new to computer posting,old to fresh water tanks.

[nanamae]

I'am a retired lady and i've just about raised my kids. I demonstrated to my children the love of aquariums and 15 years ago had a 55 gal. tank. I raised african chiclids,jack dempseys to breeding size. We loved to watch them go after thier guppys, witch grew to gold fish. If we had not been moving I would have kept them through a couple of breeding cycles. I loved the taking care, and nurturing thing and it is time to fill my empty nest. I have fallen in love with a 60 gallon aquarium with it's own stand. With all the modern changes I'am so excited to get started. I've been researching and things have evolved quite nicely in the aquarium world. I would like to try live plants and raising some Discus. I will have alot of questions such as do you need a uv fliter as well as a protien skimmer? I was successful without these things but it was with the tough chiclid. I'am so excited to begin. I figure I'am 6 months away from having the Discus,but that's what will be so rewarding. All advice will be respected and put to good use.
So Hi everyone,looking forward to being a part of this family.
nanamae

 

[mfdrookie516]

Welcome to AA

 

[Floyd R Turbo]

Welcome!! No skimmer needed for FW, that's a saltwater necessity. Start reading now if you want to keep Discus though, unless you've kept them before of course...

I would highly suggest researching the right canister filter to use. If you've been out of it for a while, like I was until 1/1/09, the canister is the way to go, gone is the undergravel filter. The hang-on-back (HOB for short) is still useful due to simplicity and ease, but canisters in my opinion offer better filtration and more options. Mine is a Marineland C-360 on my 55 which is heavily planted like this:

And stocked with 73 fish, mostly livebearers. It's getting a little crowded though, so I need to thin the herd!!! But the canister handles it great.

Also, for a planted tank, instead of activated carbon I use Seachem Purigen, google it, it's fantastic stuff. Removes dissolved organics (like carbon does) but has minimal impact on nutrients that plants need to grow. I use 500mL of it in my filter (which is 5x the recommended useage, but it last longer that way) plus it is rechargeable, so you can use it for a long time (years).

Also there have been great advances in lighting, the old T12 (1 inch diameter) fluorescent bulbs are now T8s and T5s or T5HO (high-output) and you need much less wattage to obtain higher light levels, and better plant growth.

Welcome to online posting, and AA. You picked the right site, tons of good advice here!!

 

[nanamae]

thank you i was reading and the whole protien skimmer just did not make any sence. now i know why. Fishless cycling is mandatory,but torture none the less.

 

[dkpate]

I believe discus prefer a bare bottom tank, and your water has to be PERFECT to keep them. They are beautiful though!

 

[nanamae]

for breeding i believe i've seen bare bottom aquariums. I've seen some beautifuly planted tanks for nurturing them. thank you

 

[ampa one]

welcom to AA

 

[dkpate]

I have a friend who is a discus expert, I will ask him.

 

[Aquarium1]

I have a friend who is a discus expert, I will ask him.

You should get him to join AA lol

 

[dkpate]

I think he is a member.

 

[Aquarium1]

Think?!? Lol

 

[discus_lover]

sorry,sorry sorry for late posting....sorry dkpate again for late posting...

 

[discus_lover]

I will have alot of questions such as do you need a uv fliter as well as a protien skimmer? I was successful without these things but it was with the tough chiclid. I'am so excited to begin. I figure I'am 6 months away from having the Discus,but that's what will be so rewarding. All advice will be respected and put to good use.
So Hi everyone,looking forward to being a part of this family.
nanamae

uv filter and protein skimmer are for saltwater tank,not for discus tank....

[FONT=&quot]DISCUS CARE[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]1. [FONT=&quot]DISCUS IN A COMMUNITY AQUARIUM[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The primary thing for keeping discus is to keep discus in a community aquarium. If you keep a community tank for discus aquarium that is the best thing for all, if your discus form community then half of your job is done. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]2[FONT=&quot]. BIG TANK [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Discus can grow very fast, so obviously, they need more and more space to move around in the aquarium. If discus can move freely in your tank, then you can easily say that that discus can grow very fast as it is also very healthy fish, which is out of any diseases…[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]3. [FONT=&quot]FIXED TEMP AND PH LEVEL[/FONT][/FONT]à[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Discus is a very sensitive fish. discus needs a fixed temp and ph level…for the first day of my discus keeping I keep 30 deg centigrade temp and ph level 7. I am very successful for that…many people say that discus can also live 28 deg temperature. You may buy a thermostat and can buy a digital thermometer.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
4. [FONT=&quot]TOXIC LEVEL[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]For discus or any aquarium, the NH3 and nitrite level must be zero.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Steps taken to remove toxic level[/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]

1. [FONT=&quot]You change 40 % water change in every week, also provides some medicines needed for discus.[/FONT]
2. [FONT=&quot]You can but a siphon to remove the wastes from fishes…because the wastes can cause high the toxic level…there are too many things to reduce toxic level.. iltering in a proper way is also helps you to remove it… [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]5. FILTRATION [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For discus aquarium, the most important thing is filtration. The best is obviously the external filter…those who do not use it use biological filter or undergravel filter but not the power filter because discus cannot survive in high power filtering system. You can see that the juvenile discus is near the filter because due to the power the filter drags the discus towards it. Hence, the discus cannot swim freely and may die due to this.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]6. [FONT=&quot]FOOD[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Choice of discus food is also an important part to become a successful discus keeper. From my experience, I say that discus loves to eat frozen warm like “tetra bits”. Discus can eat 3 times max but not more than that. Be sure that when you give food to discus the extra food that must not go to the bottom because it causes toxic level high. It is an experience of lifetime that discus feed from your hand but it happens if you keep your discus very well. When you go to your aquarium all discus come near you.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]7. [FONT=&quot]HIDING PLACE[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]You[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][FONT=&quot]may know that discus loves to hide, so that you should provide driftwoods and plants in your aquarium. However, most importantly keep your discus in a calm and cool atmosphere…specially for the juveniles and the newer discus when attacked by other discus go to the hiding place and hide. If you do not provide hiding place discus can die.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]8. [FONT=&quot]COMPATIBLE FISH WITH DISCUS[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT]à[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The discus you can keep neon and cardinal tetra, angel, clown loach, pleco, cory, black ghost knife, Asiatic, elephant nose etc... However, never keep gold fish and others.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]9. [FONT=&quot]PLANTS[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT]à[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Discus survive in 30 degree centigrade. But most of the plants cannot able to survive in this high temperature. The plants who survive are anubias sp, echinodorous sp, java moss, anacharis sp. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]10. [FONT=&quot]SIZE FACTOR OF DISCUS[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For[/FONT][FONT=&quot] discus aquarium, you should see that there is same size of discus; this has some advantages… when you keep all same size discus then the discus can’t fight with each other and hence all discus can live well, so that they can grow rapidly. where as if you keep different size of discus then the juveniles are attacked by bigger one and many a times they die due to this, if not die the are stunned discus, because lack of food they stop their growth. So keep all same size discus.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]

 

[discus_lover]

for more information you may ask me.i can help you out as per as i can...