135G planted tank to be, looking for helpful suggestions

[Jamieishard]

ive decided im doing this 135G tank planted. I just picked it up and its 3 foot long 2 foot wide and 3 foot tall.. as you can see its in a cubby in the wall...

so i was thinking i might silicone corkbark on the back and staple (attach) low light plants up the cork bark...im a beginner so im not trying to get way in over my head just yet until i get the hang of plants... id like it to eventually house discus ill soon be growing out in a 75g...

im wondering about lighting filtering.. and if you think it would be possibly or even help if i found a way to mount 2 3ft lights on the sides of the tanks on the side walls...and a light on top....

any suggestions or ideas or info would deff be taken into consideration... id like to make this a awesome looking tank.

 

[Jamieishard]

Pretty please?

 

[yikesjason]

That has a lot of great potential. I don't think you will gain a whole lot by lighting it from the side as well as the top. I think you would be better going with a strong light from above like metal halide. Most lights you buy have an optional hanging kit you can order. I have a Catalina Aquariums light with retracting hangers so I can easily raise and lower the lights when I am working on it.

The cork bark idea sounds interesting. You are talking about outside of the tank? So it would be like a smaller version of this? Link Something like that would be awesome.

 

[Pharaoh]

I agree. Just go with stronger lighting on top.

 

[WyldFya]

Few problems, lighting will be very difficult. As glass filters out UV light, you would lose most of the useful light from the sides. Big MH is what you would need from the top. Next, the depth will only allow the most minimal plants, unless you go to extremely high wattage MH. Finally, the discus will not do that great in a tank that size. You will have to find a way to restrict their area to swim. Generally in a tank of that many gallons, you would need a ton of plants to limit the space. If you get full grown discus, then you will be fine, but even your 75 is too big IME.

 

[Jamieishard]

That has a lot of great potential. I don't think you will gain a whole lot by lighting it from the side as well as the top. I think you would be better going with a strong light from above like metal halide. Most lights you buy have an optional hanging kit you can order. I have a Catalina Aquariums light with retracting hangers so I can easily raise and lower the lights when I am working on it.

The cork bark idea sounds interesting. You are talking about outside of the tank? So it would be like a smaller version of this? Link Something like that would be awesome.

the cork bark would be glued into the inside back piece of glass...i know its a big tank but im confident i can figure out how to make it work plants and discus wise. im starting my discus out in a 75G planted tank until i get the big tank how i want it. i think i could get it to be a great tank for them...i think i could get some low light plants to grow fantastic on the bottom..it will just take time and patients and that i have. id deff be willing to get a nice top light and i may just take a coupld of normal lights and still mounth them on the side walls just for the lightd effect...ill post pics when im done.. so far i have sanded and stripped the stan and tank and painted it black...so on for the good stuff

 

[yikesjason]

I could see the lights on the side making for a nice lighting effect. Maybe use different light spectrums like antic bulbs to bring out specific colors.

Wyldfya,
I don't have any experience with discus, but I would like to do some someday in a 125. Could you explain more about tanks being too big? I have never heard that before.

 

[Jamieishard]

I could see the lights on the side making for a nice lighting effect. Maybe use different light spectrums like antic bulbs to bring out specific colors.

Wyldfya,
I don't have any experience with discus, but I would like to do some someday in a 125. Could you explain more about tanks being too big? I have never heard that before.

yeah i know people with discus in a 365Gal...and they look amazing...very healthy and super fat.i dont see why a 135 is to big..other then the feeding ...and i would be growing mine out in a 75G until i feel they are a suitable size for the bigger tank.. i will post pics when i get it up and running... i finish up the last and final part of refinishing the tank and stand and put the clear coat over the black. im very confident im creative enought to get this looking amazing.

 

[tchizzle]

You should consider making it a paludarium with those dimensions. It would be an amazing thing and you can put crickets on the plants and have archers shoot them down.

I'm sure however you decide to aquascape it, it'll be amazing when the discus get big enough. Maybe get some geophagus/eartheaters?

 

[Jamieishard]

You should consider making it a paludarium with those dimensions. It would be an amazing thing and you can put crickets on the plants and have archers shoot them down.

I'm sure however you decide to aquascape it, it'll be amazing when the discus get big enough. Maybe get some geophagus/eartheaters?

yeah i was thinking a school of geos and or sterbia cories... it will be really nice...i just got done with the painting of the stand and tank...it looks amazing and brand new..im excited to see how it turns out.. i have a few different ideas but im not sure how anything is going to work until i can get in there and mess around with everything...already got my sump and everything else ready to go.

the archers idea is very cool too...