New here, hi everyone.

[waterfaller1]

Hello!
I am in the research stage of turning my 90 gallon reef tank into a discus tank.
As it is presently~
90 gal AGA tank with single overflow to 20 gallon long sump. Water is returned with an external blueline 850 GPH pump. There is an external 29 gal refugium plumbed off the return. There are two other pumps on separate closed loops, same pumps as the return.
Lighting is 2 X 250 wt 10K Ushio MH's, and 4 X 110 actinic VHO's
Refugium has 2 X 65 wt 6500K PC's
I take it from the few days I have been reading, that most here advise a BB tank.
I was wondering if I could turn my sump into a large filter?
Could I grow plants in the external refugium for reduction of nutrients?
Use 1/2 RO and half tap?{our water is liquid rock from the tap}
Have any of you heard of Jack Wattley Discus?
Here is the tank
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/waterfaller1/Picture1169.jpg

[Eddie]

Hello!
I am in the research stage of turning my 90 gallon reef tank into a discus tank.
As it is presently~
90 gal AGA tank with single overflow to 20 gallon long sump. Water is returned with an external blueline 850 GPH pump. There is an external 29 gal refugium plumbed off the return. There are two other pumps on separate closed loops, same pumps as the return.
Lighting is 2 X 250 wt 10K Ushio MH's, and 4 X 110 actinic VHO's
Refugium has 2 X 65 wt 6500K PC's
I take it from the few days I have been reading, that most here advise a BB tank.
I was wondering if I could turn my sump into a large filter?
Could I grow plants in the external refugium for reduction of nutrients?
Use 1/2 RO and half tap?{our water is liquid rock from the tap}
Have any of you heard of Jack Wattley Discus?
Here is the tank
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v223/waterfaller1/Picture1169.jpg


Hey there! Welcome!

Although I have limited experience in keeping discus, I can probably help you out a little.

About the sump, can't help but sounds to me like you can surely make it a big filter. Also, the idea of a refugium sounds cool.

About a barebottom tank, it's not a requirement. It is definitely recommended for young juvenile fish to maintain as best water quality as possible. If you decide on Adult discus, you can have sand or whatever substrate you like.

You say your water is hard, what is the PH?

Eddie

[FLGirl1977]

Carole, welcome to Simply! That reef tank is absolutely beautiful... I would love to have a reef tank like that one day. :)

[waterfaller1]

Thanks for the welcome Eddie and Renee.
PH is 7.6 from the tap, TDS is 350. I use RO/DI for my reef, and RO for my fw planted tanks{I have 4}
I wonder if anyone has tried the refugium idea? It would be a good way to establish the tank with bacteria too. I could throw some small fish in it maybe...
Thanks for the compliment. This photo was taken just after moving from an apt. into this home 2 years ago. The tank was originally a 75 gal. My husband built this, before we moved. I have been keeping reef tanks since 03'. It has been plagued by majanos{a difficult to eliminate pest anemone} for most of those years. It is not looking good these days. And, on top of that..I cannot handle putting my hands in the tank without gloves anymore. I have become hyper sensitive to the corals, or something. I am sick of looking at it in it's present state, and am trying to convince my husband that I can do a nice tank with discus.This tank is a focal point in our home. I want it nice, and fixing the problem as it is would be very laborious and expensive.
The lighting has to be addressed. I wish I could keep the MH's, but fear they are too much. The bulbs sit about 10-12" above the water. I like the ripple effect though.
How many discus would work in a 90 gal,6 or more?

[Ardan]

:)Welcome:) Nice reef tank

You could have 9 adult discus in a 90 gallon.
I have seen a refugium working and it worked well. (no other fish in it though so as not to transmit diseases)

Best of luck with your tank.:)
Ardan

[waterfaller1]

I was wondering if I could turn my sump into a large filter?
Could I grow plants in the external refugium for reduction of nutrients?
Use 1/2 RO and half tap?{our water is liquid rock from the tap}
Have any of you heard of Jack Wattley Discus?


Thanks for the welcome and well wishes.
Can anyone offer some answers to my questions, please?:)
What lighting over the BB 90 would best display the fish?
I would make some kind of trays to hold bio-media & padding, to go under the flow in the sump. To serve as a filter.

[fishman1978]

DISCUS are awsome:)

[philip69285]

My only question is... why not buy another tank for the discus? That is a beautiful set up and is amazing... why break it down to do discus in. I mean i have discus and love them to death but I could never ruin something as beautiful as that tank there.

[KDodds]

Sweet SPS tank. Did you grow them from frags?

Okay, first thing, the pump is going to need to be replaced with something about half as powerful, or less. 10x tank volume, undispersed especially, is going to be too much for discus, and most FW fish. The closed loops, I'd just remove.

Lighting is quite overpowered, that's something to sell as well. If going with a planted tank, depending on what you're shooting for 1-3 or 4 wpg should be more than enough, with dispersed (fluorescent) lighting being better than point source (MH).

Many reefers, especially SPS keepers, also advocate BB exclusively. Obviously, you know that you can be highly successful without going BB. There's no right or wrong way, and not really a "best way". The best way for you, really, is what you like and what you are comfortable working with. If you take that, and remain flexible, success is almost a guarantee.

Yes, you can easily turn your sump into a wet/dry filter (or just wet) and use mechanical and chemical filtration therein. There aren't really any FW plants that will grow as ferociously as Caulerpa will, so a refugium might be a little small. You can do ATS in the sump, or even turn the sump into a plant refugium with shrimp and other detritivores though.

I just ran a DI on the tank through a PH for a few hours, worked like a charm getting the tank down to 4 dKH. Top off isn't changing that (pure tap) so far (1.5gpd), possibly because of the Valisneria. My tap runs between 350-400, usually, something like that, almost all CaCO3 (well, limestome aquifer).

I think just about everyone's heard of Jack. ;)

[Graham]

Carole I know we all work our way through different aspects of the hobby...I've done the reef thing also...BUT that tank is a knock out....leave it alone and set another one up. You know how many people struggle to get SPS looking like that...

G

[Darren's Discus]

Very nice tank,welcome to simply.


cheers

[Palue]

That is one beautiful tank, I know how expensive reef tanks are to have. I would strongly encourage you to get another tank for some Discus. You would then have 2 very beautiful tanks going.

:angel: