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Johns 6' Discus tank

john6

Member
Joined
23 Mar 2022
Messages
306
Location
Scunthorpe
Welcome to my Journal
My tank is an established 6x2x2 Discus tank with 8 full size Discus and 2 Albino Angelfish. I have been an avid Discus fan for about 20 years but this is the first time i have gone planted.
It has a minimum looking scape with a few pebbles and 3 bits of artificial wood on a JBL 'River' substrate.
It is filtered by 2 Oase biomaster 850 thermo filters, 1 is filled with Seachem Matrix and purigen with space for another media if needed and the other is filled with Biohome Ultra and again space for other media if needed.
Temp is 28c and ph is 6.9
The lighting is 3 AI Primes Freshwater (13 led, not the new 16), that is it for equipment as the heaters are in the filters, which was one of the main reasons i chose these filters. I used to run it on an Aquael 2000 Max which was a great filter but decided to change it for the Oase because the heater is in the filter and it has a so easy pre filter.
Anyway I looked at the tank and thought it looks a bit drab and basic so i decided to 'plant' it
On recommendation that these plants are good for a Discus tank and dont need co2 these are the plants ive gone for.
2 Echinodorus Rose xl
2 Barthii xl
2 Ozelot xl
2 Palifolius xl
2 Crypto Wendti xl
5 Crypto Wilissi
2 Hygrophila corymbosa 'Siamensis' xl
2 Alternanthera reineckii 'Pink' xl.
5 Helanthium bolivianum 'Quadricostatus'
1 Lymphaea lotus
I hope there isnt too many
Ive also gone for (on recommendation) Profito fertiliser but at 60 ml per week its looking a bit expensive. Root tabs as i havent got a soil substrate.
I would take pictures but its being treated with esha hexamita which makes the tank look green so ill wait til its clear again. Plants come on Friday so i will be planting them on Saturday.
In the mean time any advice about anything planted is welcome as i am a complete newb to the 'planted' world.
Thanks for looking
 
Looking forward to seeing some photo's of your tank - I do like big big discus tanks!

Ive also gone for (on recommendation) Profito fertiliser but at 60 ml per week

Despite Easy-Life claiming Profito is a comprehensive all-in-one fertilizer, it actually omits two of the main macro nutrients that plants need - nitrogen and phosphorus!

If you want to use a a premixed true all in one fertilizer, I would switch to TNC Complete. However given your tank size it would be much cheaper to mix your own using dry salts.

If I were you I would grab a starter pack from Aquarium Plant Food UK before they cease trading on 28th March: Ei Starter 1 Kit with Bottles - Starter Kits - Dry Chemicals - Fertilisers
 
Looking forward to seeing some photo's of your tank - I do like big big discus tanks!



Despite Easy-Life claiming Profito is a comprehensive all-in-one fertilizer, it actually omits two of the main macro nutrients that plants need - nitrogen and phosphorus!

If you want to use a a premixed true all in one fertilizer, I would switch to TNC Complete. However given your tank size it would be much cheaper to mix your own using dry salts.

If I were you I would grab a starter pack from Aquarium Plant Food UK before they cease trading on 28th March: Ei Starter 1 Kit with Bottles - Starter Kits - Dry Chemicals - Fertilisers
Thanks
I looks a bit daunting but probably very simple.
My question is my Nitrate and Phosphate are both very high, in fact im constantly battling them, Nitrate is over 100 ppm and Phosphate goes off the scale with my JBL test kit, so do i need to add the Nitrate and Phosphate salts?
 
do i need to add the Nitrate and Phosphate salts?
This might be slightly heretical but I think in your case maybe not. I think in some situations it could make sense to dose an incomplete fertilizer. What I am wondering though is how often you change your water if you are seeing these kinds of values? And do you happen to have your local water supply report?
I think in either case mixing your own fertilizer is a way cheaper option and I wholeheartedly recommend it. The money saved can be used for all manner of more fun things. You could buy the starter kit and then you have the option for dosing or not dosing nitrate and phosphate down the road if you want to.
 
This might be slightly heretical but I think in your case maybe not. I think in some situations it could make sense to dose an incomplete fertilizer. What I am wondering though is how often you change your water if you are seeing these kinds of values? And do you happen to have your local water supply report?
I think in either case mixing your own fertilizer is a way cheaper option and I wholeheartedly recommend it. The money saved can be used for all manner of more fun things. You could buy the starter kit and then you have the option for dosing or not dosing nitrate and phosphate down the road if you want to.
I change my water 50% every fortnight, I use ro water mixed with tap water but my tap water is 40ppm nitrate, why i have high nitrate and phos i really dont know, that was one of the reasons i chose to plant, not just for aesthetics but to maybe help reduce my Nitrates and Phos. Not sure if the plants ive got are good nutrient eaters.
It does look alot cheaper to use salts, Maybe just mix without the Nitrate and Phos until i need to?
 
Thanks
I looks a bit daunting but probably very simple.
My question is my Nitrate and Phosphate are both very high, in fact im constantly battling them, Nitrate is over 100 ppm and Phosphate goes off the scale with my JBL test kit, so do i need to add the Nitrate and Phosphate salts?

The fertilizer mixing is very simple - think of it as similar to a simple cooking recipe.

I probably should have caveated my post by mentioning that as Discus are such messy eaters, nitrate levels could well be sufficient. If you are happy that phosphate levels are high too, you could also omit that.

If you are concerned over the level of your nitrates, a planted tank is the best way to combat them. I would recommend adding floating plants, they suck up nitrates and phosphates like a sponge.
 
According to the website i mix the nitrate and phosphate and magnesium together for the macro mix, if i dont mix the nitrate and phos, can i mix the magnesium with the trace mix or does it have to be seperate?
Another question is do i need a magnesium and potassium test kit?
 
According to the website i mix the nitrate and phosphate and magnesium together for the macro mix, if i dont mix the nitrate and phos, can i mix the magnesium with the trace mix or does it have to be seperate?
Another question is do i need a magnesium and potassium test kit?

Yes, you should be able to mix the magnesium with the micros if you are omitting the potassium nitrate and potassium phosphate, and just run one bottle.

No, you don't need test kits at all, I would abandon using them, they are not particularly accurate and not particularly useful. The only time I have found them useful is when I suspect a complete deficiency in a particular nutrient and might test to ensure a non-zero reading.
 
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I am not an expert, but if you are omitting the potassium nitrate I would add potassium sulphate into the mix.
so APF are out of stock on the potassium sulphate so do you have any links to what is ok to use or is it all the same stuff, just differently worded and branded?
 
So a few pics of the tank, you will have to excuse the quality as i'm no David Bailey. the green hue is caused by the treatment i am using at the moment.
I keep meaning to set up a hospital tank but i'm not sure how to keep a filter ready for when and if i need to hospitalise a fish.
Anyway heres a couple of pics.
20220323_142428.jpg
20220323_142436.jpg
20220323_142457.jpg
20220323_143121.jpg
 
Hi all,
I'm watching this with interest. I've never kept Discus, but I know Larry Waybright a bit and he is a <"great Discus keeper with planted tanks">.
Another question is do i need a magnesium and potassium test kit?
No, not really. You can get accurate values for both them <"via spectrophotometry"> (or <"flame photometry"> for potassium), but colour based titrimetric techniques (drop tests) are problematic, particularly for potassium as its <"salts are nearly all soluble">. If you really wanted to test for potassium (K) you could use the <"Lamotte test">, or send them away for analysis.

I'd look at it another way, plants will <"reduce levels of all nutrients">. Get plenty of plants, in active growth, and <"your water quality has improved">. It really is as simple as that.

cheers Darrel
 
So 3 and half hours later, my tank is finally planted.
20220326_054038.jpg 20220326_054049.jpg 20220326_054106.jpg 20220326_054108.jpg 20220326_054113.jpg 20220326_054127.jpg 20220326_054140.jpg

Its not going to win any aquascaping awards but thats not why i went planted and i'm happy with it, so lets hope i can keep it looking as nice as it does now
 
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I'm hoping my dry ferts come today so i can start mixing up some fert to feed the plants with, then i'm going to look at my light settings, i'm thinking of just setting them at 20% power as somebody suggested. I want as slow growth as possible but healthy plants so i dont have to spend all my time 'pruning'. Who knows, when my fingers get greener i can start experimenting with different plants and positions but thats for the future, there is still so much i need to learn.
 
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