New planted tank

[rwel4809]

Hi all,

I am having a 250 litre (66 gallon) tank built 100 x 50 x 50 cm (approx 40" x 20" x 20"). I am planning a planted tank with 4 x t5 lights, automated Co2, fluval 305 filter, undergravel heating - the works! I have also invested in an RO system with an auto gh mixer....

I would like it to be a community tank with Siamese algae eaters, oto's ancistrus (for algae control) some blue rams, cardinal and rummy noses, as well as a few hardy refugee platy's and guppies from an old tank (I live in a small apartment so no room for multiple tanks :cry:)

My question is... do I keep discus in this tank?? I will either go with 4 discus, or 6 angels not both.. Is the tank big enough.. will the discus make friends with the other fish?? do I buy discus when they are juveniles, would this help?

advice would be much appreciated

[ILLUSN]

Guppies and platies are hard water fish, not soft water like discus, also at 28-32C (discus temps) they wont last long, i dont think the blue rams will either but discus and rams have been kept together before.
305 will be ouside it's limit for a 4x20x20 tank, especially if you want to keep discus (high protein food and regular feeds = LOTS of nitrogenous waste).
If you like fluvals go a 305 and a 405, or even better go an eheim 2217 in addition to your 305.
I've had no problem with SAE's but other people have and they get big FAST, my 3 are now over 6 inches long, also they dont eat algae once they get to about 3 1/2 inches.

A 4x20x20 is big enough for 4 discus + 8 ottos 4 BN's + 20-30 rummy noses and cardinals and a couple of SAE's. just decide if it's worth keeping the platies and guppies or not and seriously think of beefing up your filtration.

[rwel4809]

Thanks for the advice..

the tank is a bit shorter than 4' - more like 3' 4'' (250 litres rather than 300)..

I haven't bought a filter yet, but the Fluval 305 is supposed to cope with up to 300 litres. Is it that you need extra filteration with discus? If so would it be enough to use the one Fluval 405 instead of two filters?

[ILLUSN]

Sorry mate, was 3/4 asleep at work (just what you want to hear from the guy diagnosing cancer in your child LOL).

I was asuming you already had a 305 and wanted you to use it to "seed" your new filter, by running the 2 filters on the one tank for a month or 2 the new filter will be more then ready to handel the whole tank. after the run in period you could remove the 305 and sell it (or keep it for if you setup another tank in years to come), or run both and you can alternate cleanings of the 2 filters.

If you havn't bough a filter yet save yourself a lot of hassel and get a 2217.

NEVER believe what a manufacturer says their filter is rated for. that only really applies with "balaced tanks with good planting and a light feeding schedual. For REAL fish (Discus etc) cut that rating in 1/2 or even better by 1/3 as some of the wiser members of this forum do.

[rwel4809]

thanks ILLUSN - question is do I go with more than 4 Juvies - 3-4" or just stick to 4??

[ILLUSN]

you could go 5 but 4 will be happier, also you wont have to upgrade your tank as soon