I honestly think that you will be much happier with discus than and arowana...much more peaceful and relaxing....IMO....they need a bit more care but in a tank that large I cant think of anything better to do...I mean arowanas are cool but IMO they just arent the fish that I would really want to have as my display...i mean with discus you can not only have the discus but also many tetras and even some dwarf cichlids as well like blue rams, checkerboards, and apistos of most any sort. And they will be happier in that tank than a Arowana...and you arent as likely to find your discus laying on the floor....most Arowanas can leap 3'+ out of water FYI....I think you're on the right track w/ Discus
Fish For My 200g?
- Thread starter Pinks
- Start date
as in love with the aro as I am... discus would be great but make sure you do it right... plant it real well get a HUGE school of cardinals or something of that nature some of the really pretty plecos hatchet fish etc. Make sure you do have a ton of filtration... and than some and very often water changes... you'll be nuts if you dont purchase a python to help speed those up. good luck and im glad this worked out to be a great thread w/ a truly diverse set of answers for you. Good luck and keep us updated with pictures.
IMO cardinals are a lot prettier and grow larger. the blue and red lines go along their whole body as supposed to only 1/2 way with each.... Neons are also a little cheaper. one thing you should also consider, rummy nose tetras. apparently they are like a cole miners canary in a discus tank. when water conditions get bad there nose is no longer red! plus they look real cool.
Other than the price....the cardinals have a solid red belly vs the neon who only have red on their tails....rummynose tetras would be nice too...and maybe a nice school of rasborahs(spelling) and some phantom tetras...lots of options with that tank
A school of like 300+ tetras in a tank like that would be sweet looking. Ive seen it done on a discus tank before.
If you want it done right...minimal amount of plants in the tank. Go bare bottom, but have potted plants. This will allow the tank to remain relatively easy to clean and remain suitable for discus A large school a tetras, cory's, plecos and a few tiger barbs is all you would need if you want it for a display tank.
As for filtration....wet/dry....a big wet/dry is the ONLY way to go for a tank that big...especially with discus. Maybe have something like a big Aqua Clear hanging on the back as a back up form of filtration...but it's really not needed. Also, I suggest getting a GOOD heater. One from Jehmco that is rated for around 500-1,000 watts and has one of their controllers on it to make sure the tank stays in the mid 80's.
And finally w/c's....Ideally with a tank that big I would try do 25% no less than 2x a week. Hell, I have 6 65 gallon tanks that I do 90% w/c on 2x a DAY because I have around 40 or so 3" fish in there and no filtration...So the more w/c's the better obviously. But not everyone can do that many, so you must rely on filtration...which is why I say a wet/dry as they work very well and are very reliable.
PM me for any more questions...dont want to leave you stranded :shark:
-Ryan
If you want it done right...minimal amount of plants in the tank. Go bare bottom, but have potted plants. This will allow the tank to remain relatively easy to clean and remain suitable for discus A large school a tetras, cory's, plecos and a few tiger barbs is all you would need if you want it for a display tank.
As for filtration....wet/dry....a big wet/dry is the ONLY way to go for a tank that big...especially with discus. Maybe have something like a big Aqua Clear hanging on the back as a back up form of filtration...but it's really not needed. Also, I suggest getting a GOOD heater. One from Jehmco that is rated for around 500-1,000 watts and has one of their controllers on it to make sure the tank stays in the mid 80's.
And finally w/c's....Ideally with a tank that big I would try do 25% no less than 2x a week. Hell, I have 6 65 gallon tanks that I do 90% w/c on 2x a DAY because I have around 40 or so 3" fish in there and no filtration...So the more w/c's the better obviously. But not everyone can do that many, so you must rely on filtration...which is why I say a wet/dry as they work very well and are very reliable.
PM me for any more questions...dont want to leave you stranded :shark:
-Ryan
Wont tiger barbs be a little aggressive for a discus tank? i know they can get nippy even in large groups...wouldnt that stress discus out a bit?
I would deffinetly say no to tiger barbs, WAY to unpredictable. Gravel does not make it that much harder to do a w/c. If you are doing them as frequently as you are supposed to w/ discus than you will get to problems long before they could arise. remember this is a display tank... I'd say just make sure you are doing GOOD water changes and maybe two times a week and you could afford to go with gravel, its worth it
The tiger barbs dont distrub the discus really...they mostly will hide in spaces you give them. Never had a problem with them nor have I ever heard from people of any problems with them in a discus tank. They might get a little hyperactive from time to time....but that's about it.
Even with "good" w/c's....the presence of gravel will create a problem later down the road. Even if you are able to totally clean the gravel every week...there is still a huge risk factor because the gravel will harbor bacteria. Discus need a fairly sterile tank in order to remain healthy and growing well. This is why people suggest bare bottom tanks. With the gravel in the tank, it is basically a time bomb waiting to go off because the older the tank gets, the more bacteria gets established in it. With a bare bottom tank you are able to keep the tank MUCH cleaner...and the fish will remain MUCH healthier. Discus are not ordinary fish with ordinary requirements...they require a bit more specific needs and a bit more attention...which is why there is so much false info out there such as discus needing things such as a certain pH level...this is 100% false. Discus can adapt to almost any pH level and live happily. If you want to keep discus successfully, the secret is to maintain the water quality. The more w/c's you are able to do, the better. You will be able to tell a difference in the way the discus act before and after a w/c. They are MUCH more active and much happier right after a w/c. But with w/c's on a weekly basis, there is a huge possibility for them to become stunted and not reach their full 6-7"+ size range. Anyone here ever see a 10" discus? I have. A fish that size was only created by keeping the tank clean at all times with multiple daily w/c's. That and feeding a complete diet consisting of Beef, Shrimp and fish will they be able to reach such a large size.
Ok, sorry...went off on a tangent there....
Anyways...if you want your first discus experience to go over well, then i suggest bare bottom tanks. If you want it a bit decorated, then add in potted plants with a piece of drift wood or two. Just make sure that the bottom of the tank is bare, with the exception of the potted plants and driftwood. Hook up a wet/dry to the tank to filter it. Make sure the temp stays in the mid 80's with a good, reliable heater...and above all else...do as many w/c's as you possibly can. If you slack on them, the discus will let you know by hiding, not eating, becoming dark, skittish, getting sick, etc... keep up on the w/c's and they will come to the front of the tank to greet you and even feed from your hand. Following these simple guidelines will let you have a good discus experience. Oh, I also suggest joining one of the two major online discus forums:
www.discusasahobby.com
www.simplydiscus.com/forum
There is a wealth of info on those two sites alone, along with even more people to help you along the way. Discus are not nearly as hard as everyone says they are. Its just that some people are ignorant enough to still believe in old skool info and pass that false info on to other people. The more you know about discus, the easier they become to have in your tanks.
-Ryan
Even with "good" w/c's....the presence of gravel will create a problem later down the road. Even if you are able to totally clean the gravel every week...there is still a huge risk factor because the gravel will harbor bacteria. Discus need a fairly sterile tank in order to remain healthy and growing well. This is why people suggest bare bottom tanks. With the gravel in the tank, it is basically a time bomb waiting to go off because the older the tank gets, the more bacteria gets established in it. With a bare bottom tank you are able to keep the tank MUCH cleaner...and the fish will remain MUCH healthier. Discus are not ordinary fish with ordinary requirements...they require a bit more specific needs and a bit more attention...which is why there is so much false info out there such as discus needing things such as a certain pH level...this is 100% false. Discus can adapt to almost any pH level and live happily. If you want to keep discus successfully, the secret is to maintain the water quality. The more w/c's you are able to do, the better. You will be able to tell a difference in the way the discus act before and after a w/c. They are MUCH more active and much happier right after a w/c. But with w/c's on a weekly basis, there is a huge possibility for them to become stunted and not reach their full 6-7"+ size range. Anyone here ever see a 10" discus? I have. A fish that size was only created by keeping the tank clean at all times with multiple daily w/c's. That and feeding a complete diet consisting of Beef, Shrimp and fish will they be able to reach such a large size.
Ok, sorry...went off on a tangent there....
Anyways...if you want your first discus experience to go over well, then i suggest bare bottom tanks. If you want it a bit decorated, then add in potted plants with a piece of drift wood or two. Just make sure that the bottom of the tank is bare, with the exception of the potted plants and driftwood. Hook up a wet/dry to the tank to filter it. Make sure the temp stays in the mid 80's with a good, reliable heater...and above all else...do as many w/c's as you possibly can. If you slack on them, the discus will let you know by hiding, not eating, becoming dark, skittish, getting sick, etc... keep up on the w/c's and they will come to the front of the tank to greet you and even feed from your hand. Following these simple guidelines will let you have a good discus experience. Oh, I also suggest joining one of the two major online discus forums:
www.discusasahobby.com
www.simplydiscus.com/forum
There is a wealth of info on those two sites alone, along with even more people to help you along the way. Discus are not nearly as hard as everyone says they are. Its just that some people are ignorant enough to still believe in old skool info and pass that false info on to other people. The more you know about discus, the easier they become to have in your tanks.
-Ryan
