210g discus build

[Etunes]

As Jr pointed out, we used aquariumplants.com substrate (Black Diamond). 4 x 5g buckets provided a contoured bottom with a minimum depth of 3" to a maximum of 6". It comes in two other colors, Natural Amazon and Red River.

Each 5g bucket covers 12 sqft @ 3" depth for $65 and free shipping. For comparison, we used eco-complete in the 45g tall tank 5 x 20# bags @ $20 each + shipping, which provided a 3" - 4" depth. It would take 6 bags of eco-complete to cover the same area as a 5g bucket of this stuff.

According to aquariumplants.com, it's the same substrate used in their plant growing end of the business. Grain sizes range from 1.2 - 2.8mm. They also claim it doesn't cloud the water, found that to be untrue. The gravel was washed by placing a hose in the bucket and letting the dust rise to and over the top. I strongly recommend a strainer of some sort (colander?) be used to wash it. We have moved a piece or two of the driftwood and it kicks up a cloud each time.

We also are going to use their fertilizer pellets for the rooted plants and liquid concentrate for the tied off/floating plants.

Ok, cool. Are you guys dosing? I assume you are.

 

[RSugelSr]

Ok, cool. Are you guys dosing? I assume you are.

If by dosing you mean adding the ferts, the pellets will be added manually once per month. The instructions for these are fairly specific ( 1 pellet per 3" x 3" planted area buried an inch below the substrate surface).

For the liquid, again the instructions are specific ( 1 drop per 10g twice a week) and to begin it'll be manual. If this gets to be a PITA, I'll look at adding a dosing pump on a timer to add the ferts to the pump area of the sump.

 

[Etunes]

Ok, cool. WHat are you guys dosing with?

 

[WhiteDevil]

total from aquariumplants.com however up till that stuff gets here the plants when they were in my 52 were dosed with rex grigg dry ferts. I still dose my 55 with it but the 210 has a total fertilizing system going on with the liquid.pellets and the substrate itself.

 

[WhiteDevil]

Ok new fish are here.

Discusmadness.com was superb, awesome fish, awesome health.

here are two pics of the new fish
9 new discus

12 rams(6 GBR, 6 GR's)

also 5 BNP's in with the rams

ended up ordering a dozen rams, 8 discus and 4 BNP's we got a dozen rams, 9 discus and 5 BNP's discus and a bnp were free.

 

[WhiteDevil]

here is a few more

 

[dkpate]

YESSSSS!!!!!!! I am in love!!! They are SOOOOOO cute! Thanks for posting! Seriously, they are adorable.

 

[WhiteDevil]

they are really different fish, the new ones even right when they went from acclimation to the QT were VERY friendly towards humans, the 6 we bought from the breeder were shy and still timid a bit but have shown the angels who the bosses of the tank are and we got em reinforcements to ensure their place as the emperors of this aquarium.

Its been a fun build, lots of newly learned stuff in my brain and alot in my fathers I know that much. this isnt the same hobby he bowed out from 20 years ago.

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

Man that looks good, rams are awesome!

 

[mgamer20o0]

how big are the discus right now?

 

[WhiteDevil]

2.5"-3"

 

[taylorodw]

So what is left on the project? Of course the tank looks amazing but is there still some driftwood soaking? Do we have more exciting FTS to expect?

 

[WhiteDevil]

No just no new pics yet, the DW is in the tank, I wanted to get almost all the tannins out because the tank owner does not like stained water.

9 new discus, 12 new rams and 5 new BNP's came in on tuesday and are doing just fine in QT, most the rams are males especially the GB's but the golds are a nice mix and they are really nice looking fish when they are fighting and courting.

Ill be posting up soon, we have the drain line plumbed up but the sump pump blew so now that project is tossed in, I still have to sand and paint the stand just finishing sanding of filler and then touch up paint.

 

[WhiteDevil]

Updated the album.

Heres 2 for the thread.

More plants and a flora rescape on friday.

 

[Aquarium1]

Looks great!

 

[WhiteDevil]

I am very happy with the way the driftwood turned out,its like 5 or 6 pieces and looks like one solid piece. The back side of it is hollowed out the way mopani roots do and it gives them plenty of space to hide when they stress.

 

[Etunes]

Nice, So what are the total morphs of discus in the tank?

 

[dkpate]

I love them! I really like that dw in the middle, and it seems they do too LOL!

 

[WhiteDevil]

2 goldens
3 blue diamonds
white rabbit albino
apricot rainbow
blue diamond red striated
eruption leopard
green diamond
red albino
white butterfly
yellow face red melon
rose red

 

[Aquarium1]

Is that gonna be ur final stocking?