# What is the best layout for Discus?



## gvescovi (Feb 20, 2006)

Hello guys!

I'm planning a new Disus tank, with these specs:
100x40x50

My problem is very simple.. i just need to know what layout you guys recomend for Discus!
Triangular, "U", "island" ...


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Any shape of the layout is fine as long as you provide:

*1. A hiding place.*
The hiding place can be just a bush of tall plants or some tall driftwood. You don't need to create an entire wall of plants or wood. The discus will feel safe if they can easily swim in their hiding place and cannot see you from there - that's all there is to it.  Some discus breeders even put 4-5 strips of black electric tape forming X shapes on the front glass.

*2. Leave a lot of free space.*
That's needed for 2 reasons:
*a.* The discus eat from the bottom by waving their fins and creating a cloud of food which they pick on. The food particles fly all over and the discus finds them later. So the fish need a lot of free space to scatter and later find all the food.

*b.* Discus are very dirty fish - cleaning is very important. It's easier to vacuum an open area then to try to clean around plants. The best thing to do is to have a thin layer of sand in the front of the tank. That way you can vacuum or even suck out and replace the sand easily.

In an tank overgrown with plants the discus will become territorial and some will seldom come out of the hiding place where they feel safe. Basically some of the fish will starve constantly.

*Co-inhabitants*
Adding fish like corries (or maybe even plecos if they don't damage the plants too much) is a good idea - they will scavenge the leftover food and help a lot in maintaing the tank clean.

Discus live perfectly with Amano shrimp, as long as the discus are not huge (dinner plate size). The shrimp are almost a must because of cleaning purposes.

Otocinclus are questionable in a discus tank. Some of them tend to learn to stick to the discus skin and probably eat some of the slime. That doesn't make the fish sick but it's an ugly sight (as if you are looking at a blood-sucking leech) and also forces the discus to stay in only some parts of the tank.

Here are 2 great discus tanks:



















--Nikolay


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## gvescovi (Feb 20, 2006)

Thanks!

You help-me a lot, because now i have something to work with.. i will draw some layouts, based on what u say.

Anyway, the second tank is amazing! where can i found more infos about it?


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## 5380 (Jun 16, 2005)

It was a xlarge tank in the ADA contest one of the last two years.


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## Urkevitz (Oct 26, 2004)

Also try not to have wood that is too pointed, or sharp rocks on which the discus might bumped into if they get spooked.


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## Craig Tarvin (Jul 26, 2005)

gvescovi said:


> Anyway, the second tank is amazing! where can i found more infos about it?


That tank was set up by Jeff Senske of Aquarium Design Group (ADG).

It took first place in the x-large category of the 2004 AGA contest.


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## gvescovi (Feb 20, 2006)

Tanks for the link ^^
The tank is really amazing!

I just need one more help... about the size of my tank.

It must have 100cm of lenght, and i´m in doubt if a made it with:
100x40x50, or 100x45x45 (both with 6mm)
With one is better?


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## standoyo (Aug 25, 2005)

The 100x45x45 would be more pleasing.

IMHO, go with the biggest you can afford to keep and maintain.


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## erijnal (Apr 5, 2006)

niko, great post, I'll definitely look back on this when I set up a discus tank (wayyyyy into the future)


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