a 3000 liter dream/challenge after ideas plz

[Duzzy]

Hi there,

My Dad’s cousin has asked me to set his tank up for him he is converting his 4th bedroom into a tank room and asked me to run it. It will have 3 display tanks that will be seen in 3 different rooms. He is a wealthy man and told me that the budget is virtually unlimited  all of the display tanks will be maintained from the tank room and but the display side will be facing different rooms. I will also have the pleasure of maintaining these tanks. Sadly my dream tank just wont be in my house. But what a fun and awesome challenge.

Tank 1 main tank visible from the kitchen, dining and lounge.
Size: 12ft long x 3ft wide x 2 1/2ft tall (3.65m x .91m x .76m)
Fish: 10-12 adult discus most likely blue turquoise(will grow these in bare bottom tanks in fish room), 50-60 Rummy-nose tetra or tetra of some kind, Cordyus trilineatus or corys, a species of small pleco
Plants: I was thinking swords large and small, Anubias, Java fern…….and?????
Hardscape: Light colored rocks, sand on top of substrate, and redgum roots

Tank 2 in the entrance area
Size: 6ft long x 2 1/2ft wide x 2 1/2ft deep this will be for lace gouramis and a few other species that I will research on.

Tank 3 in his entertaining area (basically a lounge and outdoor eating/bbq area.
Undercided yet!

The reason for this post is to get some ideas and discuss some options, I am not the most experienced and plan to learn as I go over the next 12-18 months with this project that wont start for about six months. My dad and I are still fitting out the fishroom, tiling etc.
After ideas on
Substrate, Plants, Filtration, Lighting etc……
I am so excited!

Regards Darren

[ILLUSN]

Watch the red gum roots they might leach oils into the water.

keep your plants simple, plants that dont demand too much nutrient or too much light, look for some of the newer hybrid swords, they grow to a good size (1.5-2ft tall).

to make it easier for yourself, get a good a substrate, its gonna cost you big $$$$$ buts its worth every cent, swords are heavy root feeders so with a good substrate you wont need any water column ferts.

with a tank that size your only lighting option is halides, 1 150w light/2foot of tank will work well providing light and dark areas for the fish and plants.

filtrartion: get a sump, and a big one, fill it with matrix corse sponge and what ever else you can find.

[Mr Discus]

Sounds like awesome fun Duzzy - I am slightly jealous!

Good advice from ILLUSN as always - but to add my bit - I would make the 3rd tank an African Cichlid setup, with plenty of rockwork. I think it would complement the other 2 well, if you made the discus tank somewhat planted, the gourami tank with an asian bamboo/planted biotype feel, and then the rockworked africans.

Sounds like its going to be very time consuming in the beginning, but hopefully very rewarding!

[Hollowman]

Do you need a hand, my bags are already packed :D

[Duzzy]

Thanks for that, I was leaning towards a sump as for the redgum I have ordered 6 brand new 44 gallon drums and I will use them as big boilers but you would think that a good scrub, soak and boil that it would be ok i mean most of the roots I have in mind have at one time or another spent considerable time in the water.

I will suggest the cichlid tank i must admit thats something i will need to learn because they are something I have never bothered with onlt admired them

Regards Darren

P.s. how many adult discus would be a safe not overstocked number?

[Hollowman]

Darren,

The rule of thumb is 1 adult discus to 10 gallons of water, although within reason and with good filtration this can be exceeded (with caution)

hth

Hollowman

[Duzzy]

Hi hollowman,

that means, theoretically I could have 80 adults..... not that I would also can you tell me what size the wild type discus (heckels, green and blue) grow to if raised in grow out tanks and on a power diet (i think thats the term and practice thats used)

Regards Darren

[Hollowman]

lol Power diet!!! :lol:

Wilds can in the right conditions grow as big as domestic strains, I see no reason why they wouldn't. You will find though that if you buy small and expect them to grow big in a planted envvironment they will take longer to get bigger, but that also goes for domestics as well.
I have seen wild fish for sale at one of the UK's best outlest, Discus South, at 4'' and seen them grow to 6''+ so they can get very impressive at that size.

What is the 'power diet' going to be of then? a secret recipe?

Hollowman

[Duzzy]

That I am yet to research lol and they wont be growing out in the planted tank i am setting up a series of bare bottom tanks for them to grow. I have no idea how big discus get have had very little to do with them but have always admired them and have the patience and discipline to maintain them I believe. What size are we looking at? Oh and I have heard of a beef heart diet but am yet to research it. I plan to play with a pair of discus in my tank to learn while this prodject is being put together. People will say I am going in over my head but I believe with discipline and patience and research and the forums out there with so much experience I can do it :-)

Regards Darren

[Mr Discus]

I think you can do it too Duzzy.

Just dont skimp on anything and get all the advice and answers to all your questions that you can.

In relastion to your comment about not having much to do with African Cichlids - they are easy to keep compared to Discus. If you can keep Discus without much trouble, Africans are a breeze. They are alot less demanding IME.

[Duzzy]

I think it's the same as anything in life, if you research, prepare and have discipline you can do anything and believe that is the same here. This project will take 18 months to complete and it's the reason I have begun researching now :-)

[dwilder]

i would suggest a few more tetras in the large tank small tetras like rummys or whatever will school very tight in a large tank and 50 to 60 will look like a lot less than you think,also a nice large number of corys will swim together and looks very impressive in a long tank

[AHC]

Duzzy, If you need me to come watch/help you set it up then i'll clear my schedual :shock:. Im jealous and sure you will make it look absolutely amazing.

Also, ask your rich friend if he wants to fund a hatchery here in sydney?

lastley - Pictures are a must! :wink:

[jesx57]

Man! With a tank that big you could swim with your fishes! Have fun stocking!

[Duzzy]

Yes a very exciting project, I will post pics for sure. I have been sick so everything was put on hold but I am back researching now and can't wait. Even the planning is fun :-)

Regards Darren

[chorrylan]

Thanks for that, I was leaning towards a sump
just to be pedantic here... you should be leaning towards three sumps not "a" sump.
Sharing filtration would limit your options in terms of having different biotypes in the tanks.

[Duzzy]

Hi chorrylan,

going to have canisters and sumps

Regards Darren