Hello

[D Curious]

I am researching how to set up a discus tank. I have read great information on this forum and have appreciated the civility of the interactions. I am happy to be here, and hope someday I will have something to offer.

[Second Hand Pat]

Hi Andrew and welcome to the forum Where are you in your discus adventure? We love photos
Pat

[AquaticNerd]

Welcome to the forum Andrew. Loads of folks here who are discus nuts, so feel free to ask any questions that you might have.

If you haven't already, there's a good video from our owner, Al, that covers a lot for those new to discus. Check it out if you haven't already.

https://forum.simplydiscus.com/forum/main-discus-topics/discus-basics-for-beginners/94639-are-you-new-to-discus-watch-this-video

[jwcarlson]

It's a good spot to land for sure! It's absolutely the best discus support community on the internet. You'll certainly get more answers other places, but what good does having 90% wrong answers do for anyone?

[Brianmcq]

Hi Andrew, Great to see you here, lots of great information and a lot of experienced Discus keepers willing to help.
It will be great following your Discus journey, keep us updated on your progress.

Brian Mcq

[danotaylor]

G’day Andrew and welcome!

[D Curious]

Thank you all for your warm welcome! My wife and I just moved from Los Angeles to Northeast PA. I have a 100 gallon tank en route on a moving truck. I consulted with a structural engineer to make sure the floor could hold the weight of the tank. I am in the imagining and planning phase. I am having a lot of fun learning about discus and how to keep them. I am thinking of a bare bottom tank with some wood decoration, perhaps with some Anubias culture plants attached. I wrote Discus Hans about stocking levels and he recommended 10 discus for my tank. I am thinking about a canister filter or 2 (perhaps the OASE 2 Biomaster 600) but have been concerned that perhaps the flow may be too high. I am thinking of ordering through Discus Hans. So mainly a bunch of cogitation. I appreciate your kind welcome.

[pitdogg2]

I wouldn't worry about flow, the water in the Amazon is not as slow as people think. On my tanks I have a magnum 350 and a Rena 3. Conservatively that would be near 500 gph with a 750 gph circulatory water pump. This all on a 75 and 90 gallon tanks.
My fish have no issue with the water movement in a bare bottom tank.

[D Curious]

Thanks! That is reassuring! I’m thinking about the Oase Biomaster canister filter because it has a pre-filter that is supposed to keep most of the media from getting too fouled.

[Charlyc11]

Welcome Andrew
You also have some very reputable sponsors here that you can check out. Some have domestic others wild discus you should check out their web sites. Nothing wrong with Hans he is a real nice guy and I met him in his old shop in Maryland when he carried German Stendker Discus. Now he imports from DiscusX. For filtration I use wet/dry sumps that are very reasonably priced comparable to a large canister with no need to drill the tank and have pre filters.

[D Curious]

Welcome Andrew
You also have some very reputable sponsors here that you can check out. Some have domestic others wild discus you should check out their web sites. Nothing wrong with Hans he is a real nice guy and I met him in his old shop in Maryland when he carried German Stendker Discus. Now he imports from DiscusX. For filtration I use wet/dry sumps that are very reasonably priced comparable to a large canister with no need to drill the tank and have pre filters.

Chuck, I am very interested in checking out the sponsors that offer discus. I am particularly interested in those that keep their fish in tap water since I do not plan on using RO water at this time. Are there any you would recommend? Also, would you mind telling me about the wet/dry sump you use? I would like to check it out. Would you mind also letting me know how much space is required behind the tank to accommodate the sump? Thanks!

[Alexxxsv]

Welcome Andrew. I run 2 fx5 on my 120 gallon tank with 11 discus. The flow is not a problem. Although I’m tired of seeing the intake and output hoses in my tank. I would go with a sump for easier cleaning and better filtration. I might have to transfer to a sump after hearing what Chuck has to say lol. As far as discus go I made the mistake of buying from different places, I would rather go with sponsored vendors now. I got a good haul from Pingcos discus and loved the quality and health of the fish.

[D Curious]

Welcome Andrew. I run 2 fx5 on my 120 gallon tank with 11 discus. The flow is not a problem. Although I’m tired of seeing the intake and output hoses in my tank. I would go with a sump for easier cleaning and better filtration. I might have to transfer to a sump after hearing what Chuck has to say lol. As far as discus go I made the mistake of buying from different places, I would rather go with sponsored vendors now. I got a good haul from Pingcos discus and loved the quality and health of the fish.

Thank you, Alex! Good information about Pingcos. I too am very interested in Chuck's sump information. My concern about sumps in the past is the possibility of overflowing at the sump and flooding the house. I am thinking of getting a tank from Custom Aquariums. They have a seamless sump system that looks good and reviews well - the system is designed to reduce the risk of overflow on to one's floors. However, the tank has to be drilled to accommodate the sump.

[Charlyc11]

Andrew
I get all my wet dry sumps from Aqua-Link in PA and always over size what of I need. Go to his web site the sizes are there and you can buy bare bones or complete with the overflow. You can compare with the FX filter not much diference in price. The 2020 is best for your setup and it's way less than a FX4 even having to add a sump pump rated for your the overflow. By the way I had FX4 filters on mine before I switched.
I can recommend his product since when I bought the first one I picked it up and met Tim but he does a great job shipping and boxing.
Aqua-Link
My 125 G has a 2020-EXT rated 180 G
My 90 G has a 2020 Rated rated 150 (Wild Discus)
Since I had a 2010 ext rated at 120 G laying around from upgrading the 90 gallon sump I used that for my 55 G a little overkill but bigger is better.

[Charlyc11]

the system is designed to reduce the risk of overflow on to one's floors. However, the tank has to be drilled to accommodate the sump.

No rilling and don't be afraid of loosing siphon I never lost it since I have all on sumps. Also safety features are there if you install correctly. The overflow box has to leave enough level on top to accommodate loss of siphon and the sump at the correct level in case if lost of power. See my picks in my prior post. Also Aqua-Link has some install videos. I lose power plenty of times over night and no issues in the morning when we get it back.

Videos