My First Discus Tank Becomes a Reality

[AKRON AWOL]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Cris and I'm new here...but I doubt I needed to tell you that because it says I only just joined in June 2011 and my post count is only just over 10 because I needed that many to start a thread...go figure. (disclaimer: even though most of those were just to bump my post #...those compliments were from the heart!)

So, yeah let me bore you for a few minutes with my long story of how I've always wanted to keep discus since I first saw them at my lfs...NOT! I can't afford to lose half of my audience during half time...besides I'm sure you all have better stories out there...actually, I'm gonna be bi-polar for a minute and tell you anyway...ok, so it was the price that got me all hesitant...I have a 26 gallon bf with a bunch of community fish...throw in some rbows and you got something to look at...but come ON! they're nothing compared to the king of the aquarium...so when one of my good friends was selling a 56 gallon + stand for $100 (not even a month used!)....i jumped on it...

i thought, hey...maybe i'll start an angelfish tank...but then decided to be a little more dangerous...I mean heck, I've always wanted to live on the edge...howbout DISCUS! I just love their colors and patterns, the way they interact, and their graceful movements. So first thing I did was to hook myself up with tons of information, I'm the type that likes to research something for hours before I try it (talk about 'living-on-edge' fail :D ) After googling everything from 'keeping your discus happy' to 'sad, depressed, suicidal discus' I came across this wonderful site and its plethora of knowledge and seasoned discus keepers/breeders....I did what any red-blooded american would do...I joined the bandwagon and made myself an account!

__________________________________________________ _____
OK, end of life story. Now on to my First Discus Tank:

Equipment:

-56 gallon column tank (Aqueon)
-150 W Marineland Heater + another 150-250 W heater that I haven't bought yet
-110 AquaClear Filter (I have the 70 on my 26 and it's da bomb)
-Some Kind of pump+air stone to get my water oxygenated (unless someone has a better method)
-A bunch of gravel and tons of plants, not to mention 30 cards, 4 angels, 6 ac's, and ...jk. lol, it's gonna be BB/ discus only...until they grow out :D (i told you guys i did my homework )

Livestock:

- 8-10 Assorted Discus from Bill (gonna pick it up this saturday so I'm super excited!!)
-Also, I wanted to put some kind of free floating plant in the tank...nothing fancy..just something to help keep nitrates low

Maintenance : (suggestions are welcome)


-Daily WC of about 30-50%
-Planning on feeding them 4-6 times a day (BH, Tetrabits, Flakes, BWs, etc...)
-Temp: 84-86 degrees
-PH is whatever it comes out of the tap: 7-7.9...its chicago. lol

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Ok so some questions I have are...

1) Since I work monday thru friday 8:30-5:00 will it be weird for the discus only eating once in the morning and then like 4 times after i get home?

2) I was thinking to siphon out any crap on the bottom when i see it, or after feedings...will that starve my bacteria?

3) What do you think of my free floating plant idea? has anyone tried that before? pros? cons?

4) Any other suggestions, comments...I'm all ears. Any criticisms can go straight to my garbage can *cough* i'm sorry i meant my complaint box :D lol. and I'll be posting pictures of everything as soon as i figure out how!

Thanks for reading....if you haven't died of boredom....well, congratulations...you'd probably survive a week in isolation with only your sock puppets to keep you company

cris :)

[Sean Buehrle]

Welcome aboard

That was a long one:)

It sounds like you have enough knowledge not to kill them immediately:)

I would skip the plants, waterchanges take care of nitrate.

Keep the poop out of your tank, it wont hurt biological filtration. Once again waterchanges will keep your water safe and ammonia free.

You might ask your discus supplier for a cycled sponge filter.
It Really sucks to use a filter from an existing tank on new discus, kinda throws the idea of quarantine out the window.
I dont use anything from an existing tank on new fish.
Do as large of waterchanges as you can for the best results, a year down the road youll be happy you did.

Its fine the way you plan on feeding.

Looking forward to seeing you and your fish in the future.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[christian1971]

As far as feeding is concerned, you could use an automatic feeder for when you are at work.
I hope to be ordering my first discus next week. We are in the same boat. Good luck and I hope it goes well for both of us.

[christian1971]

As far as feeding is concerned, you could use an automatic feeder for when you are at work.
I hope to be ordering my first discus next week. We are in the same boat. Good luck and I hope it goes well for both of us.

[Chunks]

Looks like we are going to have a similar set up. I'll be posting photos soon to my own post... When I get ten posts to do so :)

[RandyK]

Hey There and Welcome.

The 75 gallon Discus tank in my living room is planted heavily and I have not had much difficulty at all with either the fish or the plants. I do use a CO2 system and have to be careful not to drop the pH out, but my tap water is fairly hard and well buffered. I will admit that the plants and driftwood in this tank are as much for me and the guests as for the fish. My fish room tanks are unplanted and more scientifically sterile. Some have no substrate. My point is that I do not think you will cause any harm with plants, but pick some with a lower light requirement because Discus are not happy in bright light. I use Flourish and Flourish Excel for the plants as well.

[Skip]

Randy, Cris and CHUNKS!.. welcome to SD!!

[AKRON AWOL]

Welcome aboard

That was a long one:)

It sounds like you have enough knowledge not to kill them immediately:)

I would skip the plants, waterchanges take care of nitrate.

Keep the poop out of your tank, it wont hurt biological filtration. Once again waterchanges will keep your water safe and ammonia free.

You might ask your discus supplier for a cycled sponge filter.
It Really sucks to use a filter from an existing tank on new discus, kinda throws the idea of quarantine out the window.
I dont use anything from an existing tank on new fish.
Do as large of waterchanges as you can for the best results, a year down the road youll be happy you did.

Its fine the way you plan on feeding.

Looking forward to seeing you and your fish in the future.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Im actually hoping to buy a sponge from one of Bill's tanks :) he's also the guy i'm getting the discus from! :) thanks!


As far as feeding is concerned, you could use an automatic feeder for when you are at work.
I hope to be ordering my first discus next week. We are in the same boat. Good luck and I hope it goes well for both of us.

ha! i can't believe i didn't even think of that! lol...only thing is...i dont want it to overfeed and then i'm not there to siphon out the leftover crap... oh and good luck to you too! post some pics!! :)


Looks like we are going to have a similar set up. I'll be posting photos soon to my own post... When I get ten posts to do so :)

lol...nice! congrats to you :)


Hey There and Welcome.

The 75 gallon Discus tank in my living room is planted heavily and I have not had much difficulty at all with either the fish or the plants. I do use a CO2 system and have to be careful not to drop the pH out, but my tap water is fairly hard and well buffered. I will admit that the plants and driftwood in this tank are as much for me and the guests as for the fish. My fish room tanks are unplanted and more scientifically sterile. Some have no substrate. My point is that I do not think you will cause any harm with plants, but pick some with a lower light requirement because Discus are not happy in bright light. I use Flourish and Flourish Excel for the plants as well.

thanks for the advice! i think i'm gonna go with something like a cover plant :) do you know if duckweed grows well in discus water?


Randy, Cris and CHUNKS!.. welcome to SD!!

thanks warlock! glad to be here :D

[AKRON AWOL]

TANK UPDATE:

fillin' er up! :D

67512


so yeah...i know i'm still missing the filter and heater...all in good time :)

67510

JoJo wanted to go for a swim...actually no...she was terrified :( lol

67511

[ExReefer]

You should paint the bottom a light color before you go any further (i like light blue). Your Discus won't enjoy a clear glass bottom.

Welcome to Simply!

[AKRON AWOL]

lol too late...and i only realized i forgot to do it AFTER i finished filling it!!! what sucks is that i was planning on putting like a white bottom on it or something but it just slipped my mind! guess i was too excited to get it filled :p Thanks for the welcome and the advice! :)

[ExReefer]

lol too late...and i only realized i forgot to do it AFTER i finished filling it!!! what sucks is that i was planning on putting like a white bottom on it or something but it just slipped my mind! guess i was too excited to get it filled :p Thanks for the welcome and the advice! :)

Not too late. You said your picking up your discus tomorrow. Trust me, they won't like a see through glass bottom. I've painted the bottom on tanks that are still filled with water on the stand. If you get some paint on the inside of the stand, nobody will see it.

[AKRON AWOL]

wait...how do you paint the bottom of a filled tank while it's on the stand???

[Cambik]

Most stands are hollow and allow you to get to the bottom glass. I am pretty sure this is what Exreefer was talking about.

[discuspaul]

I think ex-reefer was thinking your tank was sitting on an open-bottomed metal frame. I see it isn't.
One thought: You didn't say so, but I expect you're getting smaller discus - juvies - size?
Your tank size is really too small for 8-10 discus - even 8 would be a heavy load as they grow out - give it some thought. 6 or 7 would be appropriate.

[Skip]

since you have no fish.. drain it and paint the bottom.. think of it as a 100% water change.. your going to use lots of water anyway. :)

also.. are you getting a cycled filter?!

[AKRON AWOL]

Most stands are hollow and allow you to get to the bottom glass. I am pretty sure this is what Exreefer was talking about.

oh i see...sucks mine isn't :(


I think ex-reefer was thinking your tank was sitting on an open-bottomed metal frame. I see it isn't.
One thought: You didn't say so, but I expect you're getting smaller discus - juvies - size?
Your tank size is really too small for 8-10 discus - even 8 would be a heavy load as they grow out - give it some thought. 6 or 7 would be appropriate.

well i might get an assortment depending on what i like and what's available :) im pretty sure with my dedication...love...commitment...and a 50% water change a day, lol...they're gonna be fine :) hopefully...and i plan on getting 8-10 but i'll probably sell the ones i dont like as much :)


since you have no fish.. drain it and paint the bottom.. think of it as a 100% water change.. your going to use lots of water anyway. :)

also.. are you getting a cycled filter?!

yeah, i was just thinking i might do that i just have to go buy a pump because trust me....filling that thing was a real chore! ...that's why i made my sister do it :D lol....i helped supervise though! :) and yes i'm going to use a cycled sponge from bill so everything should be good to go :)

[AKRON AWOL]

I got my fish today!!! will be posting pics soon :D

[Chunks]

Can't wait to see! Hurry up with the pics!

[ScottFish]

Congrats! Thanks for sharing the excitment of new Discus! I'm also looking foward to the new pics.

[RandyK]

I agree with Paul, 6 is good for a 55g, if you expect to grow them out nicely. Besides I am a little OCD and like even numbers, my sole reason for not saying 7. ;-)

[AKRON AWOL]

lol i love odd numbers :D i ended up getting 13 actually...but i plan to maintain the tank really well so they should be fine :) i'm probably going to sell some as they grow out though...and when they get bigger i'll transfer them to a 75 gal show tank :)

[Keith Perkins]

Since your tank stand has a solid top there's no need to paint the bottom of the tank, you're lucky as most stands don't have solid tops. That is too many adult discus for a 56, but since they're all around 2 to 3 inches and you plan to reduce the number as they grow they should be very comfortable in that tank. Congratulations on the purchase from William Palumbo and hope you figure out the picture posting soon. :)

[AKRON AWOL]

Since your tank stand has a solid top there's no need to paint the bottom of the tank, you're lucky as most stands don't have solid tops. That is too many adult discus for a 56, but since they're all around 2 to 3 inches and you plan to reduce the number as they grow they should be very comfortable in that tank. Congratulations on the purchase from William Palumbo and hope you figure out the picture posting soon. :)

awesome! now i'm not so worried anymore...cuz i didn't paint it after all....it turned out to be too heavy with all the water and stuff :D

and yes i do plan to reduce the number as they get bigger :)

[AKRON AWOL]

PICTURE UPDATES: (saturday)

67705
67704
67702
67703
67706

comments, criticisms, suggestions...all are welcome :)

[Skip]

PICTURE UPDATES: (saturday)

comments, criticisms, suggestions...all are welcome :)

yea.. your pictures are STUNTED :)

[AKRON AWOL]

haha...that's cuz i forgot how big i was able to post so i went with the smallest size....i took them with my phone...but the only time i have to post them is at work cuz i have access to a computer and it's easier...so i emailed them to my work email...and yeah, useless info :D

[discuspaul]

Nonetheless, what we can see so far is looking pretty good.

[ExReefer]

comments, criticisms, suggestions...all are welcome :)

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you should have painted the bottom. A painted bottom would eliminate the see through bottom look in those photos and make your fish feel more secure. I know your stand has a flat wooden top, but it is not the same as painted bottom.

[AKRON AWOL]

yea.. your pictures are STUNTED :)

lol for a second there i thought you were talking about my fish :p haha


Nonetheless, what we can see so far is looking pretty good.

thank you! i'll put up bigger pics when i can though! :)


I know you probably don't want to hear this, but you should have painted the bottom. A painted bottom would eliminate the see through bottom look in those photos and make your fish feel more secure. I know your stand has a flat wooden top, but it is not the same as painted bottom.

lol, what's funny about forums is you get a million different answers to the same question...hey i dont mind :) and i agree with you...i really wish i hadn't forgot to paint it or at least put something under but oh well...they seem to be doing fine as they are...maybe it'll toughen them up a bit :D

[AKRON AWOL]

i had one of my fish jump out of the tank last night....i picked him up and put him back super fast though and he's eating and swimming normally...has anyone had that happen to them??

[Keith Perkins]

Check my signature line, YES! Mine was in a used tank that the openings in the back were cut out way too much for what I needed. Lost my male Marlboro Red. I think it got startled and jumped when I shut the room lights off for the night on Jan 1 this year and I never heard it. I found it the next morning when I went to do the first feedings of the day...stiff as a board. A lot of people here have had jumpers, MOST weren't as lucky as you.

[William Palumbo]

WOW!...You broke a heater... electrocuted some fish...and had a "jumper". You're becoming a Discus keeper FAST!...LOL...Bill

[Keith Perkins]

WOW!...You broke a heater... electrocuted some fish...and had a "jumper". You're becoming a Discus keeper FAST!...LOL...Bill

LOL, really. That was good Bill. I haven't heard that she's overflowed the tank yet, but the weekend's still young.

[2075turner]

Well best just to get it all out of the way!

Good luck with your fishies!

[discolicious]

I have a 75 gal. with a clear bottom on a stand without a solid top... in other words my fish see the filter and storage area below. When I realized my mistake, I almost broke it down and painted it, but decided to do an experiment instead. It occurred to me that the first day or two that my fish were in the tank, they sometimes swam into the glass sides, or acted as though they were trying to swim through the wall. After a day or two, they don't ignorantly swim into the glass sides thinking that the room around them is part of their tank. Apparently their brains figure out the invisible barrier and they will come darting to the front of the tank, stopping just in time to keep from smacking into it.

I've also noticed that with an adult pair in a separate tank, they hide if I put my hand in the tank, but if I put my hand flat on the glass, they will actually swim up right against it, literally leaning against my hand. Somehow they know I can't touch them through the glass.

Here's what I discovered. Initially, my fish would swim against the bottom, pushing until turning on their sides, as though they were trying to "swim through"...but that lasted only about 4 or 5 days. After that, they stopped trying to swim through the bottom as well. They "learned" what the limits were and now have no problem whatsoever eating off the bottom. If you saw mine now, you'd see that they act exactly the same way they would if there was a substrate. If they had been raised in a "bottomless tank" they would probably find it normal and have made the adjustment within hours.

But all that said, my other tanks do have substrate or painted bottoms, and when I break down the 75 for cleaning, I'll paint the bottom on it as well. Nonetheless I think it is interesting that they can adapt to the "bottomless" tank.

[AKRON AWOL]

Check my signature line, YES! Mine was in a used tank that the openings in the back were cut out way too much for what I needed. Lost my male Marlboro Red. I think it got startled and jumped when I shut the room lights off for the night on Jan 1 this year and I never heard it. I found it the next morning when I went to do the first feedings of the day...stiff as a board. A lot of people here have had jumpers, MOST weren't as lucky as you.

well the filter i got was actually too big to fit on the back of my tank so its on the side....which makes my glass top useless cuz it doesn't fit so i know it might sound bad but i just keep the top not covered....i guess it does help with the oxygenation tho :D and yeah poor guy fell about 4 feet down and when i got to him he was just flopping around. lol


WOW!...You broke a heater... electrocuted some fish...and had a "jumper". You're becoming a Discus keeper FAST!...LOL...Bill

hahha!!! i know right?! man the stories i could tell..


Well best just to get it all out of the way!

Good luck with your fishies!

haha yeah might as well make all the rookie mistakes and move on :) thanks!



I have a 75 gal. with a clear bottom on a stand without a solid top... in other words my fish see the filter and storage area below. When I realized my mistake, I almost broke it down and painted it, but decided to do an experiment instead. It occurred to me that the first day or two that my fish were in the tank, they sometimes swam into the glass sides, or acted as though they were trying to swim through the wall. After a day or two, they don't ignorantly swim into the glass sides thinking that the room around them is part of their tank. Apparently their brains figure out the invisible barrier and they will come darting to the front of the tank, stopping just in time to keep from smacking into it.

I've also noticed that with an adult pair in a separate tank, they hide if I put my hand in the tank, but if I put my hand flat on the glass, they will actually swim up right against it, literally leaning against my hand. Somehow they know I can't touch them through the glass.

Here's what I discovered. Initially, my fish would swim against the bottom, pushing until turning on their sides, as though they were trying to "swim through"...but that lasted only about 4 or 5 days. After that, they stopped trying to swim through the bottom as well. They "learned" what the limits were and now have no problem whatsoever eating off the bottom. If you saw mine now, you'd see that they act exactly the same way they would if there was a substrate. If they had been raised in a "bottomless tank" they would probably find it normal and have made the adjustment within hours.

But all that said, my other tanks do have substrate or painted bottoms, and when I break down the 75 for cleaning, I'll paint the bottom on it as well. Nonetheless I think it is interesting that they can adapt to the "bottomless" tank.

yeah i've noticed they're ok even though the bottom isn't painted...they seem to be ok...so far they're all still alive and eating like pigs :D thanks for the input btw! :)

-Cris

[Melissa]

Just something I thought I would mention because I saw you were going to feed BWs (frozen bloodworms I'm assuming?)...

They hold virtually no nutritional value, and since you are trying to grow these puppies out if I were you I would only make BWs an occasional treat. A lot of new Discus Keepers make the mistake of feeding frozen blood worms too often or making them the main staple in their fishes diet because the fish will take them so readily. Like little kids, our fish don't always go for whats good for them first :P if you want to feed them nutritious wormies, check out our sponsor section here on simply and try Al's Freeze Dried Blackworms.

Welcome to SD and good luck with your new fishies!!!

[AKRON AWOL]

thank you for the advice discusmama!! i went ahead and ordered some today :)