[fishboy199413]

Hello. I kow I have talked about setting up a discus tank and now is that time I will not be able to have any pictures of the tank being setup until after next week as I am going to the beach.

Equipment:


Filtration
-Eheim 2217
-Aquatop CF 300 Canister Filter

Lighting
-Catalina 3X54 T5HO fixture with one ballast that is broken
-Maybe later on CO2 but for now none

Substrate:

-40 lbs of Eco-Complete
-50 lbs of Pool Filter Sand

Flora:

I will explain what plants I will have in the pictures

Fauna:

-4 Discus
-Some kind of tetra
-A fancy pleco of some sort
-8 Sterbai Cories
-Marble Hatchets
-An angelfish or 2
And if I make sure the tank is ok maybe a pair of Rams

I will have the pictures up when I come back

 

[fishboy199413]

So here are the sketches I made to show what I am going for. I hope you guys like and if you have suggestions be free to tell me.

Top View:

This shows only the gravel and rocks, no plants or driftwood
Front View:

Suggestions would be great
I hope you like it.

 

[fishboy199413]

Anybody?

 

[x2h]

interesting. are you going to get adult discus?

 

[fishboy199413]

No I am going to start with juvenile so they acclimate better and so I can watch their development.

 

[discuspaul]

Just a suggestion:
4 discus is not as 'comfortable' a group as 5 or 6, which your size tank could handle.
You may experience more aggression/pecking order problems than you would like to have.
btw - I think your intended aquascape layout will look great.

 

[Bahugo]

Just a suggestion:
4 discus is not as 'comfortable' a group as 5 or 6, which your size tank could handle.
You may experience more aggression/pecking order problems than you would like to have.
btw - I think your intended aquascape layout will look great.

Agreed get 5/6. skip the hatchets and angelfish if need be.

 

[fishboy199413]

Thanks I have always wanted a tank like this and now I have enough time to do it. I think your right I will try to get 5-6 if I can afford and also I have always liked marble hatchets and if I have the space I would like to incorporate them into the tank. Hope you continue to follow the progress.

 

[discuspaul]

Good luck with everything. Marble hatchets will make good tankmates, but I hope your tank is covered - they are famous 'jumpers'.

BTW - May I suggest you have a read of my illustrated Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with Discus - in the Discus Basics for Beginners section of simplydiscus.com forum - link:
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?86009-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Getting-Started-with-Discus
It may help you launch your project more successfully.

 

[rickztahone]

Use small stones as the wall. I had one on my 125 and it reduced my foreground so much as well as the back since my river rocks were so big.

 

[fishboy199413]

BTW - May I suggest you have a read of my illustrated Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with Discus - in the Discus Basics for Beginners section of simplydiscus.com forum - link:
http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?86009-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Getting-Started-with-Discus
It may help you launch your project more successfully.

Thanks it has helped me plan it and the tank is covered. When i just started I got 1 hatchet and put it in a covered 10 gallon and it tryed to get out several times but my worst escape artist was one of my african clawed frogs when I was little. I wouldn't be able to find it for days and then me and my dad looked everywhere for it and it always ended up in the filter which was a biowheel filter and this was a big frog. Sorry to bore you with my stories.:icon_roll Also rickztahone I am going to go to a local landscaping store and look for small stones. I tryed my local creek and there was nothing I liked.

 

[rickztahone]

Thanks it has helped me plan it and the tank is covered. When i just started I got 1 hatchet and put it in a covered 10 gallon and it tryed to get out several times but my worst escape artist was one of my african clawed frogs when I was little. I wouldn't be able to find it for days and then me and my dad looked everywhere for it and it always ended up in the filter which was a biowheel filter and this was a big frog. Sorry to bore you with my stories.:icon_roll Also rickztahone I am going to go to a local landscaping store and look for small stones. I tryed my local creek and there was nothing I liked.

yeah, i got mine at the local Home Depot. My mistake was getting the larger sized ones. Seriously try to go for tiny ones. it will take waaay longer to make but in the end it will be a better river-rock display.

 

[fishboy199413]

Update 7/4

So I jst got back from vacation last week and I have been doing preperation to get the tank ready. I first had to dismantle the current setup which was very frustrating and tiring but I finally managed to get every thing out and then I had to re silicone some of the edges. Then I got to the fun part :icon_roll. Putting in all of the substrate but I really so far like the results. I hope you guys do.

Also I finally got my filter the Aquatop CF-300 which is good but I wish it had more flow but it still does the job

Thanks for looking. :icon_smil

 

[fishboy199413]

Bump

 

[discuspaul]

Keep up the good work - it's looking just fine.

 

[fishboy199413]

Well I finally put in the rock barrier. I couldn't find the big rocks I was looking for but I like what I found and seems to look ok. Next step is to get the driftwood. Do you guys know where to get good manzanita branches that would fit my design and are a good price. I am thinking of getting it from Manzantia.com. If I got it from there will the Ap1 package work? Any Advice will be appreciated :icon_smil.

 

[aXio]

You can get more flow out of the filter if you cut down your tubes to just the size you need them. Instead of them twisting up on you like that.

 

[fishboy199413]

Oh I know that was just for the time being it is going to be cut when I fill up the tank.

 

[fishboy199413]

Where should I get my driftwood from?

 

[fishboy199413]

(Update)

Anybody willing to help?!