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building a 1200L nature aquarium with Wild Discus & jungle-nature feel

Ehm... seems most folks are on summer vacation already ;) ...any comments and suggestions on the choice of plants or the layout?
 
aeneas said:
Ehm... seems most folks are on summer vacation already ;) ...any comments and suggestions on the choice of plants or the layout?
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Discus require high temperatures and a lot of plants like it cooler. Just something to consider
 
PARAGUAY said:
Discus require high temperatures and a lot of plants like it cooler. Just something to consider
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This is being considered... temperature will be 27C so this is (supposedly) reasonably well tolerated for many plants, providing that lighting & ferts are sorted well (which they will be). In the list above I do not think there are any temperature sensitive plants, other than Aponogeton.
 
aeneas said:
This is being considered... temperature will be 27C so this is (supposedly) reasonably well tolerated for many plants, providing that lighting & ferts are sorted well (which they will be). In the list above I do not think there are any temperature sensitive plants, other than Aponogeton.
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Isn't that pretty low for Discus - I thought around 30 degrees was more typical?
 
30 is where many breeders keep genetically "inbread" varieties... wilds in the nature are more hardy and 27 is quite standard for them during rainy season when water T is often as low as ~26C. They have been in quarantine in Brazil for 4 months and then in Portugal now for 6+ months all the time at 27C.
I even kept my German-bred discus always between 27-28 for 30+ years and only had a few times disease issues, mainly due to my sloppiness with quarantine when introducing new fish.
 
Plants ordered... now choosing the fish! As you know, the Wild Disus are the main inhabitants here. But I want this to be a community tank so that there will be more stuff happening around various places and roots... from large to small. Here is my current thinking of the tankmates. Pls help me brainstorm. Cleaning crew sufficient?

MAIN DISPLAY FISH
•12x Trombetas / Batata / Irpixi Royal Wild Discus

OTHER DISPLAY FISH
•100x Cardinal Tetras
•10x Puntius denisonii (Denison Barb)
•8x Congo Tetras
•6x Electric Blue Acara
•6x Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides)
•6x Agassizi’s Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma Agassizi Double Red)
•6x German Blue Ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)
•20 Rummynose Tetras?

CLEANING CREW
•30x Otocinclus
•10x Coridoras sterbai
•10x Corydoras trilineatus
•10x Coridoras aeneus CW010
•50x Amano Shrimp (XXL large ~5-7cm size)
•10x Clithon corona snails
•10x Neritina natalensis snails
10x Vittina waigiensis snails
 
Interesting fish choice. I'm not experience mixing fish with discus beyond the odd group of tetras so will except your knowledge with the community fish. The one thing that potentially stands out is the numbers which I think it's probably hard to plan with such a big tank and it might be a case that your list is a good starting point from which to adjust when stocking begins.
8 doesn't seem a very large group for Congo tetras if you are wanting to mix the sexes. Lots suggest a 3:1 female/male ratio to get the best display. I also think 20 rummy nose will likely just dissappear in the tank, you'd be better really upping that number.

With the corydoras numbers I think you could up them to 15 per species because again in 1200l 10 might not look enough. I'm a cory fan so I'd up the numbers at the expense of the blue acara or denison barbs.
 
It’s a huge tank, so it’s difficult to imagine the fish in it and how they will look. I would add them gradually so you can see what they look like together, swimming in the space. You may find it’s a case of ‘less is more’.

I agree with @mort, you want the Discus to take centre stage, and all other species to be complementary - I don’t think the Acara will be, they’ll be similar size to the Discus and detract from them.

Likewise too many different types and small shoals of tetra may not work so well, whereas larger shoals of a couple of species can look really effective. I’d personally start with the Discus, Cardinals and Corys, and live with them for a couple of weeks to see how they look, then maybe add a larger shoal of Congo’s if you think the tank will look better with the additional mid-water swimmers. I suspect that, along with a few Apisto’s will be just right without the other species.
 
Quick status update: the stand is in, the glass is in, the sump and installations half-way there. Intend to finish by end of the week, then scaping and planting over the weekend if all goes well. Looking good (IMO) except for the background foil which turned out too transparent... I wanted a more "milky" diffusing one that would not let through much of the background stuff. Will post more.
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oh my..... that is the nicest looking cabinet inside i've seen. brilliant plumbing! bravo:clap:
 
foxfish said:
Very impressive … What is in between the tanks glass floor and the metal stand?
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Very hard cross-laminated wood, finely polished to a smooth surface. I was thinking whether to add rubber / foam in between the wood and glass or not, but decided it was not necessary.
 
Quick question: filter media in the sump? I intend to use coarse foam + ceramic bio media + fine foam.
The ceramic bio media will most likely be Eheim Substrate Pro. However for the foam I cannot decide yet; I have JBL foam available cheaply - could use 10ppi on one end and then several 30ppi on the other end.
However reading the forums, people seem to be continuously raving about "Poret" foam... is it really any different? Would a Poret 30ppm foam be any better than a JBL 30ppm?
 
Hi guys, crisis in the house!!!
Today I tested with the water to check the pipes and seals and before the water was 1/4 full the corner silicone seal started leaking!!!
The guys who made the aquarium said they tested it before delivery and this probably happened during transport. They say they can mend this by squirting some fresh silicone into the crack that was created… that this will seal the leak fully. That structurally the aquarium should hold the pressure and there is not structural damage - just a small leak.
I am not sure I buy this story. Would you trust this? Would you trust just resealing with a fresh squirt of silicone or would you request complete reglueing? Sooo frustrating!!
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Structurally the tank is probably fine, meaning it won't just burst apart but that is a big leak for only a quarter full and I wouldn't accept a bit of silicon being squirted in there as a solution. You have to think whether you will ever feel comfortable with that volume of water in your house with a known weak point.
 
I personally would ask them for a complete reglue, you don't want to be lying in bed at night worrying about the tank leaking, which I think you would if they don't properly redo it, that's a LOT of water to leak out if things go wrong, even through a small hole. If you buy a custom tank and it immediately leaks then the product is faulty, whether it happened in transport or not it's their responsibility to make sure it works. I assume you spent proper £££ to get this tank and you deserve it to work without dangerous problems coming up the first time you fill it!
 
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