I see people on the forums from time to time wanting to get a few discus, but think they can't set up a separate tank because of the expense. In this light, I thought I would show how cheap and easy it is to set up a separate discus tank on a budget of less than $200. I set this tank up for a small group of Checkerboard Pigeon grow outs I got from a friend for a grand total of around $177.
If you keep your eye open, you can find 55gal. tanks on sale at chain pet stores like Petco and Petsmart from time to time for good prices. A 55gal. tank makes a great tank for a group of 5 or 6 discus. I found such a sale a while back at my local Petco for $79.99. They had 4, so I bought them all. An extra tank or two can really come in handy if you're an avid hobbyist. The stand for our tank is just a simple frame of 2"x4" lumber, and 2 1/2" deck screws. If your budget allows, you could cover it with plywood, stain it, add doors, etc., but this is a budget tank, so I kept it simple with just a frame. Cost for the stand was $18.00 at Lowes for the materials. Next I added all the tank hardware. I got most of it at JEHMCO. I've been orderering supplies and equipment from John for years. He has high quality stuff at prices that are hard to beat. He is also a wealth of knowledge when it comes to aquarium equipment. The equipment consists of a Jager 250 watt heater $22.95, 2- Hydro Sponge III filters $12.90, and a stick-on LCD horiz. thermometer for $2.39. I like these thermometers because unlike others, they read to 105 degrees, perfect for discus tanks. A couple other items that were purchased at Walmart were airline tubing $2.49, and a duel outlet air pump $11.99. A 36" strip light for $27.21 from Aquariumpros.com is perfect for our little tank. I may put on a background of some kind, or paint the back and add glass tops at a later date. A couple pieces of scrap eggcrate serves as a top at the moment, and a piece of poly resin driftwood that I had in the garage serves as some cover for the discus.
Breakdown for the setup:
Tank- $79.99
Stand- $18.00
Heater- $22.95
Filters- 12.95
Therm.- $2.39
Air Pump & Tubing- $14.48
Lighting- $27.21
Total- $177.92
It should be noted that if you have an established tank up and running, that you can run your sponge filters in that tank for a couple weeks before you set up your new tank to cycle them, and seed them with bacteria. This way, they will be no cycle in your new tank. Never try to cycle a tank that has discus in it. Ammonia should always be zero, nitrites zero, and only nitrates showing on your water tests. Also, the 250 watt Jager heater is perfect for this discus tank. It can be calibrated, and keeps higher discus temps. easily.
So, you see, a discus tank need not be an expensive thing. Keeping discus in a seprate tank allows them to live and grow in a stress free enviroment. Happy fish equals healthy fish. Enjoy!
If you keep your eye open, you can find 55gal. tanks on sale at chain pet stores like Petco and Petsmart from time to time for good prices. A 55gal. tank makes a great tank for a group of 5 or 6 discus. I found such a sale a while back at my local Petco for $79.99. They had 4, so I bought them all. An extra tank or two can really come in handy if you're an avid hobbyist. The stand for our tank is just a simple frame of 2"x4" lumber, and 2 1/2" deck screws. If your budget allows, you could cover it with plywood, stain it, add doors, etc., but this is a budget tank, so I kept it simple with just a frame. Cost for the stand was $18.00 at Lowes for the materials. Next I added all the tank hardware. I got most of it at JEHMCO. I've been orderering supplies and equipment from John for years. He has high quality stuff at prices that are hard to beat. He is also a wealth of knowledge when it comes to aquarium equipment. The equipment consists of a Jager 250 watt heater $22.95, 2- Hydro Sponge III filters $12.90, and a stick-on LCD horiz. thermometer for $2.39. I like these thermometers because unlike others, they read to 105 degrees, perfect for discus tanks. A couple other items that were purchased at Walmart were airline tubing $2.49, and a duel outlet air pump $11.99. A 36" strip light for $27.21 from Aquariumpros.com is perfect for our little tank. I may put on a background of some kind, or paint the back and add glass tops at a later date. A couple pieces of scrap eggcrate serves as a top at the moment, and a piece of poly resin driftwood that I had in the garage serves as some cover for the discus.
Breakdown for the setup:
Tank- $79.99
Stand- $18.00
Heater- $22.95
Filters- 12.95
Therm.- $2.39
Air Pump & Tubing- $14.48
Lighting- $27.21
Total- $177.92
It should be noted that if you have an established tank up and running, that you can run your sponge filters in that tank for a couple weeks before you set up your new tank to cycle them, and seed them with bacteria. This way, they will be no cycle in your new tank. Never try to cycle a tank that has discus in it. Ammonia should always be zero, nitrites zero, and only nitrates showing on your water tests. Also, the 250 watt Jager heater is perfect for this discus tank. It can be calibrated, and keeps higher discus temps. easily.
So, you see, a discus tank need not be an expensive thing. Keeping discus in a seprate tank allows them to live and grow in a stress free enviroment. Happy fish equals healthy fish. Enjoy!
