Substrate or Bare Bottom

[Monolicious]

Hi All,

I am looking for advice from all the diehard Discus keepers out there
Would you recommend having Substrate or Bare Bottom in you Discus tank ?

Please let me know the reasons behind your choice.

Regards

Peter

[swampy1972]

It's difficult to have just the 2 options as it depends on what you're trying to achieve. A bare bottom tank works well for breeding and growing out, but substrate is the way to go for a quality display.

[ILLUSN]

Bare bottom is so much easier. you'll be cursing your substrate the first time your fish get worms or flukes

[BigDaddyAdo]

What are you trying to achieve mate?

[Decapper]

What are you trying to achieve mate?

Sounds like discussion? Forum..anyway

I have both, one display (gravel), one breeding(bare) & one QT(and of course bare)..

And I have to agree, nothing but trouble the display, and being a large 6x2x2 tank its very costly treating ongoing fluke and worms. In fact considering closing down display until I have fluke and worms sorted in small bare bottom. Then high QT

[Monolicious]

Hi BDA,

What I am trying to achieve is a somewhat trouble free setup for the Discus as far as parasites and so forth go.

I am very meticulous when it comes to my tanks but this is my first time with Discus so i want whats best for them.

I do 30% WC every 3 days, I use half RO and have half Carbon filtered water and store it in a 220L drum with circulation and a heater for 2 days before doing WC.

I re mineralize the water and add Discus essentials additives before adding it to the tank at WC time.

At the moment I have Bare Bottom and my parameters are as follows.

PH 6.8
Ammonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 0.25
KH 2
GH 5
Temp 29


Regards

Peter


What are you trying to achieve mate?

[BigDaddyAdo]

As it sounds like a display tank you could try a thin layer of sand with some driftwood. Add some narrow or needle leaf java fern and some fissidens to the DW. It would be an easy set up to look after and can look great if done properly.