Please evaluate my first discus setup

[JacobL]

Hello everyone, new user and discus keeper here. I have read in depth through these forums and have learned a lot, thanks to all you experienced hobbyists.

I would like to go over my planned setup and see if anyone has any opinions or advice for me.

Currently I have a 55 gallon long tank with a canister filter and sump filter made out of a 20 gallon tank. (holds about 15 gallons)
Both filters are full of foam and bio media only.
I plan to remove the gravel for a BB tank, but keep a piece or two of driftwood with a couple plants attached (probably fake)

I plan to feed 4 to 5 times a day
morning - frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, or beefheart
midday - kens crumbles or tetra bits (auto feeder)
afternoon - same as above
late evening - same frozen as above

I plan to vacuum the tank bottom every evening with a small water change and every other day do a 50% water change as well.

My ph comes out of the tap at pretty much neutral.
I am starting with 8 very young discus, about 3 months old. I know this is very small for a beginner, but all I can afford and the breeder seems very good.

My question: is there anything I should do to clean out the tank when I remove my current fish? Like anything besides just a good cleanout of the filters and stuff? I plan to remove my current fish a day or two before putting the discus in so as not to loose my bacteria. Oh and the discus will be the only fish in the tank. The breeder is holding my discus until I am ready, they are already paid for.

I am open to any suggestions or critique, I would love nothing more than to do this right and raise good healthy discus.

Thanks all!

[DiscusKev]

Seems good to me, when you remove the current fish, you could do a big water change whilst taking out the gravel by scooping it, with the left over gravel you can use a siphon and hoover it up. If you want to clean your filter foam, you could give it a good squeeze from the existing tank water (from the bucket or whatever is holding the water that is being drawn from the tank) as to not damage the beneficial living bacteria in the filter.

just my opinion,

[JacobL]

thanks Kevin, that is usually how I clean the filter media. I was just wondering if there might be any nasties left behind from the fish that I should be worried about. They are healthy so hopefully it will not be an issue.

[DiscusKev]

thanks Kevin, that is usually how I clean the filter media. I was just wondering if there might be any nasties left behind from the fish that I should be worried about. They are healthy so hopefully it will not be an issue.

If your worried, you could sterilize your tank, but that depends if the person holding your already paid discus is willing to hold it even further as its cutting into their 'profit' <-- dejavu, seems like nowadays people been using a similar sentence like that haha :D This is because, if you sterilize your tank, you will most likely disturb and restart the cycle, unless you have another tank that could seed that filter during sterilizing the tank...

[ExReefer]

It's good to have a plan. I would work a hospital tank into the mix. You could cut back the feedings to 3 or 4 times a day, but make at least two of them very heavy feedings. That way the least dominate fish will get his/her share of food.

[JacobL]

It's good to have a plan. I would work a hospital tank into the mix. You could cut back the feedings to 3 or 4 times a day, but make at least two of them very heavy feedings. That way the least dominate fish will get his/her share of food.

oh good point thanks, I will have to think where I could stick a hospital tank. And that makes sense about the feeding, I just see so many people on here feeding 5 or 6 times a day.

[deepflyball]

your feeding plan needs a little adjusting. Brime shrimp has nothing for the fish. 95% water. Blood worms is a little better but not much. Als freeze dryed balck worms have like 30% protine. I feed 80% of the time beefheart, 15% of the time FDB worms and 5% ocean neutrition flake. Water changes depends on tank volume and fish numbers.

Jerry

[deepflyball]

Oh sory i forgot. Welcom to simply discus and good luck

Jerry

[Chad Hughes]

Welcome to Simply!

Your plan sounds pretty good but here's a few things I would consider doing before you actualy have discus to care for.

1. Sterilize that tank. Bleach or Potassium Permanganate will do.

2. Have you tested your water for CO2 saturation? If not, do you plan on aging your water?

3. As mentioned above, skip the brine shrimp. Stick with a good flake, BH, FBW. I use CBW as well.

4. Stock. I'm not sure what breeder you are dealing with, but a forum sponsor is always a guaranteed plus! You can't go wrong with the sponsors here. There are great breeders out there though, so if you are comfortable with you breeder of choice, proceed.

5. Consider using seachem SAFE as your water conditioner. It's very cost effective!

Hope that helps!