# Discus planted tank



## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Folks,

I have a friend that wants to set up a planted tank with discus. He is under the naive impression that the plants will grow just on the heavy feeding he's going to have to do.

Anyone have experience with a discus planted tank and can either confirm or dispel this impression? Also, please suggest suitable plants.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Art, I'm doing that right now as a matter of fact. I've got three large E. bleheri and two small E. veronica along with a host of Sag. sub. that only gets food from the fish and their leftovers. With the occasional exception of Calcium and micronutrients I don't add anything and everyone's happy. I do have a 100% Flourite substrate, which helps out, I'm sure.

I'll have pics at some point. I lost Photoshop and don't have room on my website to hose 20 meg image files from my camera. 

Best,
Phil


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Tell your friend that at least he should add some potassium to his tank. Fish food doesn't supply much potassium, and, with plants competing for potassium, fish can get into trouble. I know this is true for guppies. It may be that Discus can handle low K better, but guppies get whitish growths on their skin if the K gets too low. Adding K makes the growths go away after a few days and the guppies get more active and look better. If you don't add K when the fish get the growths, you will loose most of all of the guppies.


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

Thanks Paul! I didn't even think about that and my fish have been a little under the weather lately, one just contracted Hole in the Head. I haven't done anything that may be beneficial to the fish differently other than stop adding K. I'm going to add some right now.

Thanks again,
Phil


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

The LaMotte potassium kit is a good investment. It may seem expensive initially, but it has enough ingredients to last practically forever. You get a white cloudy suspension if potassium is present, and you can measure the amount by dipping a black dot into the suspension until the dot disappears in the suspension and then the distance of the dot from the surface is calibrated in ppm of K+. I never bother to lower the black dot thingy and measure the amount of K+. If I get cloudiness, then there is enough for the plants and the fish. If I don't get any or if I only get a very slight amount, then it is time to add more. When the guppies develop the white growths, there is no cloudiness at all. I only use the kit sporadically. it is when I think, Gee, I wonder if this tank has run out of potassium. It has been a long time since I put any in.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Phil, Let us know if your discus got better after you added the potassium. For my guppies, it takes two to three days before I see definite improvement in their activity and reduction of the white growths.


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## farrier (Jan 28, 2004)

*wisdom*

i would like know what is (k)  :?:


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## Sir_BlackhOle (Jan 25, 2004)

I believe its Potassium...


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## farrier (Jan 28, 2004)

thank you for the info .


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## Phil Edwards (Jan 22, 2004)

It was definately a Potassium deficiency. Two days after I added K, the pock has healed noticably.


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

Thanks everyone! I've past on the advice.


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