# First discus tank advice



## Gibby (Aug 5, 2009)

Wasn't sure where to put this so mods please move to the correct forum if incorrect.

Thanks to a good friend, I recently inherited a Juwel Rio 240 which I intend to set up as a discus tank. This will not be my first large tank as I currently have a Rena 300(?) litre tank.

So far my shopping list is:
Plant substrate - purchased Red Sea from LFS which was half price.
Gravel - purchased
LED lighting - total wattage and suggestions appreciated. Quite like this as it can come on slow and have a moonlight setting.
http://www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/aquarium-external-filter-1400-l-h-9w-uv-1214-0.html - currently got 2 Fluval 405's so I'm going to put one of each filter on two tanks for the UV sterilisation. Taking out the Juwel internal filter to free up space for fish and plants 
Heater - came with the Juwel.
DIY CO2 - I'm already using it on my Rena.

I would like some advice on soft water plants that I would be able to put in the tank and the style of planting that would suit the discus. Also some suggestions on companion fish would be appreciated.

In my other tank, which is hard water, I have some plants that I can take cuttings or transplant:
Echinodorus bleheri
Echinodorus radicans
Cryptocoryne wendtii (Green)
Anubias nana
Anubias nana bonzai
Anubias Heterophyllia
Valissineria toritissima
Crinium thalanum
Microsorium pteropus

Fish that are going to be in the tank, some listed below are in another 65 litre tank that is going to another friend to make room for the new one, are:
Discus - probably 4 to 6 juvie snakeskin types so they can pair up. If I have more than one pair mating then I will sell them back to the LFS.
Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi - 1 male, 2 females. No spawning yet. How could I tell as they're mouthbrooders? 
Laetacara curviceps - 1 pair. Spawned twice but ate the eggs probably due to the mouthbrooders in too close proximity
Atyopsis gabonensis - 1. Will I need to add minerals for this to molt properly?
Loricara Lanceolata sp (Red) - 2, hopefully a pair but too small to tell yet. Some bamboo will be required so they can breed
Flash pleco - compatible or not? If not some other smallish, up to 6 inch, plecos.
Some surface fish, not Hatchets
Some other dither fish but don't know what
Some corydoras but don't know what

The main thing I want with this tank is happy, and colourful, fish and plants.

TIA for all your excellent suggestions.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi All,

"Bump" for a little help from the Discus crowd out there?


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

I'll take a stab at it 

as far as your plant list goes, you shouldn't have a problem with any of those swords, anubias, or crypts. Mine always did well when temps were between 84 and 86 degrees. Brazilian Pennywort is nice as well.

The two things that raised red flags for me was the DIY CO2 on what seems to be intended as a well-planted tank. 

Second is that you are already putting what many would consider the maximum number of discus in a tank that size (roughly 65 gallon). Most will tell you that discus need 10g each, but all that substrate and plants take up space, so your discus won't really be getting 10g each. Add to it all the other fish you want to build a community, the discus might be a little cramped once they get larger. I would start with discus only at first...maybe a small cleanup crew of 5 cory's or so. I never had luck with plecos...they were always aggressive and sometimes sucked on to my discus. Otto's took the place of any plecos. 

As for lighting, I use a Coralife 36" with 192 total watts, but usually only run one bulb (96W). I'll run at full wattage once I finally decide to put some HC in there .

Hope that helps a little.


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## Dielectric (Oct 7, 2008)

all of the plants you have listed above will do fine in a discus tank.

if you get juvies you will want to keep the water warmer (82 and up) to grow them out quickly, and keep ich and other fun stuff away, but once they reach a sub adult size you can drop the temp (slowly) back to normal.
so your other fish (& plants) will need to be able to tolerate the higher temps.

juvies should really be in a bare bottom tank.


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## Gibby (Aug 5, 2009)

TBH I'd like to plant it something along the lines of this tank of the month

What if I swapped the snakeskin discus for Japanese discus? Do they still require 10G each?

I am going to have to keep the fish that I already have as they won't fit in the Rena as it's stocked out as it is. I really don't want to lose these lovely fish so I will have to do without the plecos.

Are there any members with LED experience? I don't want to over/under light considering how much the LED's cost.


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## Brilliant (Jun 25, 2006)

Discus in a planted 60 gallon tank? This is a can of worms if I ever saw one.


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## Gibby (Aug 5, 2009)

Brilliant said:


> Discus in a planted 60 gallon tank? This is a can of worms if I ever saw one.


Can you expand on that statement please? Why is it a can of worms?


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## sampster5000 (Jul 24, 2010)

Franzi said:


> Second is that you are already putting what many would consider the maximum number of discus in a tank that size (roughly 65 gallon). Most will tell you that discus need 10g each, but all that substrate and plants take up space, so your discus won't really be getting 10g each. Add to it all the other fish you want to build a community, the discus might be a little cramped once they get larger. I would start with discus only at first...maybe a small cleanup crew of 5 cory's or so. I never had luck with plecos...they were always aggressive and sometimes sucked on to my discus. Otto's took the place of any plecos.


The fact that your pleco's were sucking on your fish tells that they were very starved. Pleco's only try and "leech" another fish whenever they are completely starving. You have to provide them with some type of wafer or vegetable or they will die.


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## Brilliant (Jun 25, 2006)

Gibby said:


> Can you expand on that statement please? Why is it a can of worms?


I just think its a little small for discus. Its right on the minimum side so I think saying so would create debate.


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

yes it is small for discus, is this a first time for discus. in my opinion I would learn how to raise discus first. at smallest I would do a 90 -125g for a planted discus tank.


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

sampster5000 said:


> The fact that your pleco's were sucking on your fish tells that they were very starved. Pleco's only try and "leech" another fish whenever they are completely starving. You have to provide them with some type of wafer or vegetable or they will die.


haha, "starved"...that's completely wrong. Read up a bit...plecos like the mucus slime coat which adult discus excrete from their bodies. For that reason, many discus owners buy bushy nose plecos since they seem to get along with discus. Regular plecos are a bit too aggressive (in my own experience...ymmv).


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## Gibby (Aug 5, 2009)

I've heard that of Ottos but not other types of pleco. I already have some BN's which breed pretty steadily so I may use some of them or maybe go for the golden variety for something a bit different.


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## WhiteDevil (May 7, 2009)

your plants are fine, the tank is even fine but more for like 2" then within 6 months they will need a bigger tank however if the 60 is planted then you run a much higher risk of stunting the growth.

i started with 6 2" in a 45h, within two weeks i had a 210g tank for them, two are stunted one from the 45 and one was shipped that way.

I would heed the advice given and learn a bit first. they are not hard to raise at all, this is my first time keeping them and i now have 18.


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## Gibby (Aug 5, 2009)

So they'd be ok to grow on in the 240 litre as long as it's pretty bare? Then plant up the tank when they've matured?


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

Gibby said:


> So they'd be ok to grow on in the 240 litre as long as it's pretty bare? Then plant up the tank when they've matured?


What many discus folk do is have a designated "bare bottom" tank (20 gallon +) just for growing the fish out. There is NOTHING in this tank...no gravel, sticks, plants...just a sponge filter and daily water changes. Once the fish have grown and are more stable, they can then be transferred to an established planted aquarium...your 240liter in this case.

Or just set up your planted tank, throw the discus in, and hope for the best. Many say raising discus in a planted tank is difficult, but it's not impossible. With a little luck and proper maintenance, you can pull it off. Worse comes to worse, you have a few stunted discus...they're still nice anyway.

I'd do a bit more research on discus before spending lots of money on them and not being satisfied with the results.


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## Gibby (Aug 5, 2009)

Franzi said:


> I'd do a bit more research on discus before spending lots of money on them and not being satisfied with the results.


I had been researching loads before asking but just got too confused

So the 240L has gone to a friend who is not going to put discus in it and I ended up with ......

A 64" x 30" x 28" 880 litre (230 gallon?) ex-reef aquarium with sump

Shouldn't have a problem with keeping discus in thatop2:


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

forum.simplydiscus.com  what do you want to know about discus?


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## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

In the Nov 2010 of tropical fish hobbyist, Jack Watley approves of a 55 gallon planted tank with 6 discus in his monthly Q & A section.


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