Discus Substrate

[driftwood]

Its my understanding that alot of Discus folks keep their fish in bare bottom tanks. I'm not a big fan of bare bottom tanks and was wondering what what type of substrate everyong is using. Also are domestic breed Discus healthier than the ones thats are coming out of Asia. I'm going to get some Penang Eruptions in the coming weeks and just want to get some feedback from different hobbiest.

I should also note that I'm planning to buy 5 3 inch Discus and put them in a 55 gallon tank with a very small layer of fine gravel with a few pieces of driftwood and peet in my Xp3 and do water from the tap once a week.

 

[BODYDUB]

The reason people keep bare bottom tanks with discus is because they're easier to clean and maintain with the high amount of water changes. Especially when growing them out. As far as discus breeders, there are quality breeders every where. You can purchase quality discus form a hobbyist that breeds in his garage the same as you can from a big name breeder. It just boils down to reputation and research that you can do before you purchase any fish. Spend lots of time and reading on simplydiscus.com for some awesome info on discus..........

 

[MadRussian79]

I keep mine in a planted tank with seachem's black sand substrate. Bare bottom is easier to clean but plants help with the organic compounds. The only time I've had stunting issues was when i got really negligent about tank maintenance. I've grown 8 inch discus in planted tanks so long as i was diligent with maintenance.

The main reason that bare bottom tanks might be better is they are easier to siphon and dirt builds up is a lot more obvious. The visible dirt tends to reduce negligence in maintenance. Hillbilly will disagree with my assessment shortly.

Tap water can be either hit or miss. Some people have great success with tap some don't. Check with other discus keepers in your area as to the quality of the tap.

As far as source I prefer to shop locally when possible. Look for they eye to body proportions if the eye looks too large for the body then the fish is stunted and will remain small. Since you are starting out go with 2-3" fish or larger. I preffer to go to a store or facility so I can watch the fish be fed before I buy. They should swim up to the front of the tank when approached, if you are lucky they might even be hand tame from the store. I usually pet mine during feedings.

 

[driftwood]

I keep mine in a planted tank with seachem's black sand substrate. Bare bottom is easier to clean but plants help with the organic compounds. The only time I've had stunting issues was when i got really negligent about tank maintenance. I've grown 8 inch discus in planted tanks so long as i was diligent with maintenance.

The main reason that bare bottom tanks might be better is they are easier to siphon and dirt builds up is a lot more obvious. The visible dirt tends to reduce negligence in maintenance. Hillbilly will disagree with my assessment shortly.

Tap water can be either hit or miss. Some people have great success with tap some don't. Check with other discus keepers in your area as to the quality of the tap.

As far as source I prefer to shop locally when possible. Look for they eye to body proportions if the eye looks too large for the body then the fish is stunted and will remain small. Since you are starting out go with 2-3" fish or larger. I preffer to go to a store or facility so I can watch the fish be fed before I buy. They should swim up to the front of the tank when approached, if you are lucky they might even be hand tame from the store. I usually pet mine during feedings.

Do you use a co2 defuser in your planted tank? I'm still debating on the planted tank. How often do you do water changes on your planted Discus tank?

 

[MadRussian79]

Do you use a co2 defuser in your planted tank? I'm still debating on the planted tank. How often do you do water changes on your planted Discus tank?

I upgraded the tank but not my CO2 system, so the system is currently without CO2. So far the fish are providing enough CO2 to keep the plants happy. I do 1-2 45 gallon (~20%) water changes per week. I use only reconstituted RO/DI water with Seachem GH and KH powder. I siphon the gravel at least once per week.

I had a slight heater issue that took out most of my Java fern but otherwise the plants are growing great. The rest of the plants are growing well. The fren that survived is growing back quite nicely.