Discus tank conversion, bare bottom to planted

[martcoug]

That's the only reason I cannot have RO and I would have to buy the water as I do not really have anywhere I can plumb the unit in... is there anyway it can be fitted with a pump to extract water from a vessel? i.e. a large water tough? The water quality here is very harsh and very hard so I think RO water would definately need to be used if I want to keep Discus.

 

[Yanbbrox]

That's the only reason I cannot have RO and I would have to buy the water as I do not really have anywhere I can plumb the unit in... is there anyway it can be fitted with a pump to extract water from a vessel? i.e. a large water tough? The water quality here is very harsh and very hard so I think RO water would definately need to be used if I want to keep Discus.

I suppose it could be done but the whole thing with ro is pressure, the more pressure going into the machine the more product(and also waste), make for faster production. With a trough it would need a lot of water to provide pressure.
I'm also slightly confused by the nowhere to plumb it in bit, any tap/pipe that has water pressure can be pierced. You do have water right?

Not sure of your experience level so I'll show you how it works, forgive me if I'm telling you something you already know.

Cupboard driectly under the kitchen sink: Line in directly from the mains pierced with the needle clamp, directly into the machine and can be read on the gauge, it is normally about 3/4 up the yellow stage(machine not on in photo) when the clamp is working and not full of crap. Also note the tap on the red in-line is off.


The product line and the waste line running under the sink:


The lines coming out, blue to product and green under the draining board to sink waste. This waste does get used in the summer months for watering plants out side into another container:


I never thought I'd have the space to have an RO at first and when we got it it was in the shed running off a closed loop hose pipe from the out side tap. It took about 12-14 hours to fill a 5g container, it didn't take long to find the space inside I can fill one in about 3 hours running from the mains.

You could always buy it in, a lot of discus breeders and dealers sell RO water, we went with this for a good 6 months when we started but go fed up with always going to get it, a full container as pictured is around £2($4)

Hope this helped if not ask again and I'll try to help some more

 

[martcoug]

Great... I now feel a bit more educated on RO haha... I am very new to the idea to be honest... down here in London we do not have piped water....!

lol just joking, this is not my property so would need permission to pierce a pipe... not sure how log I will be here... is there any way to shut the clamp off if I was to remove the unit.
I am going to save over the next two months so I have enough to setup a newer and bigger tank then I will consider maybe turning into a Discus tank, they really do look great.
Forgive my lack of knowlege so far on RO.

 

[Yanbbrox]

Great... I now feel a bit more educated on RO haha... I am very new to the idea to be honest... down here in London we do not have piped water....!

lol just joking, this is not my property so would need permission to pierce a pipe... not sure how log I will be here... is there any way to shut the clamp off if I was to remove the unit.
I am going to save over the next two months so I have enough to setup a newer and bigger tank then I will consider maybe turning into a Discus tank, they really do look great.
Forgive my lack of knowlege so far on RO.

Yes if it was somewhere discreet like under a sink, the needle clamp can be screwed right in like the first clamp picture I posted which when in reseals the pipe(you can see the key) . As long as the clamp screwed all the way in the water won't leak at all even if the pipe is not fitted. You screw it in to pierce the pipe to start off with , there is a small rubber bung at the end off the needle that stops the water coming out. I re-pierce the pipe once a month or so as the limescale fills the piercing

You could even replace the whole pipe, what is piping going at over here? should cost you no more than a couple of quid. Shut the water off at the mains, replace the pipe, pierce it for the ro machine and your done, if you leave reverse the process and replace the pierced pipe with the original, who would know

If your after a machine, see if anyone can hook you up with a trade one from here:
http://www.ro-man.com/

Retail prices are also good but I got mine trade for about £10 less than the on site price

 

[Loulou]

Brother Yanbbrox, just a little advice on Photography... Please focus! ... and maintain a steady hand.

When I see all the trouble involved in keeping discus, I start thinking that discus keepers are not far from becoming saltwater aquarists... the equipment galore, etc... pheewww...

Anyway, how are the plants?

 

[Yanbbrox]

Brother Yanbbrox, just a little advice on Photography... Please focus! ... and maintain a steady hand.

My right hand is steady and fine and yes I was moaning a bit about having to type so much one handed earlier but I'm just trying to help out a fellow uk MFKer, hence the new blood on my monster keyboard. You don't need photography advise from me maybe a little shop training would help

When I see all the trouble involved in keeping discus, I start thinking that discus keepers are not far from becoming saltwater aquarists... the equipment galore, etc... pheewww...

Anyway, how are the plants?

Discus keeping is not hard if you go into it with the attitude of 'discus keeping is not hard' a whole lot easier than being very good with the shop for example. When I first started with discus I was the same as all the non discus keepers, too hard not worth it etc. But if you never try you never learn so I went for it with some good success and failures, but I took the leap of faith when I converted the tank to a planted one with brother Tequilas guidance and I've never been happier with the tank and most importantly the fish seem happier as well.

I've still no CO2 but the plants have established them selves nicely and I even got back up to typing with two or three fingers on the left hand, never normally use the third, fourth and pinky but they are the only ones working

Third dressing about 4 hours after the accident one hour after it stopped bleeding:


You don't want to see it with dressings off

 

[martcoug]

Yeah I could do that... what did you do to your hand? Copper piping isn't that expensive really... know some people that could get it cheaply for me. My only issue is where would I store all the water needed say if I was to get a 350L tank and needed to do a 50% water change.... would I just fill it up over the day and keep on adding it?

 

[Yanbbrox]

On the way to bed, will answer tomorrow

 

[Tequila]

Yeah I could do that... what did you do to your hand? Copper piping isn't that expensive really... know some people that could get it cheaply for me. My only issue is where would I store all the water needed say if I was to get a 350L tank and needed to do a 50% water change.... would I just fill it up over the day and keep on adding it?

Whats your water like? PH Wise that is? Do you also have Moon Monkey water where your at? Reason I ask is because I don't full believe that Yannbrox needs to use RO water.

 

[martcoug]

Just checking my water for PH with a test stip and I'm getting between 6.8 and 7.2 however KH and GH is very high... they add so many things to the water in London and it is naturally very hard.