60 gallon discus low tech

[Problemman]

Okay I'm really pondering this one as I'm getting a 60 gallon tank this sunday and I dont know what I really want to do with it.

So it lead me to this.I'm going to do a low tech tank with discus as the main focus.

Fauna:
2-3Discus (going to a local breeder to pick from)
5 Red blue columbian tetras
2 Hoplo catfish
2 albino bn

Plants will be low light and really for minimum maintenance.

That's it for now

[Skip]

is this your first discus tank?

[Problemman]

Kinda

[Skip]

one novice to another.. i would advise you to start with just discus for a couple of months.. just to make sure you got them settled and you get into a routine then add the other other stuff.. plus.. you need to make sure you tank is cycle before you put ANY DISCUS in there.. that is alot of fish add all at once.. i assume the discus are your priority.. they are hard enough to keep alive for your first time.. HOWEVER!! it is your tank.. and you can do it as you like!!

:D

[Tito]

Find out about BioSpira. Instant Cycle. Keep your tank simple. minimal amount of sand. One large piece of driftwood. Give Discus some swimming room.

As stated - get your Discus but leave the others out for now.

[Problemman]

That's what I planned on doing.monday I'm going to go look at discus and put them on hold.

I'm getting discus from jim.they won't be naturals even though I love the wild looking discus but colorful domestics that will deture me from setting up a saltwater tank lol. Yet still so tempting.

Plants I'm still unsure about as I wan't plant life butdon't know if they will handle the heat even though they are fine at 80 will two more degrees make a difference? Also idk if having the t5no corallife fixtures will be enough.i believe they hold 2 bulbs but I'm not certain.more on that later.

[Jennie]

anubias do very well at 85. there are may types. someone in this section posted a sticky on plants for discus aquariums. you should really read up on it

[Problemman]

Thanks discuslover.

[JeremieMcD]

Limnophila hippuroides
Common Cryptocoryne species

Highly adaptable plants
Echinodorus
Microsorum pteropus, (Java fern)
Hygrophila species
Anubias species
Alternanthera reineckii
Ammania sp.
Blyxa sp
Crinum sp
Ceratopteris, (Indian fern)
Sagittaria sp
Rotala rotundifolia, (also known as indica)
These are some if the plants that work with the discus.
Just make sure that you research the plants you like to see if they
need lots of maitence and light, form my expeience with low tech and hi tech tanks the discus always did better in the low tech, this is just my opion,good luck
Amazon Plants

Echinodorus.

Hydrocotyle
Eichhornia
Alternanthera reineckii
Bacopa lanigera
Bacopa myriophylloides
Cabomba furcata
Egeria najas
Egeria densa
Eleocharis acicularis
Gymnocoronis spilanthoides
Heteranthera zosterfolia
Lilaeopsis brasiliensis, (Micro sword)
Lilaeopsis carolinensis, (Jumbo Micro sword)

[Problemman]

Holy crap Jeremie! Thanks a ton.this will def help not only in this tank but another I would love to do as well!

[Problemman]

Okay If I get 5 discus and the colombians, cories,and the bns would I be okay? Or am I pushing it ? I would be doing 50% water changes weekly

[Problemman]

5 cories? What kind?

[vera]

Okay If I get 5 discus and the colombians, cories,and the bns would I be okay? Or am I pushing it ? I would be doing 50% water changes weekly

i would avoid Colobmbians - they stress Discus with robust movement and steal all the food from them , maybe Ember tetras -they get bright orange-red with good feeding and stay max 3cm

[joshua 74]

i would stick to bristlenose and duscus dude and maybe try a 50% weekly but if u can maybe a quick 30% in the middle. a breeding pair of bn would be nice in there.

[Problemman]

What about glow lights?i have ten of them

[diveshooter]

one novice to another.. i would advise you to start with just discus for a couple of months.. just to make sure you got them settled and you get into a routine then add the other other stuff.. plus.. you need to make sure you tank is cycle before you put ANY DISCUS in there.. that is alot of fish add all at once.. i assume the discus are your priority.. they are hard enough to keep alive for your first time.. HOWEVER!! it is your tank.. and you can do it as you like!!

:D

While I agree in general, I did the opposite and got my plants situated first. I wanted to see if I had a "green thumb", as they say. I did add my catfish(cories),neon and rummynose tetras, and a pleco after the tank was cycled, but waited about six months before adding discus. But like warlock noted, it's your tank........ The best of luck to you!

[discuspaul]

The Glow-lights would be fine with the discus - & 5 discus would be ok in that size tank, without adding too many other fish. The Glow-lights, the Discus, and a couple of Cories, along with perhaps a couple of other small compatible fish, and you'll be good to go.
And Tito's post above is correct. Get yourself some Bio-spira for instant cycle, and if you can't find that, Seachem Stability is a very similar alternative product - just buy from a reliable source that hasn't had it sitting on the shelf for a long period of time.
Good luck with your new tank.

[babakaty]

Like Skip said, one noob to another....

Planted tanks are a world unto themselves; I've done them for some years. Discus are a world unto themselves; I've done them for a year. I tried to do both at once when I started. All I can say is that after several emergency remodels, I now have a 90 gal bare bottom with one big hunk of wood, 8 sub-adult discus and a moderate-sized school of tetras. I do a 90% water change every other day. Everyone is happy now, most of all me. I still love my plants, but for now my 5 gal planted shrimp tank will have to do. It's going to take me some more time to wed plants to discus. It's all about getting the balance right.....FWIW.

[Problemman]

This is my current planted tank

[hehe]

That's what I planned on doing.monday I'm going to go look at discus and put them on hold.

I'm getting discus from jim.they won't be naturals even though I love the wild looking discus but colorful domestics that will deture me from setting up a saltwater tank lol. Yet still so tempting.

Plants I'm still unsure about as I wan't plant life butdon't know if they will handle the heat even though they are fine at 80 will two more degrees make a difference? Also idk if having the t5no corallife fixtures will be enough.i believe they hold 2 bulbs but I'm not certain.more on that later.

What is it you are saying you are planning on doing? Biosphera? Today, this goes by the brand name of Tetra Safe Start- getting your tank cycled is absolutely crucial unless you plan on losing the majority of your fish. Discus are not like ordinary fish- they need a fully cycled tank in order to survive. The quickest way to get your tank cycled is by doing a fishless cycle with ammonia- still, it will take 2-3 weeks minimum... I'm not so sure that I'd plop a bottle full of safe start into a tank and add a full load of discus- seems a little irresponsible.

[Problemman]

Oh god no I would not do that! Lol just getting some opinions