need ideas of plants for discus tank

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mitch890

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 8, 2009
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Nebraska
hey everyone. so here is the setup 75 gallon. Two power filters each rated for 50 gallons. 48 inch aqualight double compact fluorescemt stip lights 260 watts total which brings light into the arena of 3 1/2 wpg. 60 lbs of eco-complete plant substrate (the very best ... or so I hear).

No Co2. Thinking of using tabs but dont know if ill need it. With the right bio-load i may be able to do without. opinions on that are helpfull

Was wondering what everyone has had for luck with in similar setups.

All plants must be able to survive in 82 degree water because it is a going to be a discus tank.

Need ideas for carpeting foreground plants
midground plants, and background plants.

My mind is open to all suggestions. thanks.

 
I don't think thats enough filtration for adult discus. how many are you going to get? it's best to have at least 6. will there be other fish as well? I will tell you this. if your going with that much light and no CO2 you are going to have a tank filled with algae. you can add plants that require far less light and run half that light and you will be better off. I have wild discus in my 120 gal. with only floating plants so I can't help much as to which plants to add.
 
Ive heard that for planted discus tanks that you dont want to go with much more filtration because 1) natural discus habitat is very slow moving and excess flow associated with filtration will cause stress 2) any Co2 levels will drop significantly due to gassoff if any higher filtration is used.

Have you ever tried using tabs? If so were they adequate?
 
Here is a list of plants for your Discus tank which I have found to be successful. They are as follows:

1] Heteranthera zosterifolia
2] Bacopa monnieri
3] Aponogeton
4] Echinodorus osiris
5] E. amazonicus
6] E. quadricostatus
7] Vallisneria spiralis
8] Mayaca vandelli

Here's additional data I used with the same tank:

Water Temp: 82*F (28*C)
Tank dimensions: 72" x 24" x 24" (Acrylic Tank)
Lighting: 2 x 30-watt bulbs, warm white and 2 x 30-watt grow-light bulbs.
My illumination period: Daily for 12 hours with no influx of natural day light.
Substrate used: Sterilized coarse river sand, but small dark gravel may also be used.
Filtration: Outside filter with a Biochamber.
Water changes: Twice weekly, 1/4 of the tanks water volume at each change. These are beneficial and very much enjoyed by the plants and the Discus.
Fertilizer: In consideration of my Discus, I used only small amounts of substrate fertilizer. Additionally, I supplemented with regular carbon dioxide via a diffuser pipe. 10 mg per liter of water.
Water quality: pH 6.2
Carbonate Hardness: 3 degrees DH

Just remember, in order to be able to secure the plants properly in your substrate, use a sand layer of at least 1.5 to 2 inches MUST be used.

I hope this information is helpful. If you have further questions about my set up, please feel free to send me a PM.
 
you can go with as much filtration as you want. it's the flow that will stress them. I run an ehiem 2178 and a xp3 on my 120 gal. I use spraybars and they are on each end spraying water accross the surface. that list of plants sounds pretty good. my point was that you need to do something about your lighting. you simply can't run that much light without CO2.
 
I think I will go with Co2.

Got any suggestions for a cheaper Co2 system. Id like to keep it under $150. I would prefer a system that uses paintball tanks but the ones i have found usually go for 200 or more. Are the right regulators available at hardware stores or is it better to find one labeled for aquarium use?

would I be able to get away with just using Excel-Flourish? Ive heard mixed things about it. Some say thats all youll need and others say its best used in conjunction with Co2 system. what are your thoughts?
 
Forgive my lack of knowledge with plants and partially sidetracking the thread, but I believe this may help the OP and myself.

Would Liquid CO2 by API help? I don't know which would be the cheaper route?
 
I don't think it will work on a tank that large. don't know if it works at all. why would people run co2 if this stuff worked? flourish is a good product as are root tabs. I think your best bet is to run only two bulbs. then you can probably go without co2. people will say that a high tech tank is easy. well, maybe, but you must know how to balance the tank. I have been in this hobby for many years and have had tanks from african with just rocks, to salt water reefs. the only tank that failed was a high tech planted tank. I just could'nt find the right balance and had nothing but problems with algae. I envy people who find these tanks easy.
that being said, the thing you should be concerned with is the fish. discus are not as hard to keep as some think, but they do demand good water. get your tank stabilized and mature before taking on something else your not comfortable with. with discus it's all about the fish.
 
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