Thanks for the kind words!

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for the comment! Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks! Congrats on the new tank! Take plenty of time with the setup to get it just the way you want and it will provide you years of enjoyment!

Thanks!

Thanks! It's been quite a while since I posted a video. I need to do an update on this and maybe a video on pressurized CO2.

Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for the comment and I'm glad the video helped! The tank is still up and the same discus are in it. If I could go back and make a few changes to the video I would probably add/change the following: 1. I still like refugiums and would recommend them for tanks that are lightly planted or mostly hardscape. However, if the tank is heavily planted, I would go with a wet-dry filter instead (easier to maintain and no light required which may help with algae control). A refugium is probably overkill for a heavily planted aquarium as there are already a bunch of plants filtering the water in that way. I have since switched to a wet-dry filter (eshopps wd-125cs). 2. Stable pH can be a great indicator of water stability, but KH is probably better. Shortly after this video was made I added pressurized CO2 and feel it was the best addition to the tank. Not only do the plants thrive, but algae is essentially non-existent. When running CO2, pH levels temporarily change making KH a better measure of stability. 3. Skip the UV filter. Some people swear by them, but I ended up removing it. I can't remember how much I spoke of it in the video, but after a while I removed it and noticed no real change in the health of the fish. Those are the things that come to mind. Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks for the comment!

+Codak Provision Thanks for the comment, glad you liked it!

Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for the comment! I had a saltwater setup in the distant past as well, but have since concentrated on discus and African cichlid tanks.

Thanks!

Thanks!

No problem! Glad to hear they're doing well!

Thanks for the comment! I would agree that in the video I was probably too focused on pH. It's more of a stability issue. I think if the average tank aims for a pH of 6-7 and keeps it stable that would be ideal for any discus they choose to keep. A warmer tank is ideal, but I've found that if I'm trying to keep a community setup the best temp for everything is more in the low 80's (82-83). While the discus like 85, a lot of the other fish I've kept with them don't haha. Thanks again for the comment!

Agree with everything you noted there. I keep my water extra warm because it raises their metabolism.and makes them hungrier to help them grow out quicker. The rasborras, cardinals and cories in with them are fine with the increased temperatures.

Thanks!

Thanks!

Thanks for the comment!

Thanks for the comment!

Chinese algae eaters are about the worst thing you can put into a discus tank. The adults get massive and start to eat other fish, especially wide flat fish like discus.

I switched to EI dosing of ferts and run pressurized CO2 and have had no algae issues since.

Thanks!

+Involved Spirit Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful.

No problem, thanks for the comment!

Dean Morier Thanks for the comment! I've kept African cichlids off and on for years and have a 75 gallon setup right now that's been together for about 3 years. They are definitely hardy fish and fun to keep! Once a discus tank is well established and the fish are mature, you can back your water changes off some. I've been changing mine about once a week now for the past several months without issue. The tank is well-established and I have extra filtration which certainly helps.

Thanks for the comment! Glad it helped!

+Kassie Parr Thanks!

No problem, glad it helped!

Thanks for the comment! Sorry it took so long to respond, I didn't see the comment until today.

Thanks for the comment! Glad the video helped!

Thanks for the comment and good luck with the new setup!

@@discus1018 Thank you, at the moment iam cycling a 54L aquarium

Omer Syed, Thanks! My tank is in our family room and we have an active dog that runs around it quite a bit. For the most part, it doesn't seem to bother the fish, but if the kids are likely to tap on the glass or bump into it much, then you may want to set it up somewhere else. I like mine in the family room because we spend so much time there. If I put it somewhere else, I wouldn't see the fish nearly as much.

Thanks!

Thanks! My pH level fluctuates some, from about 6.7-7.1. Frequent water changes help keep it stable. The pH starts out around 7.1 after the water change and slowly drops to 6.7-6.8 before the next change. When I'm out of town, I leave a bucket of dechlorinated tap water by the tank and a neighbor feeds the fish and puts 2 glasses of the tap water in per day. My tap water is alkaline, so this adds a small amount of buffer each day to help keep the water stable while I'm gone. I feed them a combination of blood worms, beef heart and brine shrimp (mostly beef heart). They usually get fed twice/day and do well. I need to make a new batch of beef heart soon, so I'll try to make a video of the recipe and add it to my channel. Hope that helps!

Thanks!

Thanks! My discus were shipped overnight from Baltimore. I placed the unopened bags in the aquarium for about 10 minutes. I then opened them and added a small amount aquarium water to each bag (about 1 cup) every 5 minutes. I believe I repeated this 5-6 times and then used a net to move the fish from the bag to the aquarium. Make sure not to dump the water from the transport bag directly into the aquarium!

Thanks!

Thanks for the comment! There are many ways to set up a discus aquarium, some cheaper than others. The DIY project and sponge filter certainly save a bunch of money, but as the discus get older I think the refugium setup provides a more stable environment. In the US you would be hard pressed to find quality discus in the 4" size for less than $100 each. There are used aquariums out there that can be purchased cheap, but a new 60 gallon aquarium in the US will run you $150-200 (not including substrate, filters, etc.). Thanks again for the comment!

Sure, thanks for the response! I am planning on moving back to the US eventually. Setting up a new discus tank seem daunting because of the pricing. I got my tank second hand for like $15, the lighting cost me about $10. My discus range between 3.5 and 5.5 inches, not precisely sure as I haven't measured them. They were a half inch or so smaller when I bought them, and cost about $60 for the group of six, but one of them has bad genetics. It's stunted and has a twisted mouth so it can't eat very well. It's a San Merah I think (all reddish orange), so it looks like a football. Poor thing. The Chinese are not the best for animal welfare. the tank I bought them out of was way overstocked. It's getting a bit bigger, but I don't think it will ever achieve full potential since it only succeed on eating about 1/3 of the things it tries to bite. Okay...rambling now. Thanks again~

No problem! Good luck on the move and thanks again for the comment!

You should go for it! If you buy from a well-known breeder they are typically hardier than many people think.

Discus do much better if kept with other discus. Cardinal tetras in large schools are a beautiful addition to a planted discus tank. Make sure you do it right the first time.No other fish have given me as much satisfaction as have discus.

Sounds good! The new Fish Freaks store has good selection for supplies and tanks. They sell discus, but I would stick to some of the big name dealers out there instead (Stendker, Kenny's Discus, etc).

Thanks for the comment! They were 3-4" when put into the tank. The biggest ones are roughly 7" now.

Thanks!

Is your tank fully planted with substrate?

Thanks for the comment! The tank is a little overstocked for its size and content, but the discus seem to interact ok to me. Even in a larger aquarium they will chase each other from time to time. In a smaller setup they may chase a little more often, but I've never seen it as too extreme. They're cichlids in the end and while they are more passive than many of their cousins, they can still be a little aggressive and territorial! That being said, a larger setup would be ideal in almost every way, but I was limited on the space where the tank had to be placed.

@@discus1018 Thank you!

Thanks!

Thanks for the comment! I've actually cut back on the RO water some and use about 30% RO with 70% tap. This gives me a KH of around 4 in my tank. I've also added pressurized CO2 since this video was made. Given the KH level and goal CO2 level, my pH sits around 6.7-6.8 (I use a pH monitor to help keep my pH and CO2 stable). The nice thing about discus from Hans is they are raised in a pH 7.0 and tolerate a fairly wide range of water parameters.

Thanks!

Thanks for the comment! I bought all of my discus from Hans (www.discus-hans-usa.com). They are expensive, but you get what you pay for!

Thanks for the comment! My tank is the same as yours. You have a few options for filtration: You could add a 406 and that would be plenty, but I prefer to have different types of filtration if I can. A few other choices would be a refugium with a HOB overflow box (assuming the tank is not drilled) or a simple HOB filter. These can help with oxygenation and provide some surface agitation to keep from getting a biofilm on the water.

Thanks! I think the aquarium looks better today than it did when I made this video! I've dialed back the lighting some and have everything balanced so algae is minimal now. To keep the glass as clear as possible, I wipe it down with a rough cloth from the inside every time I clean it and then use a scraper to keep get rid of any stubborn algae. The lighting also helps give the fish a glow, but I've switched to a fluval 3.0 and dialed it back some. The fish still look great, but there's not quite as much red glow as I had with the color enhanced light of the finnex monster ray.

My tank is set at 84°F (29°C), but you will see ranges of 82-86°F (28-30°C) with most people keeping discus at 84-86°F (29-30°C).

Generally speaking, layering is not necessary. My aquarium has changed some since this video and is now dutch-ish in style with Anacharis, Ludwigia, Rotala, TIger Lotus and Amazon Swords. I still use only pool filter sand and the plants are doing great (maybe too well as they have started to take up too much room). I have added CO2 and provide ferts several times a week, though. For an aquarium, I would go with Fluorite if you want to layer though. I've used it in the past and it does not stir up nearly as easily as Miracle Mud. I like Miracle Mud in refugiums, but not in the main tank. Hope that helps!

Thanks! Yes, they are real plants.

Thanks! I would keep no fewer than 5-6 together. Less than that and aggression may become an issue. Form there, it depends on tank size. For a rough estimate, you can typically keep 1 discus/10 gallons. If I remember correctly, my tank was up for about 4 months before adding discus. I had Corys and Neons in the tank for several months before adding the discus as well. Obviously, it's important to watch your water parameters very closely after adding fish to make sure the tank is not stressed. I actually added them in groups of 3 about 1-2 weeks apart. It was probably overly cautious, but I wanted to see how the tank would handle the additional fish. Stendker discus are not cheap and I wanted to make sure nothing would go wrong. Most people would probably say to put the 6 in at the same time. Hope that helps!

I meant under 20 minutes. My bad. Good luck with your fish keeping

Thanks for the comment! I would encourage you to spend the extra money to obtain discus from a well-respected breeder. Although it is more money up front, you will know you are getting quality fish that, if kept in proper conditions, will provide years of enjoyment. I have an African cichlid aquarium and Southeast Asian aquarium as well and can tell you that my discus tank is hands down my favorite. So for me, it is worth the extra cost and time commitment to keep the fish. From what you described, my only caution to you would be that juvenile discus typically require more water changes and stricter control of water parameters than adults. Thus, they can be a little more "fragile." You may want to look to see if some of your local breeders offer fish in the 4" range as they will likely be hardier and easier to keep if it's your first time (although more expensive). Not something that's a must, just a suggestion.

juvenile discuss are not round, when they get bigger, thats when you will know they are round or football shape. You need to be careful with juvies too because you cant really tell yet if their growth is stunted, their are signs like eyes are too big, head is too thing,fish is not aggressive, fins are always kept. it took me months to decide to buy a discus, so I started with 4, and so far, im getting the hang on the maintenance and feeding them 3 full meals a day.

Dank Memovich

No problem! I bought them at 4".

Thanks! The tubing from the drain to the sump came with the Eshopps sump. You can purchase the same thing here: www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=18365&cmpid=03cseYY&ref=6194&subref=AA&cmpid=PLA_G_6194&gclid=CJ2uzrHHrtQCFUi1wAodDlgB7A. The tubing from the pump back to the tank was purchased at a local fish store.

Discus101 can it be cut to size needed or will that mess up end connection?

I believe it would mess up the connection. It comes in several lengths, so you can order the size that's closest to what you need and it should work out.

+113497339155026066862 Thanks for the comment! Using rainwater in place of RO water is a great idea. I think the primary reason people in the US use RO filters is the convenience. Part of it would certainly be intermittent rainfall and changing weather temps as well. Where I live we have summer temps that get up to 38° C and routinely have winter temps around -10° C. We can also go weeks sometimes without precipitation. In the end, it's just more convenient to use an RO filter and have a constant/predictable supply.

Yorky One look, when getting fish that are 5 times or more removed from the wild, you don't need ro water unless your ph is 8.0 or something like that. A lot of discus are raised in tap water and do just fine. I refuse to use a bunch of plumbing and use ro water for my discus. I do water changes once a month. Mine are 7.5 inches and that's fine with me.

Thanks for the reply! The water in Omaha has a pH over 8. As I say in the video (I think) the breeder is in Baltimore and uses tap water there because it has a pH of 6.9-7.0. I think in the end it boils down to water stability. It's been a long time since I watched my video, but I tried to stress stable pH/water conditions. If you are able to achieve it with minimal water changes and tap water, then that's ideal! Is your tank planted? What filtration do you use? I'm just curious as I've backed my water changes off to every 2 weeks in the past, but can tell a definite difference in the aquarium appearance with that (build up of fish waste and eventual algae). Thanks!

Discus101 my pleasure, I have 6 discus, 4 red cap geophagus, 6 guppies and 3 plecos in a 75 gallon. My ph is 7.3 in warmer months and 7.9- 8.2 in colder months. I feed Northfin pellets every morning save Sunday. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday &Saturday evenings, I feed bloodworms or brine shrimp. My filtration is an API Filstar 4, Filstar 3, and a fluval Csearies 70 hob. I only have jungle val planted in the back ground and 2 amazon swords. I used to do a 50% water change every week, then every 2 weeks, and now mostly once a month. The thing that made it easier is that I use poly filter in both filters, biohome media in one and marine pure media in the other. I put chemipure blue on top of the poly filter. I replace poly filter and chemipure every six months. These biological medias made a world of difference. I purchased my fish from Discus Han's. His water ph was around 7.4 if I remember correctly.

Awesome setup! Thanks for the info!

Thanks for the comment! Angels are a great fish to start with. If you buy discus from a reputable breeder they will often be hardier. You could also go with a setup that is less complicated than mine. This is what works for me, but doing a single wet/dry filter should work well if you have a planted tank. Also, I would start out with adult discus first as they are much easier to care for than juveniles.

The amount of r/o water I need to achieve the stable pH I was looking for has changed since this video was made. Following water changes I like my pH to be 6.9-7.0 and this requires about 20% r/o water for my conditions. I keep a basin of pure r/o water ready in the laundry room and when I'm ready to make water changes, I use a 5 gallon bucket. I add roughly 20% r/o water first and then fill the rest up with tap water. I add the chlorine remover and then pour it into the tank. At this time, I usually change 25-30 gallons once a week, so that takes about 5-6 buckets.

To answer your second question, the pH will tend to hold fairly steady with the buffer provided by tap water. You can check the pH and kH of your tap water and if it's like mine, there are plenty of carbonates to help buffer your tank. Most municipal water supplies have more CaCO3 in them than you need and that's where the r/o water helps. If your water is already at a pH of 7 and has a reasonable amount of CaCO3 in it then you may not need r/o water. I don't talk about kH in the video, but it is worth watching your kH values from time to time to make sure they are stable as this is the driving factor for a stable pH. If your kH values are too low you may start to have issues with wild pH swings. Hope that helps!

Forgot to ask if you plan to breed them.

Thanks! The parameters Stendker's are bred in is posted online. If you buy from someone else, you can email the breeder and ask before you buy. I slowly adjusted my aquarium to similar water parameters to what they were bred in a month or more before my discus arrived. Stendker's are raised in a pH of 7.0 so once my aquarium stabilized at this pH, I ordered them. I was blending ro/tap water from the beginning, well before introducing the discus. The primary reason for this is stability. I didn't want to make a major change like that after the discus arrived and risk a large pH swing.

All the red ones appear to be female. The Checkerboard has become one of the two dominant fish in the tank (the Leopard is the other) and all 3 of the red ones lay eggs on the driftwood and aquarium glass on a regular basis (weekly at minimum). Unfortunately, none of the other discus in the tank appear interested in fertilizing the eggs or becoming breeding pairs. Even if there appeared to be a breeding pair in the aquarium, I would probably not attempt to breed them at this time as I'm not set up for it and don't have enough time to properly care for fry. Maybe sometime in the future!

Thank you for the quick reply. You sir, are a very lucky man. Happy Discus keeping and may I put in a request for more videos please.

No problem! I've been meaning to put another video together and will try to do so soon.

Thanks for the comment and good suggestion! I should have gone with Cardinals, but the local store only had Neons. Next time I will probably order Cardinals online instead.

@@discus1018 I had to order mine too. LFS only rarely get them

Thanks for the comment! Peppering is usually more of an environmental issue in my opinion. My pigeon bloods have some small amounts of peppering, but not significant. If the background was changed to a lighter color the peppering would usually improve some, but I don't think I've ever seen it go completely away. If the juveniles you are looking at have quite a bit of peppering without dark substrate or a dark background in their current tank, I would probably be a little hesitant to buy them as I'm not sure it would improve after being placed in a different tank.

A_Frame Pleasantries has that day come yet?

A typical rule of thumb is to stock 1 discus per 10 gallons of water and most people would recommend no fewer than 5 discus in an aquarium, which would make a minimum tank size of 50 gallons. If you don't have enough room for an aquarium of that size, I would encourage you to choose fish that are smaller in size than discus. Adult discus can grow to upwards of 8" and would really struggle in a 20-30 gallon setup. That being said, if you really want to try discus in that aquarium, I would probably go with 4 to help disperse aggression. I would then stick to around 10 neons. If possible, as the fish mature and grow, you should really try to make room for a 50-60 gallon aquarium which will allow for proper development. As for the filter choices, I would go with the 350 only because the tank would be over-stocked and it's almost never wrong to go with more filtration. Hope that helps!

Discus101 Thanks for the tips. I went ahead and have booked a 40 gallon, 150L tank. It will arrive early next week.

Glad I could help! Enjoy the new tank!

You should go for it! I think you'd really enjoy it if you like Angels.

Discus101 looking into it.

This is one of several topics I wish I had been more clear on in the video. The goal with any filtration system is water stability and a refugium is one option that provides a very stable environment. There are several ways you can set up a refugium. You can keep the light on for 24 hours/day or just for 12 hours and set it to come on when your aquarium lights turn off. This can help keep CO2/O2 levels, as well as nutrient levels, more stable. That being said, if you have a heavily planted tank and want to go a different route with filtration I would think you will be fine. In fact, I'm hoping to set up a much larger discus aquarium (heavily planted) later this year and will probably go with a wet/dry sump instead.

Thanks for the comment! A canister filter should run 24/7. What are you feeding the discus? Were they eating prior to this and then stopped or are they new to the aquarium and haven't started eating yet?

Thanks for the reply, they have been with me 2+ weeks now and found they have been going to the corner of the tank when I start feeding from day one, One started eating granules from yesterday, (red melon 2+ inches only still staying near filter inlet), others are 3 and 3+ plus inches and always looking for food when I pass near by. I feed discus grain d-50 plus two times a day and blood worms and beef hearts two times a week. I have one more question that I have 3 pearl gouramies , 2 gold gouramies and 2 red dwarf gouramies in my tank, they are eating those food and looks their belly looks big, what will happen to them if it goes like this or I should get rid off them?

@@nizarbreathus2440 It sounds like you are feeding a really nice variety of foods. I'll start by saying there are a lot of opinions and preferences when it comes to discus and you would likely get a different recommendation from someone else. With that being said, I would probably remove the gouramis for the time being. If you are able to put them in a different tank, that would probably be best, but if that's not an option you could give them away or to a local fish store. Sometimes it's best to allow younger discus a chance to come into their own and gouramis can occasionally be aggressive. In addition, if the gouramis are aggressively eating the food, there's less time for the small discus to become interested and try the food. New discus can sometimes be pretty slow to start eating and it can even take up to 4 weeks before they eat! Keep offering the foods and I think they will all be eating soon. If you want try flavoring the food to encourage them to eat you can buy some garlic guard by seachem, but I bet they will start eating if you continue to offer food. I would also recommend feeding beef heart more often than twice a week, but if the other discus are eating and happy you can keep with what's working. Hope that helps!

Discus101 thanks for the information, you are right, after seeing the yellow one started eating I strongly feel the other will start eating soon.

@@nizarbreathus2440 I'm curious to know when the other one finally starts eating. Keep me posted!

Thanks! I added the discus in 2 groups of 3 fish. There had already been Corys and Neons in the tank for several months prior to adding the discus, but I decided to put 3 in to start and add the second group of 3 about 2-3 weeks later. This allowed me to watch my water quality for signs of trouble after adding the first 3 discus. Some people would tell you that only adding 3 discus at a time may lead to one of the discus being singled out and picked on (obviously, the more fish in the aquarium, the more the aggression is distributed and the less chance a single fish has of being harmed), but as long as you plan on reaching a total of 5-6 discus within 3-4 weeks, I don't believe the aggression problem will be that big of a deal. It certainly wasn't for me. However, I would start with 3 so there is at least a little dispersion of the aggression. Only adding 3 at a time may be overly cautious, but when spending the kind of money that Stendker discus cost, I'd rather watch my water quality closely and put less stress on the tank while it adjusts. Just my two cents... Hope that helps!

hello, what size discus did you purchase from Hans (how many inches were the fish?) $$$? aprox, thks!

Thanks for the comment! The FX6 would be plenty of filtration in my opinion. A lot of people would probably tell you that it's overkill, but overfiltration is not a bad thing and if you already have it I would say use it! The only concern I would have is the amount of flow coming back into the tank. I would set it up and make sure that it's not too much for the fish. As long as it doesn't push the fish all around the tank then it should work well. If there's too much flow you could make some adjustments to the return nozzle to deflect it and slow it down. The only other thing to watch would be nitrate levels. Nitrate is removed through water changes and not filtration so just make sure to keep a eye on that so it doesn't creep up on you. Nitrate is not nearly as toxic as ammonia, but can still cause issues if it builds up over time.

Thanks alot for your though, the flow is definitely a big concern on the tankfor discus ,I used to have a 300 gallon all african predator haps , this is my first time with discus ,your knowledge definitely helps alot for new people in the hobby . I appreciate you .

@@belam127 No problem, glad it helps!

Can you tell me what temperature you are running on your discus tank ,and what do you recommend on temperature?

@@belam127 I have it set at 84° and would say that's a pretty common number for a lot of discus setups. You could go as low as 82° if it's a community setup, but 84° is probably better for the discus.

Thanks for the comment! If you have experience with reef tanks I would think you will be able to put together a great planted discus tank! The sand itself does not degrade, but the color will become more of an off-white with time as algae and waste discolor it.. Inert substrates will limit your plant options to some degree. There are certainly plenty of plants that will still do well with it, but if you want carpets or more challenging plants you may do better with a plant substrate like Amazonia.

@@discus1018 I appreciate the feed back if there's anything else you feel i should know or a specific website to further research id be glad to know as I am watching KZfaq vids and im getting a lot of mixed information and gets confusing. I am going to get a 75 and get 6 discus i feel the extra gallons will be good for that amount of fish any further feedback or advice on items that are essential for the discus that might differ from the community tank i currently have please let me know.. Thanks again for your videos

@@angelgonzalez-ke5nl no problem. I think the thing to keep in mind is there are many ways to have a successful discus tank. What works for one person isn't always the best fit for someone else. In the end, the goal is a stable set up. A lot of people use good quality canister filters as the sole filtration. Some people use refugiums, and some use wet-dry sumps. I started with the refugium, but have switched to a wet-dry filter. Both work pretty well and can be great options. In the future I hope to set up a larger tank with dimensions more conducive to a good planted aquascape. In this aquarium I will probably opt for canister filters. Regardless of which way you go, I'd just aim for over-filtration. The biggest difference is likely to be in the water. If your city water is close to a pH of 7 you can just use that instead of adding RO water and that would make things quite a bit simpler. If your water is very alkaline then you will probably be stuck using RO water like I have to. My biggest recommendation is to plan ahead and take your time. Allow the tank to properly cycle before adding discus. Once you add them, watch closely for the first week or two for any ammonia in the tank. If you start to see ammonia you will need to do at least daily changes until the tank has finished cycling and the ammonia is gone. Hope that helps and good luck!

@@discus1018 Agreed what works for one doesn't work for the next. I started with weekly water changes in my reef tank and that caused problems so now i maybe do a water change every 3-5 months and all is stable. On your recommendations with over filtering i am going to get the Oase canister filter that does upto 90 gallons and add the intank sponge filter this should be good filtration for a 75? on the water changes i keep seeing are they really needed every day or every week or does this depend on filtration? Again thanks for your feed back i think based on what you have said im on the rite path and will definitely take my take my time with the cycle. Thank you

@@angelgonzalez-ke5nl Ya, I would think that setup would work well. I like Oase filters, too. In regards to water changes, it depends on the filtration to some degree, but really on the amount of fish in the tank and what they're fed. Discus are often fed beef heart which is very messy and causes waste to build up in the water column. I adjust my water change schedule to the amount of nitrates in the water. I currently do water changes every 3-4 days and am actually changing about 80% of the water with each change. This keeps my nitrates between 5-20 ppm. If I fed them black worms or something different I'm sure I could stretch the water changes to weekly or more.

You can use a GH and KH test kit sold at most fish stores or online (www.amazon.com/API-TEST-Freshwater-Aquarium-Water/dp/B003SNCHMA/ref=sr_1_2?crid=34MAOIT10LD2G&dchild=1&keywords=gh+test+kit+aquarium&qid=1588738885&sprefix=gh+test%2Caps%2C171&sr=8-2). I would not use coral sand as this would raise your pH. I tend to use inert substrates like pool filter sand.

Thanks for the comment! It depends some on your tap water. If the pH is right around 7 and the kH is 4-8 or so then you should be able to just add it after dechlorinating. If your pH is 8+ with high kH values then you would be best to use some RO water. You can usually judge the water temp by hand as you fill up the bucket from the faucet, but if you're not used to doing that you can just use a digital thermometer as you fill the bucket instead. If you try to heat the water up to the proper temp with an aquarium heater it will take quite a while and become a hassle. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Discus101 the thing with RO water i have no idea how it work . is it a special filter or what is it

RO filtration is a semi-permeable membrane that removes contaminants, salts, carbonates, etc from water when it is passed through under pressure. You essentially hook the RO filter up to your tap water supply and it slowly filters the water leaving you with close to pure water. If you take some RO water (KH 0 because the carbonates have been removed) and add it to tap water with high KH levels, you can lower the KH value to something more suitable for discus. That being said, if your tap water is already in a range that works for discus you don't need to worry about RO water. For example, Stendker discus raised in Germany (and in Baltimore in the US) are raised in tap water because the parameters don't need to adjusted. You can test your tap water to see what the KH value is with a cheap test kit you can pick up on Amazon or at any fish store.

Discus101 ive been to my local fishstore here in the UK peterborough and they guy said the water here is quite hard. so what should i do if the water is hard? then the thing with stendker discus(i am german and used to live in germany) in germany the water quality is one of the best in the world u can drink straight out the tap cant taste any chemicals or chlorine so think thats why its possible to raise then easier in tap water. my bro in law had discus i filled up his tank straight from the tao at the right temprature. so again if the water here us quite hard what should i do?

Discus101 so ive had a look at RO systems and how to install it, apparently the water comes out very slow, what size tank do you have?

Thanks! Generally speaking, the taller the better, but 21" should be fine. 78 gallons is a great size and would be perfect for 6-8 adult discus.

I had a few more follow-up questions for you, if you don't mind. First, which plants did you use inside the aquarium? I think your choices look great and really don't detract from your fish (or encourage them to hide). And second, do you have any tips for water changes? I like your setup if it only requires 50% every three days or so, but 40 gallons represents quite a few trips with a 5 gallon bucket and I'm thinking about setting this up in my new office. Any tips for handling those changes? And do you store your RO water somewhere? Thanks!

And I thought of another one - what was the size of your refugium setup? The more I read, the more I like your idea of doubling up the filtration with the canister + refugium setup. For an 80 gallon tank shouldn't I be looking for something around 30 gallons or so?

The longer grass-like plants are Vallisneria. The big plant behind the rocks is an Amazon Sword. There are also some Cryptocoryne wendtii and Java Fern. I try to stick to plants that do well in warm water. If you go to www.aquariumplants.com, they have a section on warm water/discus plants that can help you find some good choices. One option for water changes is storing a container of prepared water that is oxygenated and heated. After siphoning the aquarium with a siphon/hose combo (for example: www.chewy.com/python-no-spill-clean-fill-aquarium/dp/133615?Python&gclid=CNzMvtne_9ICFQe2wAodvf0JDQ&gclsrc=aw.ds) that attaches to a sink, you then fill the aquarium using a pump and hose from the storage container. Depending on how complicated you want to get, you can either fill the storage container manually or use float valves and hoses to fill it automatically. I store my r/o water in a container in our laundry room (much to my wife's chagrin). As I'm only changing 20 gallons at a time currently, this setup works fine for me. I actually mix hot tap water with the room temp r/o water to get the temp about right to add to the aquarium. This works well for me, but takes practice to get it right. I'm considering putting in a much larger aquarium in our basement. If I do this, my entire setup will have to change for some of the reasons you mentioned above.

I'm not positive how many gallons my refugium is. It's basically the Eshopps R-100 (www.eshopps.com/products/filters/refugium/r100/) and rated for an aquarium of 75-125 gallons. I would think a similar size refugium would work well for your setup, especially if you add a canister filter.

Phil Morello That's right on the limits for keeping discus. Most people would probably tell you that 55 gallons (about 200 L) is the smallest size to start keeping discus, but you can probably get away with it at your size. With 4 discus, you may also run into problems with aggression. Discus can pick on each other, they are from the cichlid family after all ;) and fewer numbers doesn't allow for the bullying to be spread out. A general rule of thumb is to keep a minimum of 6 discus (but I would not do that in your size aquarium). That being said, as long as you go into knowing this may be a problem, you can decide whether you want to try or not. If you decide to try it, make sure your filtration and water parameters are compatible for discus. Hope that helps!

Sorry, I just saw the comment and question. 125 L is probably too small for discus in the long run. You could keep 3 inch (7.5 cm) or smaller in an aquarium like that for the short term, but as they grow, they will probably need a larger setup. I typically feel like 55-60 gallons (210-260 L) is the smaller end for an aquarium for discus. If you really wanted to keep discus in a 125 L aquarium I would go no more than 3 if they are bigger than 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) and you’ll really have to watch for issues with aggression.

@@discus1018 thanks a lot I agree . Here énergie prices increased madly that the reason the hobby became difficult. My 125 L is planted aquarium with some fishes . Yes 3 discus max. Thanks

I would think that would probably work out ok. I would generally try for 6 discus to help with aggression, but in most cases you should be good with 4 and at 50 gal I would probably go with no more than 4.

@@discus1018 how often would you do water changes? And would 82F be OK or should I go warmer?

@@SpiritAquatics Water changes will depend on what you're feeding the discus, whether the tank is bare bottom, substrate-only, or planted and how many other fish are in the tank, but if you're using beef heart I would say you'll be changing water every 3 days or so. Beef heart is very messy and causes an increase in nitrate levels. You can judge how often to change by watching nitrates. 82° is on the lower end, but should probably be ok. If you're heater is in a sump, I would set it a little higher because the tank temp will be slightly less.

Thanks for the comment! They are about 5-6" (12.5-15 cm) in the video. Good lighting helps a lot in bringing out their colors and may be part of the reason Stendker's look different in other videos. My setup has a lot of red in it and helps to bring out the stripes in the brilliant turq as well make the fire red pop.

Thanks for the comment! To answer your question, it depends on the setup. The way I have my overflow and return, there's no issue during power outages or pump failures. There is enough room in the refugium to allow the tank to drain until the plumbing is out of the water. The key is to make sure your refugium is tall/large enough to hold the extra water. Also, you need to have your plumbing high enough in the tank to minimize the amount of water that will drain to the refugium if power is lost. Even if something was to block my drain in the tank, the baffles in the refugium prevent too much water from entering the tank and causing overflow. While certain setups can lead to problems during power outages or blockages, a good one prevents them. When I get a chance I'll make a video on my overflow setup and show what happens in each of the above cases.

Hi Stephen - I don't want to dis this setup, as this video and its information is spot on. But when it comes to the drain, I do think that there is a substantial risk of flooding, not because of a power outage (for the reasons Discus101 states above) but because there is only a single drain line. If that drain line getting plugged by something, then the tank itself will overflow (as the pump in the sump keeps going but there is no longer a drain). I initially drilled my tank (it's set up in my office) for a single drain line, and then found it difficult to sleep at night for fear that I was going to flood my office in the event of a mis-hap. I eventually decided to redrill and install a bean-animal style drain using the Eshopps Large Overflow box. This is not only a completely silent drain, but it also has TWO alternate lines (one main drain, one overflow, and one emergency, so three total) so it is basically fool-proof. I would highly recommend going that route - the Eshopps box is about $100 and comes with a drilling template and bit, so you can install it easily. Then it is just a matter of getting your lines plumbed down to the sump. You can see some pics of my setup (which is based primarily on Discus101's guidance in this video) here: forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?129795-Fishless-Cycle-Almost-Complete-Last-Questions-Before-Ordering-From-Hans I hope that helps.

Thanks for the comment! I guess it depends on the setup. My setup has no risk of overflow even if the single drain is plugged. I have a separate video that shows what happens in the worst case scenarios (including a plugged drain). If you are using a refugium with baffles, there is a guard against flooding even if the single drain is plugged. Here's the video: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/atV_mq2X3cymj6M.html It looks to me like your setup (from what I can see in the pics) would be fine with a single drain as well. The baffle that separates the final compartment where the pump is from the plant compartment acts to limit the amount of water that can return to the aquarium. While the aquarium will fill with more water than normal, it will not overflow. There's not enough water in the pump compartment to overflow the tank. That being said, there's obviously nothing wrong with a second drain!

redwinger59, Awesome setup by the way!

That's awesome! I'm hoping to get larger aquarium in the basement later this year. The layer of substrate I have is pretty thin so that helps some of the gas pockets from forming. I think you're right that the roots are also helping as well. The tank has changed since this video was made and is now a dutch-ish style with some rummy nose tetras in addition to the discus. The plants look great now, but are taking up a little more space than I would like. I just found your FB group and sent a request!

"Bruno's Discus" (FB) Also uses pool filter sand. Great looking tank and Discus !

Sorry for the delay, I was out of town this weekend. I used to cover the aquarium with a standard aquarium lid, but I've had no cover on it for the past year or two. I personally prefer no cover for more predictable lighting, but I'm not sure there's a right answer. I think it's more of a preference. I add water to the tank once every few days to top it off.

Discus101 thanks for the reply.

@@nizarbreathus2440 No problem!

You can use a good external filter for a discus tank. A lot of good discus tanks use a refugium to provide the most natural filtration and stable environment, but a properly maintained external filter can work as well.

I still use a siphon method to help get debris and waste up from the gravel. The discus get used to it and usually just go to one side or the other while I clean. The process doesn't take long and shouldn't stress them too much. When I add water to the tank, I dump it in with a bucket and use my free hand to keep help keep it from stirring up the tank.

From a gph standpoint you will probably be ok. It's really more about your maintenance and water quality in the end. If you make frequent water changes and keep the nitrate levels in check you will be fine.

Thanks for the comment! I use a 48" Finnex Planted+ 24/7 LED Light and 48" Finnex Monster Ray LED Light. The Monster Ray is more of an optional light, but helps enhance the color of the plants, driftwood and fish. The Fire Red will likely have a brighter red color. They also tend to be more solid red. Marlboro's often have white markings on their face and fins. If you're looking for a stunning red discus, I would go with the Fire Red. If you use a Monster Ray in addition to other lighting, the red will really pop! As for a turquoise colored discus, it depends on preference. If you really want a greenish tint, I would go with a Flachen. If you prefer Blue, you'll have to choose between a Blue Diamond and Cobalt. Cobalt's will usually show a hint of vertical lines whereas Blue Diamonds should be solid in color. In the end it's all personal preference. Just keep in mind like each dog breed, some variance is to be expected. In other words, not all Cobalts will look the same. Some will have more markings, some less. Some deeper blue than others. If you're like me, the strain you think you'll like the most will change after you get them and allow the fish to mature. Hope that helps!

If you have rock and plants in the tank I would make sure to position them toward the back to keep the discus from hiding behind it. If there's no hardscape (rock or driftwood) in the tank try adding some and positioning it in the back of the aquarium. Hardscape can help make them feel more comfortable. Also, try your best to keep from making quick movements near the aquarium as this will likely spook them and lead to more hiding.

Peat would help lower both KH and GH, but I believe the effect is mild (especially in very hard water). If your water is similar to mine in Omaha, you would probably benefit from using a mix with RO water which would allow you to lower these parameters much quicker and with more predictability. When peat is added to an aquarium or filter it can be difficult to know how much of an effect it will have. Also, depending on the amount you use, you may end up with a blackwater setup (which is ok if that's what you're going for). One option is to use peat to soften the water before it is added to the aquarium so that you know the parameters of what you're adding, but this often takes quite a bit of time making the RO option better in the long run. Hope that helps!

Noted. Thank you!

Thanks for the comment! They are full grown now, about 6.5". The blue diamond and leopard are probably a touch bigger than that.

Looking very healthy and the colors very bright👍🏻 Same stocking, same tank now they are fully grown??

Also, what’s the dimensions of the tank?? Thanks

@@Bricktop89- Thanks! Mine are fully grown at this point. I've never pulled them from the tank to get an exact measure, so 6-6.5" is an estimate. They might be a little bigger than that. Their size is probably a little limited due to the tank size, too.

The tank is a standard 60 gal, 48 x 13 x 24.

Thanks!

Thanks for the question! 55 and 60 gal tanks have a fairly narrow footprint. I would be a little reluctant to put a 3D background in a tank with those dimensions given how large adult discus can grow. If the 3D background is more than an inch deep I probably wouldn’t use it. A better option for a 3D background setup would probably be a standard 75 or 90 gal if you have the space.

Do you know where to buy a 75 gallon and if I could return the 55? My local petco doesn’t sell 75 at least I think! Thank you for the suggestion! I had one more if you don’t mind. Do you think it would be ok to have plecos with the discus?

I’m sorry! I just found out my local petco does have 75 gallons!

@@London.Donahoe If you recently purchased it and haven’t done anything to it yet I would think most stores would let you return it for credit to buy a 75 gal instead. Have you already purchased the background? Which background were you thinking of using? I’ve never kept plecos with discus. I know several people who have without problems, but there are people out there who have had issues. I would think you could add one and watch closely for problems. If anything happens I would have a quick trigger to remove the pleco and either give it away or sell it to a local fish store. However, I would bet that it will end up being fine

Thank you for all your help!