Thanks all for the food input from everyone, I guess everyone has there own special ways of doing things. It is good to know that variety is key but beyond that it can vary greatly. Its greatly appreciated all the information you all have been sending me.
but if you want planted but so many recommend BB for juvies, if I may suggest, you can transplant your plants & set up various graveled glass cups or mugs or whatever receptacles & plant them that way. remove the rest of the gravel so it is BB. a nice compromise. right now I have 6 stemless cosmo glasses all graveled & planted & so far so good. I also kept 2 potted swords in original plastic pots they come in but with their shoots I have planted the baby shoots as runners in my cosmo glasses (mind u I didn't cut the shoots just extended them sideways & planted like they were runner shoots). I have way way too many plants to put them in any sort of pots. I have 2 or 3 swords that take up 24+" area each plus all my other crypts and anubis and various others and who knows how far their roots have sprawled over the bottom of the tank. But a good suggestion if it were possible.
the other thing I did to augment my maintenance is DIY my AC110 by extending the intake tube with pvc down to the bottom into a tee so I have 2 inlets. this takes care of sucking up all the heavier poop & with the waterflow action of my 2nd AC110 there is enough circulation to keep the tank clean. I've got an fx5 and a eheim 2026 running currently on the tank and each of the inlets is about 2-4" above the substrate in opposite corners with the outlets aimed towards the middle to create 2 circles of flow. Debating to pick up another fx5 if needed for the fish load but the mass amounts of plants have taken care of most an nutrients left over.
my discus are "thriving" in that they are all very vibrant & still voracious eaters (feeding tetramin mixed with various kens flakes, frozen hikari brine & bloodworms, sf bay beefheart cubes & freeze dried worms from jehms).
mine probably won't grow to 7" (after 10mos.) tho they did double in size from juvies (again I bought mine from Discus Hans but kenny's is also a good choice).
I have chosen not to combine other fish since I have stabilized my tank & want to avoid anymore issues. but since you going in reverse, adding discus you still need to sufficiently QT them no matter the source. from reputable breeders you have a better chance of getting quality & not sickly fish but beware from LFS - almost always they carry with them ills.
so good luck! 180g is a nice home for discus presentation! at least 6 - 8 I say!! I hope so, its becoming very exciting planning and taking steps to make this actually happen. Hopefully I can find some good fish at a reasonable price.
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p.s. having 2 AC110's running the water flow is pretty strong, but counter to the fact they don't like strong flow mine are use to it & some actually swim up into the flow!! espec. when it's feeding time, when the food is dispersed I swear they act like piranhas!!
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