new discus tank video

[Scot]

Hello all,
Got some new arrivals to my tank check out the link and let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7bDx18gTVQ

[DiscusBR]

Nice discus and tank. Did you quarentine the new arrivals?

I personally don't like the blue gravel substrate. It is not just a matter of aesthetics. The gravel collects dirt and water quality tends to suffer. Folks here in the forum recommend going bare bottom or using sand. I have pool filter sand, which is much easier to clean than gravel.

[Scot]

Well thank you, I did a QT 2 tank method and it is BB but i feel its so clinical looking so I decided to go with glass gravel for my show tank so i could have a moonlight effect from lights under the substrate. The cleaning is a breeze with the eheim gravel cleaner that and a 40/ dwc takes about an hour. My water quality is good and i like to keep my Nitrates under 10ppms

[Maria Ashton]

The fish look great, not so keen on the gravel but can see where you are coming from with the moonlight effect. Am thinking of adding some low level lighting to my tank. What size tank do you have?

[Scot]

I have a 125 g tank my next upgrade will be led tube lights that can change color these will go under the tank and althogh the gravel is predominantly blue I will be able change the gravel color at the touch of a button

[gerrard00]

I've found Discus to be incredibly messy eaters. I have a challenge keeping my sand substrate clean even with lots of vacuuming. Please do post follow-ups in the coming months if you are able to keep the tank clean and the nitrates low.

[gerrard00]

Any updates? I have to admit, I'm still kind of skeptical about that substrate and I wonder if things have worked out with it?

[mattbmb]

Very nice tank

[Scot]

Hello all, Gerrard it does work out although my nitates are probably higher than disired at 20 to 40ppm they get to 40 right before 33 percent wc once a week. The substrate gets cleaned once a month, it may not be an optimal enviroment for discus but they are growing out quite nice.

[judy]

IME, that nitrate level is not, over the long term, healthy for discus at all... and once a month for substrate cleaning is probably why it's that high, substrate should be cleaned daily for a growout tank, at least weekly for a tank full of adults.

[gerrard00]

I cleaned my sand substrate daily for my juvies and my nitrates never got past 5-10. My fish still weren't as healthy as they could be. I can't see how you can possibly keep that substrate you are using clean, especially not with weekly cleaning. Even now that my fish are grown, I have to poke around in the sand with chopsticks to prevent anaerobic pockets from forming. I wish you all the best, but I'm definitely skeptical.

Of course, I hope you prove me wrong and when your fish mature they are round, thick, well colored and healthy!

Please keep updating us either way!

[walt3]

my gravel gets deep vac every 3 days and 33 percent water changes daily. i am afraid not too. lol. walt.