High Tech 40 breeder tank (first high tech tank)

I'm looking to grow dwarf HC, hairgrass, red crypts, crypt partva, anubias nana and petite.

Other suggestions for foreground cover, and background plants? I was looking at glosso... I also decided to make my own co2 regulator for a 5lb tank.


Here is my tank with my driftwood (dont ask how much I spent on that wood:/), I'm so lost on how I will do the hardscape. I think I need another bag of seachem black sand, there doesnt seem enough to make a slope to create depth

Here it is with driftwood... still no rocks. I'm liking it so far, but want some opinions as far as balance goes. I Think it could use a longer branch going towards the back top left corner of the tank (Ive got spare driftwood I can cut into branches).

What do you guys think?

Guys... Here is my plant list, If you see any issues please speak up, and if you see any compatability issues between discus temp of around 84 for 2-3" discus and these plants... Please let me know!!!

Plant list is shown below:

Foreground
- Glosso
- patches of HC
- patches of crypt parva

Midground
- crypt wendtii green gecko
- crypt walkerie legro
- blyx japonica

Driftwood
-petite nana
-anubias nana
- pygmy chain or plain chain sword at base of some driftwoods

DOJOLOACH23 said:


I've been reading in depth on other discus specific forums and this 40 would be a growout for 5-6 of them. I'm still deciding though because of the co2 injection the DIscus will not like the Ph swings between day and night.

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Regardless of co2, planted tanks make terrible grow out tanks for discus. They're fine for adults, but not young ones. With young discus, it is imperative that the water be beyond pristine - which with young fish that require a lot of food to grow properly means large daily water changes. Bare bottom tanks are typically recommended for growing discus because it's just not possible to clean the substrate (that's obviously required for planted tanks) to the degree that growing discus need. They can move to tanks with substrate once they're a bit older, but it's not a good plan with juveniles.

There isn't an inherent issue with discus and driftwood, but a very branchy piece with lots of pointy edges in a relatively small tank with relatively large fish is setting up for issues. It really hinders their swimming room as well as they're too big to maneuver in between most of the branches. They'll also just overpower the really neat driftwood. Imo, it needs smaller schooling fish that accent it vs compete with it.

Lastly, discus really do best in larger groups (not 2 or 3 as originally mentioned). In smaller groups, there can be a lot of aggression (they are cichlids afterall), and in a smaller tank like this, there's a lot less room for them to spread out and get away from aggressors.

You mentioned rainbows - a school of dwarf neon rainbows would be awesome in this tank, and would look great with the driftwood

Alright well I've abandoned the discus idea. Now looking at other fish for this sucker. Got an exciting package from a who lesale rock supplier. Like 25 lbs of Seiryu stone shipped for 32 bucks! Soaking the wood right now so I can't add it yet, but here is a pic

Edit: I like those rainbow fish any other recommendations you have? I'd like a couple schools of 10 or so fish, and a predator or two to keep them schooling. Also gonna try a school of panda corys for ground crew, maybe some kuhlis to clean up good in the glosso carpet. Not sure if they would uproot an established glosso root system tho

I know they're horribly common, but I really like the look of my neon tetras with my dwarf neon bows. The blue in the neons looks really good with the colors in the silver/red of the bows and they make a great accent without taking away from the bows because of the size difference (it's always my preference to have a pretty good size difference when keeping two types of schooling fish together). I'd do 10 bows and 15-20 neons if I was doing that tank, then a ground crew of some sort. I think the role of a predator fish is overrated, at least outside of really long tanks with true predators. Neither of dwarf neons or my neon tetras really "school" in my 46 bow, despite the presence of a couple of medium sized angelfish. I've seen it explained that the fish doesn't really feel the need to school tightly in most tanks because the smaller space means they can always see or quickly find their group. If you want a centerpiece fish though, maybe a pair of rams or a gourami of sort?

I've never kept kuhlis (nor glosso), but I think they'd be more prone to disturbing the glosso than cories would. I think a group of pandas would work really nicely in that setup.