few discus questions

[j-gens]

i think that juveniles discus can be raised in a planted tank, im going to differ with some of the people on here and say that it is just as much maintainance planted as it is barebottom... you are going to have do a lot of waterchanges either way...

i use eco-complete covered with poolfilter sand in my tank and it looks great and keeps all of the poop on top of the sand to be easily vac'd up when i do my waterchanges. I make my own seafood mix that gets devoured by my discus so i never really have any uneaten food 10 min after feeding time which helps on the water chemistry problems that other people are seeming to address on this thread a lot(i feed 4-5 times a day and rarely have uneaten food)... which with my maintainance schedule my water stays very clean (plants help this on top of keeping the water oxygenated). though this formula might not work for everyone it has worked for me and i enjoy the planted tank much more than i do the bb.

I once met a guy that had his discus tanks set up to overflow to the basement where it would go through a 55g sump system, then a 55 gal planted system, then returned to the tank. best system that i have seen besides cary strongs system at gl discus

 

[D.J.]

these are a few prices of what he can get and my cost.....
$21.00
Red Pigeon Blood Discus 2"
$28.00
Mixed Discus 2.5" Select nice
$21.00
Cobalt Blue Discus, 2"

$58.00
Green Discus XL- Tefe
$28.00
Turquoise Blue Discus MS

$90.00
Turquoise Brilliant Discus 6”


thanks for postin that j-gens....ive seen a good bit of planted tanks on the net that had small discus in it....im NOT saying its right so dont think i am just saying that ive seen them...i wish i knew more on these other than reading online or at least knew someone CLOSE to me that bred them so i could get some ONE ON ONE time.....

i read on a canadian forum on a matter like mine and a guy on there said he has always kept discus fry and juvies in planted tanks with no issues...but i cant find the site now to link yall to it...i hate my memory!!! LOL he did however say that he done 15% water changes 3 times a week which isnt bad and easily done for me...and then cleaned the gravel 1 time every 2 weeks....thats about all irememebr of thread. i cant rememebr what size tank,filtration or anything else.....its been about a year since i read that...which was around the last time i thought about housing discus...

CAN SOMEONE GIVE ME A BREAK DOWN OF THEIR SYSTEM? as far as fish,filtration,lighting,gravel and all....so i at least know where i can start and get some ideas on the RIGHT stuff to use to setup a tank....

 

[rich_one]

Hey DJ... if you are in Wisconsin, are either of these places near you... they carry Stendkher (Hans stock) discus... some of the very best stock you could buy. May want to check them out, if they are not too far from you.:

Tropic Waters Pet Center
2513 Clairemont Avenue
Eau Claire, WI. 54701
Phone: 715 832 0174

Aquatics Unlimited
3550 S. 108th street
Greenfield, WI. 53228
Phone: 414 543 2552
website​

 

[D.J.]

Hey DJ... if you are in Wisconsin, are either of these places near you... they carry Stendkher (Hans stock) discus... some of the very best stock you could buy. May want to check them out, if they are not too far from you.:

Tropic Waters Pet Center
2513 Clairemont Avenue
Eau Claire, WI. 54701
Phone: 715 832 0174

Aquatics Unlimited
3550 S. 108th street
Greenfield, WI. 53228
Phone: 414 543 2552
website​

TROPIC WATERS is one of my saltwater supplies places....i know the owner JIM and talk to him alot when im in there.....THANKS FOR THAT LIST....ill talk to jim next time im in there.....

 

[Star_Rider]

Disccs can be raised in planted tanks.. there are some that will argue the point.
but none the less it is done.

the problem is mostly about water changes. and plants and temp.

juvie discus with out any doubt will fare best in warm water..86-88 f.. this will limit the plants you may find easy to grow,

that said..some plants will require ferts, light etc.. these may not be good for young discus.

water changes will interfere with many plants and their nutrient requirements.
it will reduce nutrients in many cases by removing nitrate etc


it is no doubt more difficult to keep a planted tank clean.. plants will use nutrients but may not reduce the TDS which will cause issues with the young discus(hence water changes)

ultimately the issue is providing the best environment...if you do frequent water changes as required to raise healthy discus the plants will suffer.. if you don't do the water changes.. the discus will suffer.


if your goal is to raise large discus.. go bare bottom till adult. it is easier to provide the required food and water.

if you will settle for discus a bit smaller then you can try planted with 3-4 water large (50%+)changes per week


these will not be stunted but may not exhibit ultimate growth.

btw, the arguement can be made.. if the young discus are eating all you provide and not leaving any uneaten food.. you may not be providing enough food.

often the idea is to feed enough so that there is some uneaten.. that way you know the fish got their fill.

 

[j-gens]

i feed mine a crapload... and they still devour it... they will even eat so much they look like they will explode... so i think they are being fed enough... btw when feeding discus it is much better to feed them 3 times far apart throughout the day instead of a closer time frame together...
my food ingredients vary but usually include spinach, whitefish, shrimp, paprika, garlic, vitimins, peas, gelatin....
they go nuts over this and devour this like piranha's it has put on size to the juvies i had very fast, i got them at the end of jan at a quarter to 50 cent sized, and now they are around 4 inches great shape and starting to color up nicely