# Plants declining in high-temp discus tank



## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

About a year ago I set up a 90 gal Walstad tank as a display for my LFS. For 6 months everything went very well despite minimal care from the shop owner, but that was the point. The tank looked so good that the owner decided to put discus in it. And that's when plants began to decline.

Not being a discus keeper, I forgot that they require high temperatures--this tank is kept at 86 F. Also, being discus they had parasites, requiring several courses of PaziPro.

Could either of these factors be the reason for the plant decline? Specifically, _Bacopa caroliniana_, _Hygrophila difformis_, and _Helanthium tenellum _ have suffered greatly. _Cryptocoryne_, _Nymphaea lotus_, and _Hygrophila corymbosa angustifolia _are holding on.

If high temperatures are the problem, please suggest some species that will tolerate them.

Thanks!


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## Paytertot (Jul 16, 2012)

hmm. It may be temperature, I believe all three of those plants have a temp max of 82 degrees iirc. I did have the bacopa in my discus for a while, but then I gave it to my aunt because she liked it. I didn't have it long enough to see how it would really do. I keep my discus tank at 84 degrees though.


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## joshvito (Apr 6, 2009)

In my experience, most plants will melt at 86. The discus will be fine at temps of 80, I keep all my discus at ~80, they will even breed at this temperature. Here is my proof.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Thank you, this is what I suspected. I will ask the owner to lower the temperature to 80.


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## JeffyFunk (Apr 6, 2006)

The issue is definitely the temperature. Amano specifically mentions temperature as a problem when keeping discus so I would look for some of his aquariums for what plants are capable of being kept with Discus. I think TPT may have a sticky for plants capable of being kept in Discus Tanks... 

That said, I know he mentions Bolbitus as NOT being about to be kept in high temperatures. Off the top of my head, I know that he's kept Java Ferns and Glossostigma for sure in Discus Tanks. Other than that, I can't remember.


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## Yo-han (Oct 15, 2010)

http://www.tropica.com/en/plants/use/heat-tolerant-plants.aspx

A list of heat resistant plants: Hygrophila difformis should be quite heat resistant.

Another thing that could be happening is that the plants use more nutrients because of the higher water temp and something depleted from the water column. The plants that are still doing fine are mostly root feeders...


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## Paytertot (Jul 16, 2012)

like I said, I keep my discus tank at 84.5 consistently, plants that I have in there include Aponogeton crispus, echinodorus amazonicus, echinodorus osiris, echinodorus parvifloris, hygrophilia corymbosa, several cryptocoryne wendtii, and what i believe to be a nymphaea of some kind, I will admit I dont know what it is for sure.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Thanks everyone, and Johan especially for the link to a list of heat-tolerant plants.


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## alexopolus (Jan 18, 2010)

Michael tiger lotus and hydrocotyle are pretty heat tolerant. They are growing just fine in my pond. Water temp 86and up.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

_Gymnocoronis spilanthoides_ should work.

Many plants have trouble utilizing co2 at higher temperatures, so even though you might be blasting it, they can't use it.


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