Veteric
11-09-2009, 07:20 PM
Hey everyone,
I was looking over discus years ago, but things didn't materialize as I had planned. Since then I've been breeding apistos and raising their fry out in high tech planted tanks using some custom EI style dosing and 50% weekly water changes. While I still love apistos, the genus is becoming a no-brainer to keep, though I can't say I enjoy playing with strong acids or peat to induce spawning in some species.
So right now what I'm looking at is a 55 gal tank in dry start mode. Filling the tank is a little ways down the line, but I'd rather learn from forums and books months ahead of time rather than having dead or sickly discus.
Here's the specs:
Tank: 55 gal
Light: two separate 54w T5HO sublaze fixtures with 6700k geissman bulbs and individual sem-parabolic reflectors mounted on the 1/3 marks- I'll be running 1x most of the time with 2x bursts if needed.
Filtration: Rena XP4 and 2 powerheads; 1 is 200gph and intended for a needle wheel mod to inject compressed CO2, the other 50gph will be largely to control surface disturbance and to create a little current oscilation.
Heater: 300w hydor ETH in-line
CO2: compressed with needle wheel, will be playing with a drop checker and 4kH solution.
Substrate: ADA Amazonia Aquasoil I
Plants: Glosso, HC and E. Triandra covers 100% of the bottom. Does some of this have to go or is it possible with worm feeders or some space on flat rock in the hardscape?
Staurogyne and some stems in the corners will be added later when the tank is filled.
Planned Fauna:
-RCS or the yellow varietal; I'm prepared to see some turn into snacks as I also breed them.
-Possibly some blue eyed furcatas or gurtrudae, maybe black darter tetras instead. If I grow them out first, then add discus, will they end up as food?
-Also considering a small harem of A. trifasciata depending on how things balance out.
Odds are the tank will run about 6.5pH during the day, 7 at night, KH around 2-4 depending on the time of year. Tap water is way harder, but aquasoil does a great job buffering down.
Now as for the discus, are there strains with good genetics that tend to stay on the smaller side? Ideally I'd like to be able to keep a mated pair in this tank and get some spawns going. Water changes would be at least 50% a week, but I can easily increase to induce spawning and during hatches. I'm also a fastidious pruner and cleaner; I don't like to see mulm or dead plant material in my tanks. I also take my time in feeding, and I don't mind growing my own cultures.
So how should I do this? Am I better off buying a mated pair, or is pair breaking a concern with moves? If I start with 6-10 juvies, what sort of time frame will it take to grow them out and see a pair? Is there such a thing as a good discus breeder in Idaho?
I'm sure I'll have a pile more questions; this is just a start.
-Veteric (more commonly known as Philosophos in other places)
I was looking over discus years ago, but things didn't materialize as I had planned. Since then I've been breeding apistos and raising their fry out in high tech planted tanks using some custom EI style dosing and 50% weekly water changes. While I still love apistos, the genus is becoming a no-brainer to keep, though I can't say I enjoy playing with strong acids or peat to induce spawning in some species.
So right now what I'm looking at is a 55 gal tank in dry start mode. Filling the tank is a little ways down the line, but I'd rather learn from forums and books months ahead of time rather than having dead or sickly discus.
Here's the specs:
Tank: 55 gal
Light: two separate 54w T5HO sublaze fixtures with 6700k geissman bulbs and individual sem-parabolic reflectors mounted on the 1/3 marks- I'll be running 1x most of the time with 2x bursts if needed.
Filtration: Rena XP4 and 2 powerheads; 1 is 200gph and intended for a needle wheel mod to inject compressed CO2, the other 50gph will be largely to control surface disturbance and to create a little current oscilation.
Heater: 300w hydor ETH in-line
CO2: compressed with needle wheel, will be playing with a drop checker and 4kH solution.
Substrate: ADA Amazonia Aquasoil I
Plants: Glosso, HC and E. Triandra covers 100% of the bottom. Does some of this have to go or is it possible with worm feeders or some space on flat rock in the hardscape?
Staurogyne and some stems in the corners will be added later when the tank is filled.
Planned Fauna:
-RCS or the yellow varietal; I'm prepared to see some turn into snacks as I also breed them.
-Possibly some blue eyed furcatas or gurtrudae, maybe black darter tetras instead. If I grow them out first, then add discus, will they end up as food?
-Also considering a small harem of A. trifasciata depending on how things balance out.
Odds are the tank will run about 6.5pH during the day, 7 at night, KH around 2-4 depending on the time of year. Tap water is way harder, but aquasoil does a great job buffering down.
Now as for the discus, are there strains with good genetics that tend to stay on the smaller side? Ideally I'd like to be able to keep a mated pair in this tank and get some spawns going. Water changes would be at least 50% a week, but I can easily increase to induce spawning and during hatches. I'm also a fastidious pruner and cleaner; I don't like to see mulm or dead plant material in my tanks. I also take my time in feeding, and I don't mind growing my own cultures.
So how should I do this? Am I better off buying a mated pair, or is pair breaking a concern with moves? If I start with 6-10 juvies, what sort of time frame will it take to grow them out and see a pair? Is there such a thing as a good discus breeder in Idaho?
I'm sure I'll have a pile more questions; this is just a start.
-Veteric (more commonly known as Philosophos in other places)