150 gallon "tall" good for Discus?

[lordbones]

I have a friend who wants to sell me his wood grain 150 gallon 48x24x31 tank/stand/hood & light for $300 & it is practically new.

Since I am new to Discus I am not sure as to whether I want to get this set up or not although it is a great deal money wise.

My interest lies in a nice planted show tank with Discus so I am not sure if this 150 will be what I want or not.

Can anyone tell me if Discus would enjoy a tall tank like this or would there be a lot of wasted gallons in this particular size?

Thanks everyone, I love this forum! :)

[Chad Hughes]

For the price, this would be an EXCELLENT tank for semi adult to adult discus. I wouldn't recommend fry or juvies as this tank would be very difficult to clean with all that feeding going on. That is an awesome deal! I'm sure others will post their opinions.

Stem plants do incredibly well in tall tanks and they look fantastic!

Best wishes!

[H&K.45]

If you got the space for it i would jump on it, 300 bones for a 150 w/stand is a deal, and yea you could definately grow some honker's as far as plants go in a 150 tall, thats what my buddy used for his cold water tank and he has some monster plants in that thing lol, as far as discus go, i would agree with avionics b/c he knows more about the fish than I do.

[lordbones]

Cool! Sounds good! I will definitely get the ball rolling to aquire this tank then.

Two questions:

What "stem plants" would anyone recommend for such a tall tank?

I plan to stock the tank with adult Discus, in which I will probably start with 3 at first...how many is the max I should try to keep in the 150? I don't want to overstock but surely I could have a nice collection as well. Thoughts?

Thank you! :)

[Sandip]

Thats a big tank, anyone would love to have it.
Just a word of caution: If the height of the tank is 31 inches, then you will have a tough time reaching the bottom of the tank for cleaning purposes.

[rickztahone]

Cool! Sounds good! I will definitely get the ball rolling to aquire this tank then.

Two questions:

What "stem plants" would anyone recommend for such a tall tank?

I plan to stock the tank with adult Discus, in which I will probably start with 3 at first...how many is the max I should try to keep in the 150? I don't want to overstock but surely I could have a nice collection as well. Thoughts?

Thank you! :)

3 discus in a 150 would not be a good idea IMO. try at least 8 adults in that size tank. it would be wise to get your plant life going first and then adding the discus when everything is established

[Mr Wild]

Thats a big tank, anyone would love to have it.
Just a word of caution: If the height of the tank is 31 inches, then you will have a tough time reaching the bottom of the tank for cleaning purposes.

Hew can stand on a step ladder to clean it for that price!

Also it is better if you can to get your discus at the same time or at least groups at the same time. They will settle in better and the main tank can be the QT tank that they just stay in. Otherwise if you buy 2 the QT them for 6 weeks then put them in you planted tank you will have to keep repeating this until you have all 8 which of course means you need another tank!

But if you can buy all 8 at once they all go in the tank together they go through QT together then they just stay there in their new home. HTH

[lordbones]

Ha! Well, I was thinking of 3 to start with because of affordability but if I need to start with 8 then I will save some more cash & get them all at once. I will take this all very slow anyway since I am learning & want to do it right.

Any input on where I should get my Discus? I have seen some incredible looking Discus from a lot of the breeders on this forum but it worries me because of shipping. I would love to get them local but the only place to purchase Discus here in Knoxville is "The Aquarium" & although they have some very nice Discus, the selection is very limited.

Is it ok to mix & match types or should I choose a favorite & stick with that particular strain?

I forgot to mention that my friend also has two of the "Millenium" HOB filters that go with this tank. I vaguely remember those filters but I do not remember if they are even worth carrying home with me. lol Don't worry, I won't be using them on this tank... :D

But on that note, how should I handle filtration with this tank? What I mean is, I want great filtration but I do not want to blow my fish & plants around either...would a pair of Aquaclear 110's get it done or should I go for an Eheim set up? suggestions?

Thanks so much for all of the input & suggestions!

[DiscusOnly]

As somone had mentioned, 31" tall is very hard to clean and if you are interested in planted, make sure you have adequate lighting for such a deep tank.

There is no way that I would put just 3 discus in that tank. Save up and get at least half a dozen or 12 if they are juvie.

That tank must weight a ton based on the dimension.

[Chad Hughes]

Cool! Sounds good! I will definitely get the ball rolling to aquire this tank then.

Two questions:

What "stem plants" would anyone recommend for such a tall tank?

I plan to stock the tank with adult Discus, in which I will probably start with 3 at first...how many is the max I should try to keep in the 150? I don't want to overstock but surely I could have a nice collection as well. Thoughts?

Thank you! :)

Stem plants like cabomba and corkscrew vals would really look great in the tank. Anything that does well in warm water would be perfect. I would stay away from plants that have a tight base of leaves. These tend to collect debris. Although they can be cleaned, it's a pain!

I'd go with at least 6 fish to start. 3 is just not a comfortable number for discus. HTH!

Best wishes!

[DLock3d]

I agree with Chad. I have a 56 tall and it's a PITA to clean with my 6 Juvies.



For the price, this would be an EXCELLENT tank for semi adult to adult discus. I wouldn't recommend fry or juvies as this tank would be very difficult to clean with all that feeding going on. That is an awesome deal! I'm sure others will post their opinions.

Stem plants do incredibly well in tall tanks and they look fantastic!

Best wishes!

[rickztahone]

Ha! Well, I was thinking of 3 to start with because of affordability but if I need to start with 8 then I will save some more cash & get them all at once. I will take this all very slow anyway since I am learning & want to do it right.

Any input on where I should get my Discus? I have seen some incredible looking Discus from a lot of the breeders on this forum but it worries me because of shipping. I would love to get them local but the only place to purchase Discus here in Knoxville is "The Aquarium" & although they have some very nice Discus, the selection is very limited.

Is it ok to mix & match types or should I choose a favorite & stick with that particular strain?

I forgot to mention that my friend also has two of the "Millenium" HOB filters that go with this tank. I vaguely remember those filters but I do not remember if they are even worth carrying home with me. lol Don't worry, I won't be using them on this tank... :D

But on that note, how should I handle filtration with this tank? What I mean is, I want great filtration but I do not want to blow my fish & plants around either...would a pair of Aquaclear 110's get it done or should I go for an Eheim set up? suggestions?

Thanks so much for all of the input & suggestions!

i completely agree with you about the affordability factor but trust me, it will pay off in the end when you get your discus together. i mentioned 8 discus but by all means you can get more (up to 15 if you just do discus). 8 is just what i would consider to be the minimum. also, keep in mind that you will probably not be able to keep juvies since they need so much more care than semi-adults or adults. when you get juvies a tank as large as yours is daunting to them and to you as far as clean up goes. my advice is just skip the juvies and go straight to semi-adult if money is a concern.

As far as where you can get your discus i would definitely contact Kenny, one of our sponsors (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/forumdisplay.php?f=119). he has great fish at what i consider affordable prices. you can get a 4"+ discus from him for under $60, it all depends on the strain of course but that's just an example for you to gauge how much they go for. check out his last shipment and you can see the prices he had (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=72162). there is a carnation pigeon for only $48 and it's 4"+!. I would quite honestly steer clear of any LFS. if they are anything like the ones around me they will have overpriced discus and the quality is horrible. once you get discus from our sponsors, any sponsor, you will see what i mean. Kenny uses his Fedex discount so the shipping is as low as it can possible be considering they have to be sent over night. he never gets a cut from shipping.

It is definitely ok to mix and match discus, check out my tank (http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=68312&page=4). it is pretty much just a personal preference. if you do plan on breeding later down the line then maybe you will like to get only one strain or maybe 2 max. it's completely up to you.

i have no knowledge on those filters but if they are giving them to you with the tank then just grab them. i would definitely go with a couple of eheim canister filters for your size tank, or a couple of xp3's. like previously mentioned, your tank is very tall so filtration will have to be well thought out as well as lighting. do you know what type of bulbs the canopy has as is?

i hope i have helped out a little. let us know if you have any more questions

[Scribbles]

That sounds like an incredible deal to get the tank and stand for only $300. I think that vals would look great in it since they grow nice and tall. I wouuld also save up and get your discus all at once instead of having to QT a couple here and there. I think that the fish settle better if they don't have a lot of new neighbors moving in and changing the pecking order. Can't wait for pics.

Chris

[Turtlemaxxx]

I picked up a used 180 gallon ( 72 x 24 x 24 ) for $300 and am very happy i did.

I have an xp3 on my 60 gallon and an fx5 on the 180. I found the xp3 for $90 and the fx5 for $200. If you can still find that deal on the xp3 i would say get 2, but for the price the fx5 is great. No real problems with the fx5 but none at all with the xp3.

Buy the tank and jump up and down :bounce2: HTH

Cheers,

Matt

[lordbones]

Ok, so I think I have a plan now for this new tank. I won't be picking it up until at least next weekend, maybe the weekend after that.

I am definitely going to start with the plants first in which I am totally into the Corkscrews & Cabomba that was suggested to me. (Thx avionics30 :) )

As far as plants, what about onions or Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri)? I love the look of both of those as well.

I am in the midst of soaking a nice big piece of Mopani & would like suggestions as to whether I should try to keep it bare or if I should plant something on it..

I personally love the Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula) but... will I be able to keep it under control & only in portions of the floor or will it try to take over my tank?


I am looking at the number 8 for how many Discus I will start with. Haven't decided if I want to get semi-adult or go with juvies yet...Even though I know it will be more work I believe I would enjoy the juvies more since I will have watched them grow up.. Thanks rickztahone for all your input! You have seriously helped with shedding some light on this for me! Looking at the different strains of Discus...I am partial to the melons & of course the pigeons are incredible as well!

None the less, I am very excited to be starting this project. I can't wait till I have it up, running & everything in place so I can take some pics!!

[rickztahone]

Ok, so I think I have a plan now for this new tank. I won't be picking it up until at least next weekend, maybe the weekend after that.

I am definitely going to start with the plants first in which I am totally into the Corkscrews & Cabomba that was suggested to me. (Thx avionics30 :) )

As far as plants, what about onions or Amazon Sword (Echinodorus bleheri)? I love the look of both of those as well.

I am in the midst of soaking a nice big piece of Mopani & would like suggestions as to whether I should try to keep it bare or if I should plant something on it..

I personally love the Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula) but... will I be able to keep it under control & only in portions of the floor or will it try to take over my tank?


I am looking at the number 8 for how many Discus I will start with. Haven't decided if I want to get semi-adult or go with juvies yet...Even though I know it will be more work I believe I would enjoy the juvies more since I will have watched them grow up.. Thanks rickztahone for all your input! You have seriously helped with shedding some light on this for me! Looking at the different strains of Discus...I am partial to the melons & of course the pigeons are incredible as well!

None the less, I am very excited to be starting this project. I can't wait till I have it up, running & everything in place so I can take some pics!!

you are welcome. just remember that pigeons tend to show more peppering in a fully planted tank. of course there are those that are very clean but it has more to do with the quality of the pigeons and where you get them from. it all depends on their breeding programs. Kenny/Forest have some clean pigeons

[Eddie]

I am looking at the number 8 for how many Discus I will start with. Haven't decided if I want to get semi-adult or go with juvies yet...Even though I know it will be more work I believe I would enjoy the juvies more since I will have watched them grow up.. Thanks rickztahone for all your input! You have seriously helped with shedding some light on this for me! Looking at the different strains of Discus...I am partial to the melons & of course the pigeons are incredible as well!



I would highly recommend you start with sub-adults, especially since this would be your first discus tank and it's gonna be fully planted. Juvenile discus are not forgiving at all. I think it will really get you warmed up to discus and you'll have a better overall experience.

Take care,

Eddie

[frenchie100]

I have a 31" tall tank and let me tell you it is a pain to clean! I grew my 7discus out in a 55 gallon tank first, barebottom so that it was easy to clean out thoroughly everyday. I use a chair for my tank and to reach the bottom, my shoulder is in the water!

For that price though, it is a good deal! As mentioned before, it is best for sub-adults. With the amount a cleaning required with juvies, you really want to make the process as easy as possible.

Good luck!

-Julie :)