My 194g Planted Discus tank

[leftyfish]

After being away for 3 years, I am back! My family and I moved and my tank has been empty for that long. This is the longest I have been without fish in over two decades!

So, I have a 72x24x26 acrylic aquarium with a bean animal overflow system and a 4' sump filled with 40 more gallons of water and plants. I run my plants in the sump with grow lights at night opposite the tank lights.

Current residents are 27 neon tetra, 2 greman blue rams, and 8 discus from Discus Hans. Discus are 4.5-5" and growing. They eat like pigs!

So, happy to be back. Can't wait to look around and see who is still here! And now some eye candy...







Tanks been back up and running for over a month now!

 

[IHaveAquariums]

Beautiful discus! You should add a full tank photo id love to see it

 

[Brookster123]

How long have you had the disco balls?? How big were they when you got them? I'm a disc nerd

 

[V227]

Welcome back Lefty. Very healthy and colorful group.
Brookster, your discus have just exploded in a very positive way in these few months. You definitely have skills. I really liked your tiny cobalt blue tank boss.

 

[leftyfish]

Beautiful discus! You should add a full tank photo id love to see it

Thank you! I will add one, tank is sleeping for the night.

 

[leftyfish]

How long have you had the disco balls?? How big were they when you got them? I'm a disc nerd

I got them two weeks ago, they just went in my big tank! I debating getting little ones and growing them out but it is a huge commitment. I figured I can handle 3 plus feedings and the water changes at their current size. I may add two more, but right now everyone is eating great and no one goes without. I have an apex so I hit feed button, return pump stops, they get 5 minutes to eat what I put in (beef heart mix), and then pump comes back on.

They are simply well bred. They were delayed getting to me and I ended up having to open the bags, dump the same amount of tank water in the bag (50/50) and then put them in tank within 15 minutes. Being used to salt water, this acclimation was frightening to say the least! The flachen x snakeskin was on its side most of the night and the next morning everyone was fine! Never once did they stress about breathing, they were very calm. They ate the next night and looked mad that I hadn't feed them earlier.

Hans talked me through all of it and reassured me they would be okay. He said if they lose 2 out of a shipment of 2000 from Germany, they consider it a bad shipment! Basically, fed ex drove around with them for 8 hours and then went back to the warehouse without delivering them to me. I ended up driving to the warehouse at 9 at night to get them after waiting the entire day for them to be delivered. And it was cold, very, very cold!

 

[leftyfish]

Welcome back Lefty. Very healthy and colorful group.
Brookster, your discus have just exploded in a very positive way in these few months. You definitely have skills. I really liked your tiny cobalt blue tank boss.

Thank you! They are indeed, all 8 are different. I debating going with a group of all the same, but decided I couldn't decide which ones. I almost talked myself out of them. I have wanted to keep discus over many different tank setups, and have always backed out!

 

[leftyfish]

fts

 

[IHaveAquariums]

Pretty! I think you need some taller plants though to give them some cover and add some green but it looks good!

 

[Brookster123]

Pretty! I think you need some taller plants though to give them some cover and add some green but it looks good!

If you give them somewhere to hide they'll hide.. less is more with $600 worth of frisbees haha

 

[IHaveAquariums]

If you give them somewhere to hide they'll hide.. less is more with $600 worth of frisbees haha

Haha true

 

[leftyfish]

Haha true

[emoji23] Yeah, my horrible job of aquascaping is so they don't hide!

 

[Discusluv]

very nice discus you have there! congrats-- welcome to the discus club

 

[leftyfish]

very nice discus you have there! congrats-- welcome to the discus club

Thank you! They are so beautiful, I see how they could be addictive.

 

[leftyfish]

I added two more pieces of drift wood and took out the fake piece I had in there. I've done two 70 gallon water changes since last post with a pump and the python. It takes awhile to vacuum the sand, with the pump running I am ready to start filling when I have vacuumed everywhere.



I got my Neptune controller hooked up and running, so I can check in on tank. I need to hook up a web cam so I can watch them when I am not home!

 

[V227]

The driftwood upped your tank to the next level The Discus are awsome, but the Rams steal the show. Lol

 

[leftyfish]

The driftwood upped your tank to the next level The Discus are awsome, but the Rams steal the show. Lol

I'm hoping they are a pair, lol. They do swim and hang out together now.

I'm going to add a pair of Satanoperca of some sort and call it stocked.[emoji1] I hate running the Q.T.

 

[agrasyuk]

awesome tank of awesome size with awesome fish!
I absolutely love the rams. can't wait to see when the plants take a bit more.
not that I can show anything better but the left piece of DW rubs me the wrong way a bit, I would try to rearrange for it not to resemble a "crown" but obviously this is personal and if you like it like that it's all that matters.


cheers, good luck.
waiting to see more

 

[leftyfish]

Ah, so this happened today. I guess they do like each other.

 

[coralbandit]

Nice !
Tank and discus look great ..
Nice choice of room mates for them !
The rams will love living with the discus and clean water !