help me aquascape my discus tank.....please

[fishkid951]

hi all
i hav a 45gallon/165L (84 LONG x 44 WIDE x 59 TALL cm)discus display planted tank and i would like to re-aquascape it soon
i would like it to look really amazonian(eg plants readily available from lfs that are also commonly found in the amazon). i hav diy co2, add flourish excel weekly and hav approx 1.6wpg of light off the top of my head(which is low light).
fish in the tank will be discus, neons, cory, bristlenose and maybe some kuhlis(i know they are a lil out of place in this tank tho). i will prob be doin 2 wc per week instead of 1.

could you all give me some suggestions on the plants i could use and the layout of the tank. i would like a variety of plant and colour.

also atm i hav one of those backrounds with pics of plants and rock etc on it...do u think changing it to black, dark blue or light blue at top moving to dark blue down the bottom(layers of water) would look better.

[hatcheridiot]

I love my black background......it looks really classy and the fish really stand out.

[tanker]

With so little light not too many "South American" plants will grow.

You can make a more authentic Discus tank with no plants. Discus come from the "Black water" area of the Amazon where there are very little plants. I would put lots of drift wood in instead, keep lights low and the fish will be happy. :)

[skesterson]

I have no personal expierience with discus but have read that they will tear up live plants. If I can find the website I will post it.

[jmarsh3253]

I have a heavily planted tank with 6 discus and they have never touched or torn up any plants whatsoever. They love to swim in and out of the plants and use them for concealment if startled. Discus most definitely come from areas of plant growth. The blackwater is from the tannins that leech out of driftwood, leaf litter, etc. on the river and stream bottoms. If you are keeping the Discus at proper temperature 82-86* F, it does limit the type of plants you can effectively grow. I had Amazon Swords, Vallisnaria, Java Fern, Java Moss, Pygmy Chain Swords, Cryptocoryne Wendtii, all growing just fine in just under 2 WPG with DIY Co2 and dry ferts.

[fishkid951]

thinking of goin with lots of thin val in the bak with some amazons to one side and a few crypts w. around the place...how many thin val plants would i need to hav 5cm thick backround? will the do fine as the bak opf the tank doesnt get alot of light?

[Ajordan]

how many vals to start with depends how patient you are. If they survive they will grow rapidly. I got sick of pruning mine (not pruning is more accurate) so I tore them out. They grow and spread pretty darn fast.

[Star_Rider]

Is this a biotope tank or a planted tank.

if you are doing biotope then you'll want to stick with plants from that region.


a planted tank then you can go with a low light set up and include plants not in the biotope.


cryptocoryne are from sri lanka

keep in mind that discus tho may be found in water with plants..they also are found in shallow water with heavy litter. with lots of deadfall..

btw sans the neons...discus may try to eat them but you can go with larger tetras like cardinals and black neons if you like the neon profile.

the temp can range to the mid-upper 80's with little to no light..meaning there would be little plant life.
I spoke with a friend of mine who specializes in discus..particularly wild his favorite is the heckels.
he said discus look great in a planted tanks but are normally found in areas heavy with deadfall, rotting timber , heavy leaf litter and little -if any plant life.
if you have discus you will note that they like low light conditions..mine will feed in the tank with ambient light .

I keep mine in a planted tank and the love the taller plants. my tank is not a biotope and I use cryptocoryne some of which grows quite tall.

[tanker]

Also Kulie Loaches are from Asia too.

[tanker]

Also Kulie Loaches are from Asia too.