New Build: 230 Gallons Discus tank

[yusufm52]

Hi Everyone,
Am new to this forum and am new to discus fishes, i have been keeping fishes for the past 4yrs. have kept mainly oscars, black ghost knife fish and goldfishes, currently have three tanks. and this will be my fourth tank which will be the largest of them all. :)

I am planning to build a 230gal glass Discus tank, dimensions 6'x2'x2.5' (LxHxB).

I have researched a bit about the discus fish and found out that they are really beautiful fishes to keep and that they require quite some care, so was worried about the filtration system as what would be my best option.
All and any help would be much appreciated..

Thank you.. :)

[CajunAg]

Welcome to Simply! I prefer a drilled tank with a sump filtration system, that way everything is hidden and I can use as much filter media as I want. As an added bonus, the main tank's water level stays the same, only the level in the sump drops (due to evaporation).

It's really not too difficult to care for discus (assuming you start with good stock), and there are many filtration options that a lot of members use: HOBs, canisters, and even sponge filters. It really comes down to what you prefer, how your tank will be set up, and how you will use the filter, combined with other cleaning methods, to keep your tank healthy.

[yusufm52]

Hey guys i got an idea for the filter sump and was wondering if anyone has tried it or not. i thought instead of placing the sump on the back why not just build it in the tank at the back.. here are some of the designs that i drew.. :)
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[TNT77]

Hey guys i got an idea for the filter sump and was wondering if anyone has tried it or not. i thought instead of placing the sump on the back why not just build it in the tank at the back.. here are some of the designs that i drew.. :)
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I have seen it done before and the results were ok. But unlike adding a sump underneath which adds water volume and doesnt take up space in the tank. An in tank sump takes away tank space and doesnt add water volume. When I find the article I will post it.

[ockyra215]

I suggest you get a 55gallon and half a dozen discus and learn about them first hand and see if you like the up keep of them.than get into a huge tank build. Practice makes perfect. Its a wonderful hobby so welcome.

[yusufm52]

TNT77@ thank you for the input. But my initial tank size of 230 gallons remains the same and I am adding another 50 gallons approx. to the tank with this design. Instead of placing the sump below the tank I am keeping at the back. My tank size will increase by 8" inches to accomodate the sump.

Ockyra215@ already have a 55 gallon tank and am doing exactly what u are suggesting.. :)

[Second Hand Pat]

yusufm52, I have a 230 (6 feet (length) x 2 feet (width) x 31 inches tall) gallon with a sump (in the cabinet) and one concern I would have with placing the sump in the back of the tank is being able to get to it to service it. If you are 6 ft with long arms, go for it. If not I would suggest giving it a second thought.

[MKD]

that 's similar to SeaClear II with built in sump in the back. You HAVE TO HAVE access in the back to do sump maintenance and it's not easy to do. It may work with other type of fish but definately not for discus.

[thayghet]

I've kept Black Ghost Knife before too. They are very interesting fishes. Wonder if anyone has ever successfully kept them with discus. I can't imaging doing water change for a 230G-tank though.

[Doc_Polit]

Looking forward to your build. Good luck!

[yusufm52]

Thayghet: i Would keep a BGK with Discuses their appetite is a lot and require to be fed more at night and in small servings, and since they sense their food using electric current around there noses. if they are not fed properly will start nipping at the fin of other fishes.. it does this at night...
i say this cause i have one which is 13" long..
and jus for the record it is one of my fav fishes i own... ;)

Doc_polit: thank you and will keep you updated..

UPDATE
As of now am looking for a good return pump for the filteration, and before i forget to mention, i am going with the sump being placed below the tank.. :D
any suggestions for the pump?
and will a 12mm glass do for this tank size or should i toughen it and then use it for the build, can't use a bigger glass as the price for a 14mm or 16mm is thrice the price of 12mm and goes way out of my pocket.

[yusufm52]

i Just notice a mistake i made in the tank size i mentioned in my first post, its 6ft x 2.5ft x 2ft (LxHxB).

[yusufm52]

Hey guys here is an update on my tank, haven't yet made the 230gallon tank as i think i am not yet ready to handle such a huge tank of discus as it is my first time, so thought about it and took the first step of buying the discus. i already have a 55 gallon tank with golds in it, which i have sold, and cleaned the tank and cycling the tank. right now the discuses are kept in my 20 gallon QT.

A few Questions i wanted to ask.
1. i got the fishes today morning, in acclimatized them by adding 1/2 mug of water from the QT to the plastic bags every 30mins or so did it 3 times till the bag could hold no more. Then netted them and put them in the QT. Added 4x250mg teramicin capsules and then this afternoon 6hrs later i changed 50% of the water. and fed them a few hikari beefheart pellets, which the fishes have not consumed yet.

at the present moment the fishes have huddled up in the corner of the tank, under the sponge filter, there is no heater as the room temp is 28c to 29c at present.

1. Is it normal for these fishes to act the way they are acting or did i do something wrong because of which they are acting so?
2. Please tell me what is the name of the fishes as the LFS told be that the are Red Maps, but they look like something else.
3. Can i directly add tap water, to the tank for WC, as i have a practice of using direct tap water for my WC of the other tanks and have had no problems.

Thank you.. :)
am so excited about the fishes.. :D

[yusufm52]

Here are some pictures of the new purchase..

and also please do help me identify what is the name of this discus, the LFS told me its a Red Map but i doubt it..

Thank you enjoy the pics.. :)

[mhx]

what teramicin capsules are you adding? Did you dissolve them before adding them to the tank? Why did you choose to medicate them with teramicin capsules?

hopefully there moving around more now since you posted that at 9am. if not u should keep a close eye on them

discus are picky about water. your water at home might be way different from your LFS.

[yusufm52]

Teramicin capsules are antibiotic capsules, which i normally use for my other fishes when in QT, a friend of mine gave me some advice and i removed the medication from the tank by doing a 3x50% WC within the entire day. since then and now they are swimming around the whole tank. but still not eating the food that i am giving them. i tried feeding them Hikari's bio-gold pellet it supposed to be a beefheart mix, and also tried feeding them tetra bits. but no luck yet.. :(

i think may be a day more before they start eating, will try feeding the freeze dried tubiflex worm or freeze dried bloodworms..
any tip would be great.. :)
thanks.

[Eddie]

Teramicin capsules are antibiotic capsules, which i normally use for my other fishes when in QT, a friend of mine gave me some advice and i removed the medication from the tank by doing a 3x50% WC within the entire day. since then and now they are swimming around the whole tank. but still not eating the food that i am giving them. i tried feeding them Hikari's bio-gold pellet it supposed to be a beefheart mix, and also tried feeding them tetra bits. but no luck yet.. :(

i think may be a day more before they start eating, will try feeding the freeze dried tubiflex worm or freeze dried bloodworms..
any tip would be great.. :)
thanks.

I'd skip the tubifex. Look into getting some Freeze Dried Blackworms.

[yusufm52]

I'd skip the tubifex. Look into getting some Freeze Dried Blackworms.

Will surely skip feeding the tubifex. Right now amtrying to feed them hikari's Bio-Gold Beef heart mix pellets(sinking).

[yusufm52]

Update: the fishes are eating the hikari pellets, not attacking it but one bite at a time, first tasting the food then spitting it then eating it again, just happy right now that they are atleast eating them.. :) i fed them 4 times out of which 3 times they ate everything, except for some pieces here and there, and one of the discus is bullying the other chasing the other when they get close to the food, is this normal, should i be doing something about it, normally i would have isolated the one bulling others.

I'll will be updating this post everyday with my routines and the info on the discus, so to all the members please do guide.. thank you all for all the help and advice you pepole have given me this far hope to get some more. An hope that i get to setup my 230g tank soon..
thanks ockyra215 for the advice of getting a few and trying them out, it would have been a nightmare if i had got the big tank and 10 pairs of discus and if something had gone wrong, just don't want to imagine it right now.. thank you all once again.. :)
CHEERS!!!!
P.S. i am loving the discus, and asking my self why didn't i do this earlier.. :)

[wavesurfer]

I'll will be updating this post everyday with my routines and the info on the discus, so to all the members please do guide.. thank you all for all the help and advice you pepole have given me this far hope to get some more. An hope that i get to setup my 230g tank soon..

P.S. i am loving the discus, and asking my self why didn't i do this earlier.. :)
Nice updates! Will be following your post for more updates~ :)

I absolutely agree with your final statement! But it's always better to be late than never! :D

[yusufm52]

Hi, guys here's an update on my progress.

still doing the routine 50%WC every night after i have fed them.
but the past 2 days the fishes are still scared and get spooked when ever i go to feed them, they keep hiding behind the sponge filter. they are eating habit is the same as before. :(
when people say that these fish are hard to keep i now get what they are taking about. Its not about the work but i guess its the patience that is required for this fish, that can be a little never racking than keeping other fishes that i have kept. Anyway that's just my 2 cents. :)

[mhx]

You might want to.try cutting back on water changes

[strawberryblonde]

You might want to.try cutting back on water changes

No no no, keep up your water changes. They aren't what's scaring your fish. If you stick to routines, eventually your fish will adapt and get comfortable.

The foods you are feeding are a good choice for growing out juvie discus. The water change schedule is also good, just keep an eye on your nitrates and increase the amount you change each night if you find the nitrates rising, ok? I try to keep mine at around 5ppm.

Your discus are still very new in their tank, so you should expect some hiding and skittishness. It will wear off over time.

[Wjmulder]

Pic 2 looks identical to my brilliant turq from hans

[yusufm52]

No no no, keep up your water changes. They aren't what's scaring your fish. If you stick to routines, eventually your fish will adapt and get comfortable.

The foods you are feeding are a good choice for growing out juvie discus. The water change schedule is also good, just keep an eye on your nitrates and increase the amount you change each night if you find the nitrates rising, ok? I try to keep mine at around 5ppm.

Your discus are still very new in their tank, so you should expect some hiding and skittishness. It will wear off over time.

Thanks for the info, will keep up the WC. have a question though, the food that i am giving them, the fishes only eat sometimes 1/4th or may be 1/2 sometimes and sometimes they eat the whole amount that is put in, so am jus plain confused as to whats going on? yes and i do get scared sometimes that why this is happening.

[yusufm52]

Update: the fishes are doing well, had a question though should i or better could i feed them baby brine shrimp?

[yusufm52]

Avoided a tragedy today, all thanks to my mom.. :)
one of the discus jumped out of the tank when i was out, luckily mom had just entered the room so she put the tank, for a second she thought that it died..
anyway the good thing is that its fine and happily eating right now. :)

[wavesurfer]

Avoided a tragedy today, all thanks to my mom.. :)
one of the discus jumped out of the tank when i was out, luckily mom had just entered the room so she put the tank, for a second she thought that it died..
anyway the good thing is that its fine and happily eating right now. :)
Wow so discus are good jumpers too? Hope mine won't be able to jump out that easily...

Glad to hear that your jumper is fine now. :)

[yusufm52]

Bad News guys today morning one of the fish is showing symptoms of pop-eye. The QT ammonia and nitrite is 0 and nitrate i'll have to check but it will not be high as i am doing daily 50%WC.
i didn't do a water change day before yesterday, cause had come home late and was to tired, could this be the reason for the pop-eye?

please do help. I have read about epsom salt, does it help? or should i try medications like teramycin as this is a bacterial infection, is it not?
Will try to post some pics.

[yusufm52]

Here are the pics. Please guys help me out. its the one on the right side of the pics. also its got a bulge on its stomach.

[wavesurfer]

Sorry to hear about the pop-eyed discus. Perhaps you could fill up the questionaire in the Disease section so you can get better advices?

Hope it will recover soon.

[yusufm52]

Sorry to hear about the pop-eyed discus. Perhaps you could fill up the questionaire in the Disease section so you can get better advices?

Hope it will recover soon.

The bloat has gone i posted another thread, and got advice on it, and still keeping an eye out for any other symptoms.. :)

[wavesurfer]

The bloat has gone i posted another thread, and got advice on it, and still keeping an eye out for any other symptoms.. :)
Good to hear! :)

[yusufm52]

Now i think its stomach has sunk in,i don't know what is causing it, whether it the parasite which caused it to bloat up before or this is completely unrelated..
this is so frustrating

[Second Hand Pat]

Sorry, read older post

[wavesurfer]

Now i think its stomach has sunk in,i don't know what is causing it, whether it the parasite which caused it to bloat up before or this is completely unrelated..
this is so frustrating
How is everything now? Hope it's okay.

[yusufm52]

yup everthing is fine now, all are happy eating well, had some problem with the fishes going all over the tank, which i think is solved but will have to wait and watch for two three days. but i think sit will settle down, its a roller coaster ride but its fun, otherwise it would have been boring.

[wavesurfer]

yup everthing is fine now, all are happy eating well, had some problem with the fishes going all over the tank, which i think is solved but will have to wait and watch for two three days. but i think sit will settle down, its a roller coaster ride but its fun, otherwise it would have been boring.
Great to hear things have stablised.

I wouldn't want the roller coaster ride though; I don't mind the 'boredom' as long as my fishes are healthy. :)

[yusufm52]

Great to hear things have stablised.

I wouldn't want the roller coaster ride though; I don't mind the 'boredom' as long as my fishes are healthy. :)

True, but all i want or a matter of fact what every discus or fish owner would want is to have their fish healthy and eating well. :)
only problem is i can't seem to confirm whether my fish are eating properly or not, reason being is that, i can't get to clean the tank after every feeding because of work, so i do one cleaning, and from the looks of the tank it looks as if they eat half of the stoff and the rest just lies there, until the next feeding, and i don't want lessen the amount of feeding because of i fear i might stun them, they still get scared and run to the corner of the tank, and constantly keep changing the color.

[Eddie]

True, but all i want or a matter of fact what every discus or fish owner would want is to have their fish healthy and eating well. :)
only problem is i can't seem to confirm whether my fish are eating properly or not, reason being is that, i can't get to clean the tank after every feeding because of work, so i do one cleaning, and from the looks of the tank it looks as if they eat half of the stoff and the rest just lies there, until the next feeding, and i don't want lessen the amount of feeding because of i fear i might stun them, they still get scared and run to the corner of the tank, and constantly keep changing the color.

Something isn't right. They shouldn't be timid still. When they learn who feeds them or when someone approaches the tank, they should be up in front begging for food. Doesn't matter their age.

[yusufm52]

Something isn't right. They shouldn't be timid still. When they learn who feeds them or when someone approaches the tank, they should be up in front begging for food. Doesn't matter their age.

i know that somethings not right, but thats the problem that i can't figure out, does the height of the tank make any difference, the tank is just a foot high from the ground on a platform above the ground? will be getting my test kit in a few days so give you the water parameters then.

[DiscusDrew]

Yeah my first instinct would be to say we need to establish not only the perameters in the tank itself, but also whether or not your Ph and other perameters from your tap change once in the tank for 24 hours. I would start there before jumping to any medications and such, you dont want to just start throwing an onslaught of drugs at them without proper diagnosis and knowing that you are treating the actual problem and not the symptoms. JMHO

[DiscusDrew]

Also, IMO, I would rather cut back the amount of feeding and not have left over food (assuming you cant vacuum it out shortly after feeding) than allow food to sit in the water and destroy water quality. I think it is crucial that we determine the problem so they not only start eating but, as you were concerned, do not become stunted. If they arent eating the extra food your putting in there then it shouldnt be there in my opinion.

[yusufm52]

Well got my test kit yesterday but could not get my hands on the master test kit but could get a Ph and a NO2 test. so did a test yest, tank results ph 8.0 , NO2 0.25ppm. tap water Ph 7.8 . so got identified my first problem, need a water aging setup. so got a 60liter drum and set it up for aging, did a 25% WC with direct tap water. And today will do a 50% WC with the aged water after testing it or just a 20%-25% with tap water.

also did a test today morning for the NO2 it was 0.
and also got a 3 new discus which were QT by my LFS. and added them yesterday with the rest they are doing fine all together, the rest of them also don't go into hiding, they just stay there. hopefully that is a good sign. still will be keeping tabs on there eating habits. keeping my fingers crossed.. :)
suggestions, opinions and criticism are well comed.. :)

[Second Hand Pat]

yusufm52, I decided to come here to answer your PM. Are you sure you measured nitrites (NO2) or was it nitrates (NO3). If you did measure nitrites (NO2) in the tank that indicates an uncycled tank and could help explain your unsettled fish. Adding three new fish to the tank without QTing them first ( QT at the LFS does not count) was not a great idea. I guessing here that you are creating a larger group to help the existing fish feel more secure but you may be compounding the issues instead by bring more unknowns into situation.

From here if I was in this situation I would age my water, do large daily WCs, reduce the feed as Drew suggests and observe the fish. Since the tank is low to the ground walk and move slowly around the tank. If the fish spook stop, allow the fish to settle and slowly continue what you were doing.

[yusufm52]

Well as of now they are not getting spooked or anything like that, since the three were added. There eating well.
And yesterday notice another issue with water Ph. As I mentioned I put a water aging setup, and it was running for I guess 11hrs and before I did my usual WC I did another PH test and the results were tank ph7.4 and aged water ph 8.0, any ideas what is going on here?

Yusufm52
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[yusufm52]

Well as of now they are not getting spooked or anything like that, since the three were added. There eating well.
And yesterday notice another issue with water Ph. As I mentioned I put a water aging setup, and it was running for I guess 11hrs and before I did my usual WC I did another PH test and the results were tank ph7.4 and aged water ph 8.0, any ideas what is going on here?

Ps. Tank NO2 is 0, and its NO2, that's what's on the test kit.

Yusufm52
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[ktm4us6]

Do you have a NO3 test kit to check nitrate levels? Over feeding will lower the ph of your water. If there not eating much, just give them very little each feeding, and vacuum the bottom shortly after. I vacuum the bottom after every feeding, and just doing that I change about 30% of the water everyday if not more. Keep the bottom clean, and wipe down everything in the tank 1 or 2 times a week. hope this helps.

[yusufm52]

Do you have a NO3 test kit to check nitrate levels? Over feeding will lower the ph of your water. If there not eating much, just give them very little each feeding, and vacuum the bottom shortly after. I vacuum the bottom after every feeding, and just doing that I change about 30% of the water everyday if not more. Keep the bottom clean, and wipe down everything in the tank 1 or 2 times a week. hope this helps.

No I don't have a NO3 test kit. And as I mentioned before there are finishing everything that's in the tank, just 10%-15% is left over which I can't clean up after evry feed is because of work.
And I did check today my aged water's Ph its at 8.0, and my tank and tap water is at 7.4 (which is the lowest which my test can show). So today I did a 50% WC using direct tap water, as I couldn't just do a 20% WC as I did yesterday. Will just wait and see if my Ph rises or not tomorrow.if it does I'll start using the aged water and continue with that, any tips on how should I go about this Ph swings.

Yusufm52
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[ktm4us6]

Yusufm52 did you establish your filter before getting Discus? in the previous post's it sounds like you just jumped the gun and got them without even being ready? Sounds like your system isn't stable because your tank isn't established. The only way to help things now if that's the case is big water changes morning and night. I would forget about aging your water for now and just keep up on water changes. Check for ammonia and nitrites everyday, also check ph to see if its getting more stable.

[yusufm52]

Yusufm52 did you establish your filter before getting Discus? in the previous post's it sounds like you just jumped the gun and got them without even being ready? Sounds like your system isn't stable because your tank isn't established. The only way to help things now if that's the case is big water changes morning and night. I would forget about aging your water for now and just keep up on water changes. Check for ammonia and nitrites everyday, also check ph to see if its getting more stable.

Yeah I did jump the gun, but its been 3weeks since I started the tank, and I keep checking the NO2 levels they are I there 0 or just at .25ppm, and I was doing large WC just didn't do it for two three days that to alternatly. In the morning they all seem nice going up and down the tank, scouting the bottom of the rank for food. Which I guess is a good sign? What do you say? :)

Yusufm52
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[ktm4us6]

Keep doing water changes , morning and night, keep an eye on ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Ph is also important, but with you tank not being cycled (maybe) that's your least worries. Just to let you know, with a tank that is in the process of establishing itself, when you do water changes, clean the filter it takes longer for the cycle to complete. In order to save your fish you need to do water changes morning and night. Your bacteria cycle will take twice as long as normal, due to the water changes.

[ktm4us6]

Just the other day I had a friend wanting some of my Pinoy blue angels. I asked before I sold, if the tank was established. They said we will wait a couple of days then. lol. IIIIIIIIIII will not sell fish to anyone without making sure there tank is established first.

[yusufm52]

Well ill change the mech filter more often, still waiting for my ammonia and NO3 test kit, and will check those parameters but, in the mean time how do suggest I deal with the Ph fluctuations? Which will be a concern once the tank has cycled and I forgot to mention I had some seeded media which I put in to the tank filter.

Yusufm52
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[yusufm52]

Here are some pictures that I took today.
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Yusufm52
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[wavesurfer]

only problem is i can't seem to confirm whether my fish are eating properly or not, reason being is that, i can't get to clean the tank after every feeding because of work
I'm wondering if you can re-schedule your feeding timings so that you will be able to clean the tank AFTER you feed them then, since this appears to be your concern.

For my case, I feed my discus first thing when I return home from a day's work and perform WC after I have my dinner. After which, I feed them again but I'm not so concerned about leftovers since there's ample bottom feeders and scavengers eager to finish them up.

[yusufm52]

Actually can't reschedule it right now coz I jus come back home just for lunch for any hr and then go back for work, and then come back directly for dinner, my mom gives them one feeding in the evening before I come home for dinner, so I practically not at home the whole day execpt for weekends, so that's y I do the WC at night..

[yusufm52]

Here is a video of the tank which i took today. Check it out and tell me what you guys think?

http://youtu.be/9RNFyW7iyPw
and after watching this please do tell me if i am over thinking this or going over board.. ;)
do tell me if you want to see something else about the tank.

[yusufm52]

Update:
All the fishes are eating and are not skittish any more, do sometimes run to the corner occasionally but but not as frequently as before the leftover food is also reduced, I am still putting the same amount of food in the tank as I used as before.
Am still feeding hikari's bio gold beef heart mix. I tried feeding them tetra bits but they won't eat it just stays there. So am back to hikari, any suggestions how I can get them to eat tetra bits or any other food? And has anyone tried out the Tropical brands garlic food for discus?

Yusufm52
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[brianyam]

You might want to try and epsom salt/Metro/kanaplex combo. A few of my discus were not eating, looking downwards. Took those two out and treated them with epsom salt, API General Cure and Kanaplex for two days...and they are eating like crazy now and aggressive again. Since you don't really know and time is of the essense, it is good I think to treat for both bacteria and parasitic. Furan 2 is also good.

Also, frankly, if you have good filteration - you dont need to change water every day. Twice a week is good man. Make sure the new water is at a similar temp or the cold water shocks them every time and stresses them out. It depends what you feed. If your feeding raw foods like beef heart, then I would do WC every day. But if your feeding flakes/pellets, I think 1-2 WC a week is fine.

Try making a seafood mix. I'd avoid giving them blood worms as that is like crack. Once they get hooked on it, hard to get them off it. Too expensive and seafood mix/dry food have allot more nutrition.

[brianyam]

I know some people believe in the total bare tank. But discus at the end of the day are schooling fish that love structure (wood/trees). They are not open water type fish. I'd put a few pieces of wood/branches in there, it really does comfort them. Also, it makes the tank look better. I get mine from hikes, and the fish love it. They "sleep" in them.

[tannin]

I know some people believe in the total bare tank. But discus at the end of the day are schooling fish that love structure (wood/trees). They are not open water type fish. I'd put a few pieces of wood/branches in there, it really does comfort them. Also, it makes the tank look better. I get mine from hikes, and the fish love it. They "sleep" in them.

+1

I have yet to find a fish that doesn't settle in faster and swim around more happily when it knows it has secure hiding places if the need should arise. The other thing that helps is small fish that swim around in the open and provide an indication that all is safe. Maybe some tetras?

[Elliots]

Notes before ordering 230g tank. Where are you going to put it as it weighs probably over 2000 lbs.? (I am not going to do the math to be exact) If it goes against a wall how will you get to the bottom next to the wall to clean and do things? Remember the height and it will probably be on a stand or base, how will you get to the bottom even in the front of the tank? I was going to order a 60X24X31 190g but I realized I would have difficulty servicing it. I cut back to 25" high 150g for that reason.

[yusufm52]

The tank they are in now is a QT tank, so I might be putting some decor in 72 gal in which they will be shifted aftr they get a bit more settled. Maybe aftr a 2-3 weeks.. :-)

Yusufm52
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