jaw up off the floor...

Wow! What a gorgeous, gorgeous tank!

Best Regards,
Stu

[KingDiscus]

Hi, do you use co2, and also how do you clean it, just use water changes? or some kind of sand filtering "no spill" unit, I want that substrate, but don't want to completely mess up the sand and the amazon pellets so its totally combined. I love the look, great job again!

[cbkok97]

OMG, your tank is just amazing! All your fishes are gorgeous and happy! :)

I wish I have a tank like that!

[grelot]

I dont know what is your LFS but they sell nice discus

[jannima]

Hi guys, thanks for those kind words again. :)

KingDiscus: yes, presure CO2. I do water change weekly, and siphon the substrate when replanting the plants. There are two kind of substrates in my tank, ADA aqua soil and ADA bright sand (I think you mean this one?), got them from adgshop.com; I personally love the bright sand, great color and no rinse needed as well; the aqua soil is kinda messy, but it does a great job to lower the water ph to 6.8.


Just trimmed lots of plants last week, here are some Feb pictures, please ignore the feeding nets :p

Btw, does any one know how to get rid of this kind of green algae? Obviously all my algae eaters have no interest in it.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0044.jpg


http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0066.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0013-2.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0034.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0059-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0053.jpg

[AppleFritter]

Hi,

Beautiful tank. Your doing an amazing job. You asked about the alge you had. I believe i had a similiar if not the same type of alge as you have in my own planted tank. I think it is called staghorn, but don't hold me to that:D I found that the reason I had it was because of my co2 was not balanced well enough with my lights and fertilizing. I increased my co2 and kept pulling out the alge. Over a week the alge was no longer growing and i was able to remove the majority of it. I also have heard, and tried, that double dosing with a fertilizer with sechem in it seems to kill it off. I tried this and it killed the alge however the alge returned after 2 weeks. This seemed to me as a quick fix that didn't last long enough.

Hope this helps.

AF

[Eyal]

Amazing discus ( color texture round figure ) beautiful tank
the thing that amazed me most is the tank size !!
Your plant layout is according the book- giving a sense of depth
:thumbsup: http://discus-israel.com/forum/images/smiles/applause.gifhttp://discus-israel.com/forum/images/smiles/applause.gifhttp://discus-israel.com/forum/images/smiles/applause.gifhttp://discus-israel.com/forum/images/smiles/applause.gif:sun:

[fishmama]

Jannima.....You are puttin' us all to shame!
The tank just keeps getting better!

You go girl ;-)

[PDX-PLT]

These are the most beautiful discus pictures I've seen. You are obviously a very skillful photographer; most aquarium pics turn out no where near this good.

All,

Forgive my ignorance, but what is the exact name of the variety(s) of these discus? If/when I get discus, I may want to get some of these!

[arnibanani]

Do you have a list of your plants??

Looks great!!

Arni

[standoyo]

Hi Jannima, what an inspiring tank. Forget about biotopes for a second. This must be the eye popping tank for me. Love the healthy discus and beautiful thickets of didiplis diandra.

NikonD80. Looks like that's the one I'm gonna get.:D

[dipan]

Hi Jannima, what an inspiring tank. Forget about biotopes for a second. This must be the eye popping tank for me. Love the healthy discus and beautiful thickets of didiplis diandra.

NikonD80. Looks like that's the one I'm gonna get.:D

That's a nice camera body indeed, but pay more attention to the lens you get. Seems like Jannima is using one of Nikon's 60mm "Micro" lenses. That's "Macro" for the rest of the photography world. A good macro lens probably was the most important factor in getting these gorgeous photos.

These are beautiful photos indeed, Jannima ...

[jannima]

PDX-PLT, arnibanani: I update the tank spec, plants and habitants detail on #1 post, please check it, thank you.


I can't beleive the pair actually got the fry. The eggs were on wall, I don't know how they moved the fry on the nano leave. The fry seem to have trouble to attach to the parents, now there are only 6 fry left, but it's really amazing. :)


http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0008.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0062.jpg

[standoyo]

That's a nice camera body indeed, but pay more attention to the lens you get. Seems like Jannima is using one of Nikon's 60mm "Micro" lenses. That's "Macro" for the rest of the photography world. A good macro lens probably was the most important factor in getting these gorgeous photos.

Yup, agree with that. Got er something like that. Cheaper 90mm Tamron. :D

Awesome close ups Jannima!

[sonflowerjoela]

All of those photos are so awesome. Your fish are too beautiful! Do you ever sell any of the didiplis diandra when you trim it? I'd really like some of that. Planted tanks are something I've just recently gotten into. Yours is just gorgeous! :thumbsup:

[jannima]

sonflowerjoela: I would give you bunch of didiplis if you locate at SoCal. I usually need to trim it every 2 or 3 weeks.

[jannima]

June Update

The brilliant turq is still in QT. After treating furan2 and myracin 1 2, I decided to stop the medication. The fish looks fine except can't swim.

Since the pair broke up, two female diccus fought a lot recently, especially when I trimmed the plants. You can see the small bites from the pictures.

The cherry shrimps are getting more and more, I bought 8 shrimps last year, but now I can easily catch over hundreds shrimps when I clean the canister filter. (well, free snacks for my reef fishes :p)

Here are some pictures.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/6abd782a.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/1593ac72.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/25c5fa5a.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/671e2adf.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/effd8ea8.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/8f89a2bc.jpg

[Danlee]

Hey love the pics of the pair

The colours on the fish are stunning!

[Darren's Discus]

I know iv'e told you this before but they look stunning !


cheers

[Ed13]

I know iv'e told you this before but they look stunning !


cheers
I think its worth repeating!

BTW, were my discus the only ones that actively hunted down shrimps?:mad:

I know some people have succes with them, but common this tank looks like a shrimp farm! Good job!

[H Tran]

My dream tank!!

What do you feed your discus with? Also, quantiy and frequency? I had always had bare bottom. I can imagine that the type of food, feeding technique, and maitenance in the planted tank is different in order to up keep water quality.

Thanks,

HTran

[fishmama]

Thanks for the update...I soooooo LOVE your tank!!! And those cherry shrimp deserve some photos too! ;-)

[ezeke1]

Saw this thread for the first time and I'm blown away. I've seen alot of amazing tanks but this one tops most of them :D Very inspiring!

[traco]

Nice to see the shrimp in there and not eaten. I'll have to give them a try in the tank and see if mine survive.:)

[Apistomaster]

"The cherry shrimps are getting more and more, I bought 8 shrimps last year, but now I can easily catch over hundreds shrimps when I clean the canister filter. (well, free snacks for my reef fishes )"

I enjoyed reading your statement. The shrimp forum "experts" tell me I can't expect the Cherry Shrimp to successfully reproduce in a planted tank stocked with Tetras and Apistogramma. Mine are, yours are and as I move plants around they are becoming established among my discus tanks, too.

It's a good thing shrimp can't read. Small as they are I think they add a lot of interest to the planted tank. It may be, that being able to eat small shrimp regularly accounts for the red color of your Discus eggs. They were more colorful than most Discus eggs.

I have enjoyed looking at your aquarium and Discus a lot. You have your system and fish dialed in about as good as it gets.

My compliments on your photography, too.

I am a bit amazed that you actually had troubles keeping the Blyxa under control. Not one of the plants I've ever had much luck with let alone a "weed" problem.
Edit: I was so inspired I removed the two remaining regani Dwarf pikes(two pair are set up for breeding) from my planted discus tank and scooped up about 70 cherry shrimp and poured them in.

[jannima]

Thanks all again for those kind words.

Danlee, A1 Aquarium World: Thank you.

ED13: It is a shrimp farm. :D My friends didn't believe me when I told them I have discus with shrimps together. Their discus hunt down all the shrimps, I guess mine are just too picky.

H Tran: I do 50% water change weekly, clean canister every 2-3 week. (was bi-monthly, but can't keep up the water qaulity). I also siphon the substrate when I replant the plants. I feed discus two times daily, 1 cube frozen mysis shrimp and 2 cube beef heart in the monring; 1 cube brine shrimp or 1 cube beef heart in the night time. Btw I put the frozen shrimps in the feeder net, so discus won't make a huge mess.

fishmama: Shrimps pics :) I had trouble to get a clear shot of those shrimps, guess I need more practices. Well, I have a such shrimps army, but they just can't beat those green algae. :whip: On the left bottom pic, that shrimp was enjoying the discus egg dessert.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/ebdb1e0e.jpg

traco: Shrimps should be ok if they have places to hide.

Apistomaster: After trimming the Blyxa tons of times, I did have it under control. However, it might be my 11 months old T5 bubls to cause they grow slowly.
Cherry shrimps are pretty hardy, I was surprised that they can live inside the canister, espically when I cleaned the canister first time (4 months never cleaned since setup :p), there were at least four hundreds shrimps in there. I like these shrimps, but once the fish was sick and lie down at bottom, shrimps will try to eat it alive if you didn't remove the fish.


My favorites. Too bad they hate each other and they seldom swim together.
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/99f3d92b.jpg

[Ed13]

jannima, those shrimp and discus pics are awesome, book quality!!!

Please, visit us more frequently!

[willbldrco]

Ok, your pictures put the photos on the Stendker website to shame. They should be giving you free goods for your awesome representation of their fish! :)

You have a picture of two discus in your last post with this caption:


My favorites. Too bad they hate each other and they seldom swim together.

I'm still trying to figure out which variety these are!! Are they your Stendker Red Scribbelts or the Red Turquoise? Or a different one? Even after comparing them to the Stendker website shots, I still can't figure it out (because yours look soooooooooooo much better!). :rolleyes2:

Will

[fishmama]

Oh Thank You Jannima!!! Those shrimp pics are such fun! I just love this thread.... :-)

[jannima]

willbldrco: Those two discus are not Stendker. I got them from LFS, and the store called them leopard discus. I should have bought more when I had chance.


I found some of my Ottos kept attaching on discus this morning. I guess my brilliant turq's accident might be caused by them. I saw ottos attached on discus before, but there were only few secs, then otto left. These ottos even learned to eat mysis shrimps from feeder net. Needless to say, all of them are in another 10gal tank now.

[Fishy Business]

What a great looking tank... I was wondering if you could please let me know how you are getting such great shots, what kind of camera are you using? I have a great camera but I just can not get these kind of shots, I guess it has all to do with lighting?..

[jannima]

I use Nikon D80 + Nikon 60mm micro. All pics were taken w/o flashlight.

[tpl*co]

OMG, those discus and photography are beautiful!

Sampson was a LFS discus and had that coloration too. Do you remember what yours were called?

Tina

[Clyde]

Jannima what can I say that others have not? Your tank is truly inspirational! You say you clean substrate when you re-plant? how often is that if I may ask?


Clyde

[greyhoundfan]

I use Nikon D80 + Nikon 60mm micro. All pics were taken w/o flashlight.


Micro or Macro?? Either way great shots.. I know we talked camera stuff earlier on this thread..Love your tank.

[jannima]

tpl*co: The LFS is called total fish & pet at Monterey Park.

Clyde: I usually replant the Didiplis diandre 4-6 weekly; Pogostemon stellatus bi-monthly.

greyhoundfan: The lens is 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor.
http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=5&productNr=1987

[Lotus]

Very nice photos!I recently bought six cherry shrimps so I'll see how they do.

[greyhoundfan]

tpl*co: The LFS is called total fish & pet at Monterey Park.

Clyde: I usually replant the Didiplis diandre 4-6 weekly; Pogostemon stellatus bi-monthly.

greyhoundfan: The lens is 60mm f/2.8D AF Micro-Nikkor.
http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=5&productNr=1987


wow..never heard of micro lens..cool.

[Apistomaster]

Well, so much for my cherry shrimp with Heckel Discus did not work out for the shrimp; they were eaten. My tank has token potted plants rather than the lush garden. Not enough hiding places.

[robust discus]

I am speechless. A job well done.

[yippy]

now thats wot i call a tank:) thats incredble- im dumb founded, gorgeous:angel: WHAT A TANK - Stuning xxx

Yippy xx

[disvegas]

Please please please provide us with more pictures of your tank. It's very enjoyable and eye-pleasing. Your setup is second to none!

Collin,

[jannima]

Thank you for the kind words. Here is August update. I just did the replant, please ignore the background. :p

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0078.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0001.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0087.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0011-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0020-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0091.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0073.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0018-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0062-1.jpg

[fishmama]

Simply gorgeous as always...I so enjoy your tanks and thanks for sharing!!!

[tacks]

Hi very nice tank and you have done a great job with the plants as well as the fish. Very well done Ed

[Darren's Discus]

Your tank looks beautiful as always and your fish stunning,keep up the great w


cheers!

[Lotus]

Wow your tank is amazing and I love how the discus pops.Great photos btw.

[dawncollette]

What kind of discus are these in the pictures? They are STUNNING......

[DiscusKeeper403]

Holy crud! Very nice! My Discus wouldn't stand a chance!

[twinnies]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW...very nice...i need to get a few more discus n get the aquascape happening...looks amazing

[Silent Running]

Wow, your tank and fish are absolutely stunning! Truly inspirational! Thanks for sharing.

[Eyal]

jannima
Again wonderful pic & fish , Tell me is that a plant ?

[Dolphin Dip]

jannima
Again wonderful pic & fish , Tell me is that a plant ?

looks like algae growing on the bogwood.

[two utes]

Amazing set up!!!! Do you pump Co2 into your tank?

[jannima]

Hi guys, thanks again for the nice words. Sorry, no pictures this time. :p

dawncollette: Two bigger ones are Leopard discus; smaller ones are Stendker.

Eyal: Dolphin Dip is right, it's driftwood covered with green algae.

two utes: Yes, I use pressured CO2 w/ ADA CO2 diffuser.

[dawncollette]

hey Jan, didn't you have a blue discus either a cobalt or stender blue flachen in your previous pics? I didn't see it in the last pics you posted.

[metfan581]

looks amazing

how do you keep the sand soo clean?
im debating weather or not to go with sand...
any advice...tips...hints?

thanks

[architect1]

Omfg What an amazing tank, I love how you have more discus now, same amount of plants, and amazing coloration. Nice work I only dream of getting my plants, co2,n lights to start doing what you have accomplished. Nice work.

[jannima]

dawncollette: the blue one had an accident, it's still in QT tank.

metfan581: I siphon the substrate while replanting. After replanting I clean the canister next day.

architect1: thank you. :)


Nothing new in my tank, just old discus and more algae. The green algae is getting out of control, I've been thinking of redoing the whole tank next year.

Merry X'mas everyone!

Dan

( I kept forgetting to take pictures before trimming. :p)
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/ceda8929.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/d819a5c2.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/262412c2.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/160d5901.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/f8594dfb.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/0eb7fab5.jpg

[fishmama]

Awesome Dan! I just checked in and how fun to see updated pics of the fish that are currently on my screensaver!!!! ;-)

[HiImSean]

wow, thats pretty much all i can say!

[digthemlows]

pictures of this tank are what got me back into discus! Absolutely stunning fish and tank! wooooowww!

[kresearch]

jannima, what is your water "chemistry"? NO3s, Fe, PO4, etc.

I started a planted 75G tank 2 months ago. Intert substrate (sand + fine gravel) with laterite mixed in. I've got very little algae but slow plant growth regardles of the CO2 injection. Could your algae problem be coming from rich substrate leaking into the water column? Or, substrate disturbance (fish or when changing water)?

[gparr]

Simply AWESOME!!!

[jannima]

Hi guys, thanks again for those nice words.

kresearch: It's been a long time that I tested the water parameter. Although my tap water DOES have nitrate around 5. And you were right about the algae problem. I always made a huge substrate disturbance, since I had to pull out the plant and replant them. I guess I will keep removing the algae manually.

Here are the new pictures. I took out most of Anubias nana, they were mostly rotten due to covered by green algae. I tried to take some different pictures, but the discus were just "standing" there and not moving. :p

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0004-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0013-3.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0015.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0054.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0007-4.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0023.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0025.jpg

[Lex2000]

they look fantastic.

[Eyecandy]

Hi.. Yours has always been one of my favorite tanks.. It's just awesome... Love everything about it.:D:D
From the latest pics it looks like the cherries are still doing well in there... I was thinking of trying some in my 120 planted discus tank.. I think I will see how they react to ghost shrimp first before I get the more expensive cherries. Do your discus go after them at all??? Or is it so heavily planted that the discus give up after a while???
Also are the rams still in the tank?? I copied your discus/rummynose combo and love it..I have 8 discus and 22 rummys and thinking of more rummys. How many rummy are in your school now??
It really looks beautiful.. Thanks for the inspiration... Sue:angel:

[jannima]

Lex2000: Thank you.

Eyecandy: Thank you. The cherry shrimps are still doing good. I even asked LFS if I can exchange the cherries for store credit. Too bad the owner only wanted to sell them as "fish food".:whip: My discus seldom go after the cherries, but them would try to take a few bites when shrimps are staying in open field long enough. Usually discus never success since they are very slow. I believe heavily planted helps, besides my canister filter also like a "reef refugium", the cherries can breed safely inside the canister.

The two pairs of blue ram only lasted about 8 months. I am not sure why they died so fast, could be the water quality ( monthly replanting and substrate disturbance) or overdoes EXCEL( was for BBA). They were my favorite, full of personality. I've been thinking to add two pairs of ram again, but without a quarantine tank, I am kind of hesitant.

There are about 20 rummynose schooling in my tank now. It was approximately 45. Most of them jumped out. I also had 12 dwarf rainbow fish, they were schooling also, but all of them decided to move out to the floor....:angel:

[Aquaboogie]

The fish are simply beautiful! As well as the plants. You plant set up just pushed me to go and get more plants for MY tank!....lol

[Green Country Discus]

Jannima, as always, just love your Red Turks and your tank! Well done again ;).

[katt-ja]

what kind of discus is that exactly? (the pair that don't like eachother)

[jannima]

what kind of discus is that exactly? (the pair that don't like eachother)

LFS sold them as Leopard discus.

[Discus Dreams]

What size did you buy your discus at? How long have you had them? And what sort of Camera?


Keep up the good work you truly have me green eyed!!

[AADiscus]

Very pretty tank and of your discus look great! You've done a great job. ;)

[~TeaCupGirl~]

What a gorgeous tank! Keep up the great work.

[johnm]

any new develepments or pics?

[*Polka dots roc*]

it's amazing tanks like yours that make me so excited about discus! And your fish are amazing:)

[gmccreedy]

Stunning. This is a model tank IMO. Excellent.

Fish are just gorgeous.

[yim11]

A tank this incredible is certainly worthy of being an active topic for almost 2 years!

As so many before me have expressed - you bring an element of beauty and perfection that is rarely seen in this hobby and it is most appreciated.

If you don't mind please, I am curious as to why you do monthly replanting for the plants?

Thanks for your dedication and inspiration,
-jim

[jannima]

yim11: The reason I choose to replant instead of trimming is I can siphon the substrate. Trimming is faster than replant, but the bottom part might get "uglier". Therefore, I just keep the top part and toss away the bottom par.

[*Polka dots roc*]

are your red turqs high bodied?

[jannima]

Hi, Guys

It's been two years since the tank setup. The discus just had frozen beef heart, the water is muddy. Actually the water has been not clear as before, I guess I need a bigger canister to replace the Eheim 2028.

Polka: I not sure if they were high bodied.

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/3c195ae4.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/4d38e3ca.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/1bd72474.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/fb8a0e21.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/1325d80c.jpg

[Hungriee]

your tank is marvelous. im so jealous.

How many times a day do you feed your discus? Does your discus chase your small dither fish? My red turqs run after my cardinals, I'm thinking of removing them..

[jannima]

Hungriee:

Thank you. I feed them twice a day, frozen beef heart in the morning, brine shrimp or beef heart in the night. My discus never chase those rummynose tetra, they usually stay in the same spot for few hours.

[Big Tuck]

In all my years ive never seen a prettier tank.What im really interested in is how you photograph it?If you dont mind Camera?settings?distance etc.You truley have done a remarcable job on all levels.

[Hungriee]

For some reason my discus always hide when I turn on the fish tank lights; causing my plants to only have natural sunlight in order to grow during the day.

During the day I don't have my lights on; and my discus comes out and is fed with your recommendation. (Thanks for the advice) By 7PM, I come home and I turn on the fish tank light, but they always hide behind the plants. Its been about a 1.5 months since they've been in the tank; they still look very pretty but I rather see them with light. How do you manage to have your discus enjoy the fish tank light?

[katt-ja]

I think you might be reenforcing their behavior by giving them food while the lights are off... if you stop feeding them at all when the lights are off, they will eventually learn that the light is really not that bad + they get food for being good. put a timer on the lights so they turn on at the same time every day and then only feed while the lights are on.

i don't have evidence of this working but it's my educated guess.

[jannima]

There was a magnitude 5.4 earthquake in Southern California while I was working. People were trying to get out of the building, but the first thing came to my mind was " OMG!! my fish tanks!!". I rushed to home, and my tanks are fine, discus looked scared;reef tank water sloshed around a little. I think it's time for me to setup a webcam for my tank.

Big Tuck: Thank you. The camera is Nikon D80, lens is Nikon 60mm f/2.8 micro. I take photo in the night time, only the tank lights on. No flashlight. Hope this helps.

Hungriee: The best way to force discus swim in the front is to get bunch of plants in the background, so they have no place to hide. :p It took about 2-3 weeks for my discus to get used to the strong light. My leopard were eating Tetra color bits, but when I moved they to the new tank, they were totally stunned and refuse to eat color bits again. I had to change the food to frozen beef heart. I agree with katt-ja, feed them while the light is on.

[Luca]

Firstly from New Zealand stunning tank and discus! Look at that riccia pearl!! Oh what are you using to keep it bunched? Tied to something? Wish we could get the plant selection you guys over there can get (minus the earthquakes of course).


I think you might be reenforcing their behavior by giving them food while the lights are off... if you stop feeding them at all when the lights are off, they will eventually learn that the light is really not that bad + they get food for being good. put a timer on the lights so they turn on at the same time every day and then only feed while the lights are on.

i don't have evidence of this working but it's my educated guess.

Yup totally agree :)

[target]

Jannima,

Every time I see pictures of your tank I am beyond jealous. It looks fantastic and your fish are amazing. thank you for sharing and keep up the good work.

[Esquire]

Cloudy water?
Do you have a UV Sterilizer on your line?

[BobB]

Absolutely Fantastic.

[Yassmeena]

I am curious - how do you clean the gravel in the planted area.

I have a planted tank that has a similar partial planted setup with a retaining wall. I am thinking of trimming down significantly on my plants bc I don't know how I will get into the 3" of sand to clean it if it is planted. This is only an issue in my planted region of the tank.

[jassyben]

Your tank is soooooooooo beautiful- I am very jealous and hope that one day my tank will look half as good. We have had so many problems and I am so frustrated. I'm not sure whether your tank inspires me to keep going or makes me want to throw in the towel! If I do throw in the towel at least I have your tank to enjoy lol. Again, very beautiful tank- stunning indeed!

[jannima]

Luca: The riccia grows like weed in my tank. With strong light and CO2, it grows everywhere, even on the Didiplis diandra. I have to remove it manually every month.

Esquire: I do have a 9W UV inline. The cloudy water was from substrate disturbance, discus were trying to get beef heart from substrate.

Yassmeena: I usually pull the bunched plants out, and replant them monthly. Therefore I can siphon the gravel.

jassyben: I am no expert for the planted tank, but I took it very slowly. Small fishes were introduced after one month since tank set up. Two leopard discus were in after 3 months; other discus were after 6-8 months. Hope this helps.

Thank you again for the nice words. :)

[chintz]

Every time when I look at your nice discus and tank, I wish it were mine!

[happygirl65]

Yeah....what chintz said....really nice job!

[katt-ja]

anything to update on? it's been a while and this is still my favorite setup i have ever seen.

[Apistomaster]

Jannima's fat and sassy, brilliantly colored discus should allay any reservations some have about the use of beef heart as a part of the diet of their discus.
No other food puts meat on their bones nor grows discus to such large sizes as a well formulated and carefully fed beef heart blend.

That discus don't eat beef in the wild is irrelevant. How well they assimilate beef heart blends is.

[wannafish]

Hello Jannima,

You say in this thread that you are new to
planted tanks. With a tank like that, I find
that very hard to believe. LOL! Your tank
is one of a kind! SPECTACULAR!

I have a question. I live
in So. Cal also near Anaheim. My tap is
7.6. I was using Co2 for about a year, and
I couldn't get my ph down. IT would stay
at about 7.0 to 7.2. I also have Discus.
I really wanted my ph to get down to
6.4. But it seems difficult unless you
add some buffer. What's your secret?

Jeff

[mpark525]

hey jannima,

is there any way i could come check out your setup? where did you purchase your fish?

[White Worm]

The old leopards were from a LFS in monterey park, CA; The other three were Stendker.


hey jannima,

is there any way i could come check out your setup? where did you purchase your fish?


It was posted earlier in the thread.
I'm just hoping jannima can scoop up about 50 of those shrimp and send them to me.

[Tavio]

WOW, that is just beautifull. Tonight i dream of discus, proble yours. Now that is what i call motivation. Im curious to, where did you aquire your discus?

[ltgoof]

Hello Jannima,

I have a question. I live
in So. Cal also near Anaheim. My tap is
7.6. I was using Co2 for about a year, and
I couldn't get my ph down. IT would stay
at about 7.0 to 7.2. I also have Discus.
I really wanted my ph to get down to
6.4. But it seems difficult unless you
add some buffer. What's your secret?

Jeff

Hi Jeff, your ph level is perfectly fine as long as it is stable. Unless you are breeding why mess with the ph? There are guys here that successfully breed discus on high eights ph though. So why bother? Just my 2 cents. ;)

[cquann]

Look real good as always...

[cquann]

Do you have a UV Sterilizer on your line?

[ltgoof]

Esquire: I do have a 9W UV inline. The cloudy water was from substrate disturbance, discus were trying to get beef heart from substrate.

yes she has cquan. ;)

[mujacko2002]

Mabuhay!

with tears in my eyes :angel: very very beautiful

thanks for sharing the pics and knowledge

Godbless

[ltgoof]

Mabuhay!

with tears in my eyes :angel: very very beautiful

thanks for sharing the pics and knowledge

Godbless

Kumusta Mujacko! I have a pm for you. ;)

[prolude006]

WOW!!!!!!!!!! Those discus are amazing. I like the plant setup you have going.
The colors of your fish are drool worthy.....I need a new keyboard. You could probably sell pictures of your fish!!

[Apistomaster]

They are a photogenic little pair. I have had photos used without my permission but no buyers.
The discus sell well.
Last hours before they were removed from their parents, here they are eating bbs.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/DiscusMaleFry.jpg
Close up of the fry eating.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/FryFullonBrineShrimp.jpg

[jannima]

Thank you all for the nice words.

Apistomaster: I was able to get leopard discus to eat Tetra color bits when they were in previous 40g tank. After moving them to this planted tank, they suddenly stopped eating color bits. I am not sure what caused it, probably it's the huge change of light watt.

wannafish: It is my first high tech planted tank. Before setting up this tank, I did have a 40g low light planted tank which was my first planted tank. I didn't do too much homework before jumping in, and of course my 40g was a mess.
The tap water in my city is also around 7.6-7.8. I don't use any buffer to change ph. The secret is ADA aqua soil, according to their website, it adjusts the water ph to 6.8. I believe aqua soil does the tricks, since my 40g's ph was 7.6 and this planted tank was around 6.8. (oh well, 6.8 was tested 1 year ago :p)

mpark525: I will try to post some setup pics later.

White Worm: My discus start hunting shrimps now. However, there are still bunch of shrimps since lots of place for them to hide. I could get hundreds shrimps when I clean the canister filter.

Tavio: Leopards were from a local fish store in Monterey park, CA. Stendker were from online order.

cquann: Yes, 9W inline UV.

mujacko2002, prolude006: Thank you. :)

Apistomaster: Those are awesome pictures! My discus had the frys, but they were never able to attach on the parents, then end up being eaten.



Dan

[prolude006]

Mind if I link to your post from another forum? (aquariacentral.com)

im gonna anyways because I love your tank and want to show it off.
tell me with a pm to take it down if its not okay.

[White Worm]

White Worm: My discus start hunting shrimps now. However, there are still bunch of shrimps since lots of place for them to hide. I could get hundreds shrimps when I clean the canister filter.

Dan

Well sure, scoop up a hundred out of the filter and send them on over. How much? :D

[katt-ja]

Me too! :)

[wannafish]

Sorry for the delay!

Thanks Jannima for the advice. I have eco-complete, but
It must not alter ph like the Aqua-soil. I am thinking about
changing my substrate. If one were to get ADA Aqua-soil
and put sand over it, won't particles of the aqua-soil
come to the surface when planting roots or vacuuming?

Hasta!

[captain morgan]

Awesome tank! and Stunning fish!
Next time you take photos, could we all please have a full tank shot including the stand its on and the light above?
Thanks for sharing all your pictures with us. Great job!

[jannima]

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Here are some tank pictures as requested.
Hope you enjoy them.

Dan


full tank shot, the tank looks dirty. :p
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/equip/DSC_0016.jpg

Tek Light
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/equip/DSC_0017.jpg

Right side of stand, 10lb CO2 bottle
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/equip/DSC_0019.jpg

Left side of stand, in-line heater, UPS and Eheim 2028
http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/equip/DSC_0020.jpg


http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0059-2.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0087-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0088.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0061.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0063.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0066-1.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0065.jpg

http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n265/jannima/aquarium/DSC_0080.jpg

[fishman1978]

you have me so jelious looks awesome

[evokitan]

Those are some awesome Discus. Im new to Discus, What kinds of Discus are they? They are the most colorful i've seen on this forum up to date !! WOW !!!

[jannima]

Those are some awesome Discus. Im new to Discus, What kinds of Discus are they? They are the most colorful i've seen on this forum up to date !! WOW !!!

Bigger ones are leopard; the other two are Stendker.

[Jim Curtis]

That tank is beautiful. Your discus look huge!

[Bala_Kavi]

Awesome tank and lovely discus. One of the Leopard seem to have a cloudy eye? This is the first time I am seeing a Discus with a cloudy eye. Hope its doing fine.

Regards
Bala

[jannima]

Awesome tank and lovely discus. One of the Leopard seem to have a cloudy eye? This is the first time I am seeing a Discus with a cloudy eye. Hope its doing fine.

Regards
Bala

Yes, one of the leopard has cloudy eyes, it has been over 1 year. It gets better after the water change. I usually clean the canister every 3-4 weeks, but I am going to try to clean it every week, hope this will improve the water quality.

[Eddie]

Beautiful Tank, the discus have grown 10 fold! Its crazy because I used your first tank pictures as my computer desktop long ago and now the discus are GINORMOUS! LOL

Take care,
Eddie

[Darren's Discus]

Dan,
Happy new year to you,Your tank and fish look stunning as always the colour in your Discus is so vibrant.



cheers

[Terrybo]

Great looking tank and fish. Your photography is outstanding as well - love the picture of the cories!

Terry

[MidwestStu]

That is a sweet planted tank setup. Probably one of the best ones I have seen in a long time

[Yassmeena]

I especially admire your very clever use of DW - very appealing visually, but not overwhelming spatially - wonderful!!!!

[aquadiva]

Beautiful set up and even more beautiful Discus! Their color is simply a
amazing! Great job, nice pictures!! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::sun:


Anna

[captain morgan]

Thanks for the picture updates and the full shots of the tank. Simply beautiful!!
Cheers.

[cmich]

Wow, amazing pictures and amazing discus. Your fish look almost fake. And I mean that as a compliment. They are too perfect looking :)

[Triadtropz]

nice tank those leopards are nice..:)

[Diamond Discus]

The best way to force discus swim in the front is to get bunch of plants in the background, so they have no place to hide. :p It took about 2-3 weeks for my discus to get used to the strong light. My leopard were eating Tetra color bits, but when I moved they to the new tank, they were totally stunned and refuse to eat color bits again. I had to change the food to frozen beef heart. I agree with katt-ja, feed them while the light is on. I just saw this thread and read the entire thing. Your tank is amazing and I now love Leopards. I did not know they were that blue! I only hope some day my planted tank will look a fraction as good as yours. This is a good planting tip to keep discus from hiding!
Thanks for sharing your tank with us.
Sue

[wizzin]

I think this tank was instrumental in me going ahead with discus in a planted tank. It's also by far my favorite tank. Those discus are stunning. Well done!

[fishyj]

This tank is amazing!! I want to try a low tech planted tank for now, I will be converting my 125 to a planted tank. If you can post some low light plants or pm me them. Again, just amazing!!!

[Niels Rooijackers]

Beautiful Tank and great discus. :thumbsup:

[russell]

Great set up, how long doe's your 10lb Co2 last ????

[jannima]

Thank you again for all the kind words.

russell: I have to refill it every 6-7 months.

[newe70]

Your discuses are so amazing. Just makes me more envy I see your fish and your tank ...:D...very nice tank that you got there.

[grantbudd74]

HI from Australia.

Few questions for you:

1) Cleaning the canister filter will remove all the good bacteria will it not? Especilly once or twice a week?

2) To clear water is it not best to do partial water changes? I gues al the protiens and fat in the beefeart is causing cloudy water? Do the discus make a mess when its feeding time?

3) Your ADA product.....What is the life expecancy of this soil? I have a 160G tank, well I will and it will be planted but at $60 a bag I want to know how do you service this soil after say 12-24+ months?

4) Have you got another filter yet? I have 2 running on my 200l and its overkill but the water is good and the bacteria is even better... I clean my canisters twice a year.

Thanks for the pics very inspiring keep em coming

[shane2008]

Anybody seen any ADA Bright sand anywhere? I am looking for a little bit (maybe 5 pounds of it or so). From what I know, ADA Bright Sand is discontinued.

[plecocicho]

Grantbudd cleaning ALL filter material in your canister filter every week will set cycling of your aquarium ove r and over again. Which canister filter did you have in mind? I recommend eheim 2080, which has a sponge prefilter which can be asilly cleaned every two weeks so the rest of the bilogical materials dont have to and you dont need to clean bilogical materials for months.

[jannima]

newe70: Thank you.

grantbudd74:
1) From this year, I clean the canister weekly; the water quality is getting better, at least it is not as cloudy as before. I will try to post some pics later.

2) I do 50% water change weekly; I guess I am the main reason that causes cloudy water, replanting always causes substrate disturbance. When feeding frozen beef hearts, my discus also make a mess. On the 4th or 5th day after water change, there is always an "oil" layer on the surface of water, I guess it's from the protein of beef heart. Too bad, I don't have a sump setup for this planted tank, or protein skimmer might be a good choice.

3) I don't know the life expectancy of ADA aqua soil; it has been over two years since I use them. I believe some of the soil are somehow "collapse", but I don't plan to change them, it's too much work.

4) I was going to order an Eheim pro 3 2080 canister to replace my eheim 2028; but due to cabinet door width limitation; I have to stick with eheim 2028 and clean the canister weekly instead of bi-weekly. I am not worried about the biological bacteria in the canister; I do wash the pre-filter fiber thoroughly, but only wash the biological materials lightly. Every week I clean the canister, there is "thick" mud in the bottom....and of course, hundreds of shrimps. :p

shane2008: I can't find the bright sand on ADG website, I guess it might be discontinued.

[shane2008]

Yes, the Bright sand is discontinued. I have bright sand in my tank and every water change a little gets sucked out so I need a little to replace it. I was hoping to find a LFS with a bag laying around but so far no luck.

[rwong2k]

amazing tank thanks for sharing the pix!

[lizziotti]

Wow I love your tank, your discus, your photos! Amazing really really really nice!

[aseah]

awesome discus and tank...

I cant image you clean the canister weekly...must be lots of work...can you detail the steps to do it.. I though it is difficult to dismantle the canister to reach out the filter element and rinse it..

THanks

[Patr1ck]

...2) ...I guess it's from the protein of beef heart. Too bad, I don't have a sump setup for this planted tank, or protein skimmer might be a good choice....
.

You can use this to remove the film. It works awesome and it will clear the surface, 15 mins after you install it. Is adjustable too. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12703
hth.

Pat

[JFlo]

Wow!! That tank is A+!! :D

[jannima]

Thank you for all the nice comments.

ov10pat: Thanks for the remind, I totally forgot that I have one surface skimmer sitting inside the garage. :p

aseah: It takes me 10-15 minutes to clean the canister. Wash the pre-filter fiber, rinse through 3 baskets filter media, then pour out the mud from the bottom of canister. If I don't need to net those shrimps who live inside the canister, it will be faster.

[prolude006]

Update pics time!!!

[waterfaller1]

Gorgeous, enjoyed reading your thread.

[boots1856]

my i ask you what kind they are and where did you buy them from. i'm very new to discus keeping and i am trying to do as much homework as i can before i buy any fish - buy the way you have the most beautiful aquarium my eyes have ever seen!:)

[prolude006]

update update.....even if the tank is empty I am sure its amazing!!! lol

[dean9922]

super nice tank.....wow!!!!!!!!!!! give me something to aspire to....nice!!!

[srusso]

Beautiful Discus!!!

[fandango]

Great tank.

BUMP!!!

[exv152]

2) I do 50% water change weekly; I guess I am the main reason that causes cloudy water, replanting always causes substrate disturbance. When feeding frozen beef hearts, my discus also make a mess. On the 4th or 5th day after water change, there is always an "oil" layer on the surface of water, I guess it's from the protein of beef heart. Too bad, I don't have a sump setup for this planted tank, or protein skimmer might be a good choice.

Awesome tanks by the way! Your fish are stunning. I have a 75 gal planted tank, and I had the same issue with the "oily layer". I found out it's actually protein (probably from food), but I was told to increase the surface agitation, and it went away.

[JL15219]

I know this thread is several months old but man! This is one of the nicest tanks I have seen...the discus are beautiful....some updated pics would be great :D

[rickztahone]

I know this thread is several months old but man! This is one of the nicest tanks I have seen...the discus are beautiful....some updated pics would be great :D

oh for sure, this is my favorite tank that got me to read up on planted tanks.

[wannafish]

Jannima,

I see this is an ongoing thread, and you post current pics.
I have a question for you! You have sand for the Discus and
ada soil for the ph and nutrients. I have ph of 7.6 similar to
yours. I want to keep the ada soil from mixing with the sand
on the surface when you siphon or pull plants. I was thinking
of putting a layer 1.5" of ada soil, and then putting a screen
on top of the soil, and then layering sand on top of that.
I would cut holes in the screen and plant roots. This would
be sort of a permanent scape. If I wanted to re-plant, I would
try to clear area and cut a hole in the screen to plant roots.
Any problems with this approach? Thanks!

Jeff

[JL15219]

Jannima,

I see this is an ongoing thread, and you post current pics.
I have a question for you! You have sand for the Discus and
ada soil for the ph and nutrients. I have ph of 7.6 similar to
yours. I want to keep the ada soil from mixing with the sand
on the surface when you siphon or pull plants. I was thinking
of putting a layer 1.5" of ada soil, and then putting a screen
on top of the soil, and then layering sand on top of that.
I would cut holes in the screen and plant roots. This would
be sort of a permanent scape. If I wanted to re-plant, I would
try to clear area and cut a hole in the screen to plant roots.
Any problems with this approach? Thanks!

Jeff

Jannima has not been on since Dec....so I dont think you will get a response anytime soon...wish there where more pic updates that would be great :D

[spyder329]

Wow what an unbelievable looking tank and fish....

[Plumkin]

your fish are living better then most humans!! i love your tank where did you buy your plants?

[Apistomaster]

I am not the OP and I only keep my 125 gal Tetra tank as a aquacaped planted tank. When I want to get rare and/or quantities of plants as I did for my tank, I buy from www.aquariumplants.com
They have one of the largest selections of plants and have reasonable prices but even so, I spent $225 on plants for that 125 gal tank.
Over the years they have been a consistently good source for plants for me.
There are other good suppliers of aquarium plants but I have received good plants from www. arizonaaquaticgardens.com although I avoid their other livestock like the plague. Robert of aquabotanics.com in Portland, OR has recently changed to a different kind of company so I don't know how much he still emphasizes his plant part of the business.
These are the three companies I have received good and/or rare plants from over the years.

[x2h]

that's an amazing tank and discus you have!! i like the scaping and how healthy the fish look like!

[grindman620]

Wow!!! Stunning!!