hello hello hello

[steveH]

hi all

I'm steve and I'm 16, i have been keeping fish all my life and been keeping marines for the last 5 years and tropicals and golf fish the rest

but i fancy another tank in my room but community tanks are boring, i was thinking oscars but the floor won't take it so I'm thinking discus now...

i have a old 48x18x18 will this be OK

now i have a slightly different view of keeping fish from others, i go for the fish looking amazing rather than the tank as a whole so would a completely bare tank be more beneficial than a planted system? maybe just a plant pot?

how many filters do you guys run as well? i was thinking a canister + a internal just in case 1 failed

i already have a RO from my marines (0 TDS) so water should be fine, but i have a DI chamber on there, should i just get anther RO for the discus? is DI bad for them?

also do i need to add anything to the RO water before i add it to the tank?

and for the lighting, i was thinking just 2 T8 tubes would do? is this OK?

and the last question. do discus carpet surf at all? do i actully need a tank lid? (i love the open top look)

also how what is the going rate for an average discus? and would a group of 5 fit in the 4x1.5x1.5?

sorry for all the Q but i just want to know if these beast's are for me before i buy anything

thanks

steve

[scott bowler]

hi steve welcome and hope you enjoy our forum and good luck with every thing. Q1 yes tank is fine.
Q2 i would use the 2 filters they would be good .
as for the ro water i dont know i dont use it but im shore some one will help you there. lastly yes discus will jump out of the tank they do dart around some times even at night so yes you would do well to put lids on ,dont wont to lose those great fish . as for price good fish are around (as young fish) $70 -$100 plus so not for the faint hearted , so good luck and hope i have helped a little scott

[steveH]

cheers scott

should have added I'm in the UK, so i am guessing (and hoping lol) they will be cheaper

and one more question, what test kits would i need, i just checked and all my fresh water tests are well out of date

cheers

steve

[Robdog]

i was thinking oscars but the floor won't take it so I'm thinking discus now...

I don't quite understand this statement but the tank you have should be fine for either discus or one,maybe two oscars. Definitely not together though!

If you do use your RO system for your discus tank you'll need to add trace minerals to the water as it will be void of all nutrients. Your discus will probably love the really clean water too.

[wickedglass]

I want a golf fish, too, but I think they're not on the allowable import list for Australia :(

welcome to the forum, steveH :) hope you enjoy!

[benjohnson]

Hi Steve,

I suggest you look for something called Discus Mix or Breeder Mix (Depending on what your going to be asking of your discus!)

Its made by a company called Dorset Discus , I only know of one shop you can buy it from near salisbury (Dont know where you are in the country! ) or they have an online web shop. PM me if you want me to send you the link.

It will prime your RO water to be prerfect for discus, keeps the PH stable, adds back trace elements and is made from 100% natural products so won't affect your fish's breeding capabilities as is suspected with PH buffers etc.

Also, Discus in england vary in price depending o what you want. For a run on the mill Turk , around £25-30 for a 3 inch sized fish is averga,e where as if you wanted something a bit more exotic ( A Leopard Snakeskin for example) can command £50-60 for a 3 inch fish. Anything bigger than that can cost up to £100 , and if you want buy a proven breeding pair, your looking at £200 minimum for both of them, although that will buy you 5 inch fish .


HTH

Ben

[steveH]

cheers guys

robdog- i feel oscars need a bigger tank, 100G minimum. and the floor in my bedroom will not take that weight

ben- YHPM

cheers

steve

[mcloughlin2]

hi all

I'm steve and I'm 16, i have been keeping fish all my life and been keeping marines for the last 5 years and tropicals and golf fish the rest

but i fancy another tank in my room but community tanks are boring, i was thinking oscars but the floor won't take it so I'm thinking discus now...

i have a old 48x18x18 will this be OK

now i have a slightly different view of keeping fish from others, i go for the fish looking amazing rather than the tank as a whole so would a completely bare tank be more beneficial than a planted system? maybe just a plant pot?

how many filters do you guys run as well? i was thinking a canister + a internal just in case 1 failed

i already have a RO from my marines (0 TDS) so water should be fine, but i have a DI chamber on there, should i just get anther RO for the discus? is DI bad for them?

also do i need to add anything to the RO water before i add it to the tank?

and for the lighting, i was thinking just 2 T8 tubes would do? is this OK?

and the last question. do discus carpet surf at all? do i actully need a tank lid? (i love the open top look)

also how what is the going rate for an average discus? and would a group of 5 fit in the 4x1.5x1.5?

sorry for all the Q but i just want to know if these beast's are for me before i buy anything

thanks

steve


i have a old 48x18x18 will this be OK

Yes that tank would be a good size to start of with discus. In answer to your question later on in your post, a group of 5 discus would be great in there as it leaves you with room for other fish, and also a bit more room for error since the tank isn't crowded.


now i have a slightly different view of keeping fish from others, i go for the fish looking amazing rather than the tank as a whole so would a completely bare tank be more beneficial than a planted system? maybe just a plant pot?

Both can be beneficial. A planted tank will help consume nitrites in the water, which in turn helps control your ammonia level. They also will us the nutrients that alage live on, so they hep combat algae. They are however harder to gravel clean, and they are alot more expensive when compared to a BB tank.

A BB is very easy to gravel clean. Its easier to maintain to a certain extent but it also will take the fish a while to get used to the tank having no substance.

I would personal use a thin layer of sand on the bottom.


how many filters do you guys run as well? i was thinking a canister + a internal just in case 1 failed

Sounds excellent!


also do i need to add anything to the RO water before i add it to the tank?

You cannot use 100% RO water in a tank since it has all the neccessary bacteria and vitimens removed. So you need to use a 50/50 mixture and if you do that you should have no need to add anything except tap water conditioner.


and for the lighting, i was thinking just 2 T8 tubes would do? is this OK?

Aslong as you do not want many plants. Just a few low light level ones.


and the last question. do discus carpet surf at all? do i actully need a tank lid? (i love the open top look)

Yes a lid on top of the tank is needed. It also has to be heavey enough so the discus cannot knock it off.


also how what is the going rate for an average discus? and would a group of 5 fit in the 4x1.5x1.5?

Your average LFS discus sell for $30 to $80 ea @ 5-6cm depending on whether the owners are assholes or not. :wink:

Better quality discus fetch $50+ each depending on LFS and strain.

HTH

Sam