# planted discus aquarium needs help



## superdave18 (Sep 2, 2009)

hello apc, im building my first planted discus aquarium and have a few questions about equipment and water chemistry...its a 120 gallon aquarium deeper than it is tall , im looking at ehiem cannister 2028, or the ocean clear series.what would be a better fit for my needs?im probably going to add an hob filter, the penguin 400 most likely and am considering tossing in an undergravel filter as well , ive read that the ugf is not a good fit with discus and plants...can you explain why? im also adding a uv sterilizer to this aquarium.ive heard your water never looks better when this is used , will it add anything to the aquarium?crystal clear water is one of the things i desire in this aquarium. we have well water here and i am concerned about its use in this tank. the ph reads 7.8 out of the ground, both alkalinity and hardness read at least 300 ppm , its as high as my dipping strips chart reads. i do have ro water capability, it is down stream of my water softener. the ph from that reads 6.8 and jumps to 7.2 after aeration and heating in a storage tank, the hardness reads 25 ppm while the alkalinity is 40 to 80 ppm.should i use the ro water and skip the well water for the discus?if so wil i have to reconstitute the water somewhat? or can i just age it and add it to the aquarium on water changes as is? im sure ill have some more questions as i go and sorry for the long post, i just wanted some feedback, to prevent any fatal mistakes as i proceed forward.th for the help


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Welcome and welcome your classic question... UGF would suck all the nutrient out away from the plant's roots so they do not grow too well. I use to have UGF and easy plants that you can get from you LFS would be okay with it but like I said would not grow too well. 

UV can make it clear by killing all the micro stuff that is in the water. But if you do everything right it would be clear by itself. I no all switch to ADA aquasoil even for my discus tank cause all teh water condition are right for both disucs and the plants and it really clear out water!! It would soften up that 7.8 water to a much lower PH. Also it would promote breeding of the discus.


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## superdave18 (Sep 2, 2009)

then i will forego the undergravel for sure, do you think that the eheim 2028 is enough filtration for this 120 gallon tank?im going to try and incorporate an hob penguin on the back as well.by the way how do i do it correctly to get that crystal clear water?


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## Wire Fox Terror (Apr 7, 2006)

I'm running a Filstar XPR and Marineland C-360 on my 105 gallon tank which should soon have discus. I'd rather overfilter than under and it's just good for peace of mind should something fail with one.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

With discus I would get double the rating(GPH) on the filter to match the tank.


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## FernMan (Jun 4, 2006)

SuperDave!

You can never error by over killing with your filtration. Now the question is... is your priority keeping top notch healthy growing Discus or are plants your primary concern?

Discus unlike Angelfish that are quite tolerant even though require similar water chemistry, must not be placed in a tank that has not yet achieved a well established nitrogen bacterial "bed". The filters you use which ever you decide must have a large surface area... and must have been running in the tank where you plan to place your Discus for at least 3-4 weeks to be on the safe side. Using a 'live' filter sponge, rocks, or a sump box would insure your Discus' health... life food is a plus as well...

This article is quite friendly reading and there are many more... I searched and found: http://www.discusnada.org/discus/discus101.html

Again it all goes back to what is your priority and what you are planning with your Discus... personally I think it's a beautiful sight to see Discus in a planted tank. Raise them in a planted tank is a whole different ball game... Discus hobbyist raise them in bare bottom tanks, for obvious hygienic reasons... They grow faster and kept healthier.


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## Travis.808 (Apr 2, 2009)

From what I understand, Discus benefit with less water movement as they like slow moving ponds in nature. I'm not entirely positive that you want to "overkill" the filtration or at least the out flow should be slowed down somehow.


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## FernMan (Jun 4, 2006)

Travis.808 said:


> From what I understand, Discus benefit with less water movement as they like slow moving ponds in nature. I'm not entirely positive that you want to "overkill" the filtration or at least the out flow should be slowed down somehow.


Clarification: "Overkill" filtration does not equate to a tsunami water movement  Discus are very sensitive to bacterial infection and unless we are lucky to have to slightly acidic water which keeps the bacterial count low, then water cleanliness is paramount. Filtration can be realized by several methods, sponge filtration are one of the best, creates a great bacteria bed, but unsightly in a planted tank, an ideal exterior filtration system would be a sump system, where a large bacteria can be generated. With less then acidic water, very frequent water changes will be required. Just the nature of Discus secretion which encourages bacterial growth in alkaline water.


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## superdave18 (Sep 2, 2009)

ive decided to go with the xp3 and the eiheim 2028 as my filtration, that should give me twice the recomended filtration,


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## FernMan (Jun 4, 2006)

superdave18 said:


> ive decided to go with the xp3 and the eiheim 2028 as my filtration, that should give me twice the recomended filtration,


You can't go wrong, just be careful with the strong water current you might create, adjust the flow so that is does not cause the Discus to be fighting a current.

====================
Finally, the temps are dropping into the 70's in the Eve..down in Florida--- Kayaking into the Gator World time! Hope they are not too hungry!


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## superdave18 (Sep 2, 2009)

thanks for the help,i really appreciate the input


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