Discus tank set up

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T

taras1969

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 30, 2010
12
0
0
New York
Hello all,
First of all, I would like to say that you guys are great source of information for me; so thank you for all of your hard work and time that you spent to educate us.
I am a new member and somewhat a newby to fishkeeping, so please bear with me :).
If it is not too much to ask, I would like to get an experienced opinion/advice on my Discus tank set up:
72 galon bow by Allgalss.
Eheim 2075 - bio - with Hydor inline heater on output.
Lifegard Aquatics Mechanical AF-94 unit with Mag 9.5 and Custom Flow - mechanical @ 5 microns ( output is throuth sponge so it doesnt create current) - with Aqua 40W UV on the output.
Air pump , with fine buble airstone set up below the spraybar output from Eheim to increase mixing/level of oxygen in tank and to reduce current from Eheim.
T5 HO - 4 x 54 + 4 blue LED (2 1000k & 2 Actinic Blue)
Fine black gravel substrate about 2". Natural slate rock background.
Driftwood + some plants ( no more than 30% of tank volume).

Livestock:
6 2.5 to 3.5 Discus purchased from somethingphisy.com (all at the same time)
6 Panda Cory
25 Cardinals

Water parameters: Amon. 0 , nitrite 0. nitrate 5 to 10 ppm(depeding on time since last WC), PH 6.5
Kh 3-4 Dh 5-6, temp steady at 84.2 to 84.7 F.

Feeding: 3 times daily, beef heart, blood worms, brine shrimp, Hikari discus pellets. I vacuume the tank 10 min after each feeding with Eheim electical gravel vacuume.

WC R/O twice a week 20 - 25 %

Please feel free with any comments suggestions and advice.
Thanks
 
:welcome: to MFK, Tara!

I'd personally switched pandas to sterbais. Sterbais are very tolerant of the high end temperature required by discus. Pandas are subtropical. They don't seem to like the high temp in my experience.

If at all possible, I'd grow the juvenile discus in a barebottom setup first. I'd rather advise safely a bare setup to ensure your fish will grow properly without getting stunted otherwise if you cannot wait, then invest in adult discus for that planted setup.
 
Getting Discus from Somethingphishy is already off to a bad start. Get your Discus elsewhere...If you got them already...Good luck...Bill
 
Welcome to M.....F....K :D
I still like hear about your discus tank. My wife want one day only Discus tank when i get update me new big tank and old tank 75 gallons for discus, Cardinals nero, Cory and rummys rose. I wonder Roseline fish can together discus? :irked:
 
Welcome to M...F..K...:popcorn:

Still nice to hear your discus. MY wife want one day own tank discus,but they need water low soft.
 
Fanlie;4668873; said:
Welcome to M.....F....K :D
I still like hear about your discus tank. My wife want one day only Discus tank when i get update me new big tank and old tank 75 gallons for discus, Cardinals nero, Cory and rummys rose. I wonder Roseline fish can together discus? :irked:
Click to expand...
No roseline. They do not do well in very warm temperature that discus require. Besides that, their activity can spook your discus easily.

Fanlie;4668881; said:
Welcome to M...F..K...:popcorn:

Still nice to hear your discus. MY wife want one day own tank discus,but they need water low soft.
Click to expand...
Not necessarily. Domesticated discus are more flexible than that.
 
Hi Guys,

Thank you for welcoming me in!

Based on your responses I have some new questions:

1. Bill, what is wrong with somethingphishy? Is there any specific reasons not to buy fish from them? The reason i went with them was the price: 2 blue dimonds + 2 Green Scribble + 2 Siam Red $160 delivered... BTW yesterday Keith from somethingphishy advised me not to feed discuses with frosen bloodworms as they might be carriers of Haxamitia... Any comments?.

2. Lupin, bare bottom tank: unfortunatelly i've set up the tank about a year ago and kept some other fish in it so it would get cycled and well esteblished. I removed all the fish from the tank two weeks prior to discus arival and kept it running while feeding the filters with amonia. As of right now my water is crystal clear and all of the parameters are within range even though I feed discus 3-4 times a day. I am vacuuming the substarte after each feeding and i am checking the water parameters daily. WC two times a week at 20-25%. Plants and driftwood provide my fish with paces to hide in if they get scared from my children running pass the tank. Would you still recommend taking all out of the tank and make it a bare bottom tank? What would make my fish stunned?

3. dp.71, I am not familiar with mac's discus, would you please post the link or contact info.

Guys I will take a few close pictures of my discus and will try to post them in a day or two. If you dont mind telling me if my fish is already stunned. I've seen pictures posted if i remember correctly by Bill, show the stunned and nto stunned fish, but to tell you the truth its hard for me to tell the difference ( and again I am a green horn rookie in discuss keeping :) ).

Thank You
Taras
 
Almost forgot, any suggestions on the diet? Am i feeding them right, or should I get a different mix of food for them?

Thanks
Taras
 
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