Not new to the hobby but first time with discus...trying it because I hear it's the ultimate fishkeeping experience...and of course the beauty in these fish. I had a 40 gal, 55 gal, 120 gal & 150 gal....I jumped right in and went for the 150 gal. Initially, I wanted a planted tank...so tried dirt topped with black sand (what a job that was). Looked really nice but too much maintenance. I realized with sand, the fish waste & uneaten food stayed on top of the sand which required daily water changes and with live plants, was a job in itself. I emptied the tank and started over with river rocks...which stored beneficial bacteria and filtered the water but is not a good substrate in growing live plants. I did away with the plants and only have anubias & java ferns, which do not require any form of substrate.
I also did away with the CO2 system & RO system, which I spent hundreds on. I initially thought these fish required a lower ph and my city water has a ph well over 8...I'm in the process of going entirely tap water. So far so good...one pair have spawned (got eaten) and two others have paired. I have 11 discus ranging from 3" to 5". I wanted more movement so I threw in 11 clown loaches & 10 redline sharks...now it looks very chaotic, especially during feeding time. They all are feeding on flakes & pellets along with occasional live worms and are thriving.
I now realize why daily water changes are required...especially with bare bottom tanks & sand. I've been changing my water once a week or once every other week because the river rocks do a great job in hiding the wastes & uneaten food.
I'm still learning as I go and I hope this helps anyone who wants to get into discus keeping.
I also did away with the CO2 system & RO system, which I spent hundreds on. I initially thought these fish required a lower ph and my city water has a ph well over 8...I'm in the process of going entirely tap water. So far so good...one pair have spawned (got eaten) and two others have paired. I have 11 discus ranging from 3" to 5". I wanted more movement so I threw in 11 clown loaches & 10 redline sharks...now it looks very chaotic, especially during feeding time. They all are feeding on flakes & pellets along with occasional live worms and are thriving.
I now realize why daily water changes are required...especially with bare bottom tanks & sand. I've been changing my water once a week or once every other week because the river rocks do a great job in hiding the wastes & uneaten food.
I'm still learning as I go and I hope this helps anyone who wants to get into discus keeping.
