Aquarium project for Discus

[Pedro Oliveira]

Hello, sorry for my bad my english. :shock: :D

With the house change appeared the possibility to create new project of aquarium for discus and that I go to show here with you its construction with the objective to contribute and to receive ideias from the fun of hobby.

1º step was to make project of that I intended to come to be a future aquarium for discus. Basing me in my knowledge of more than one year of research on discus and its necessities of maintenance, I lay down hands to the workmanship.

Structure in iron
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/projecto_discus01.jpg
This structure was projected for an aquarium of 120cm of length for 50cm width for 60cm of height (360 liters rude) and with wheels to facilitate to operations of construction and maintenance, what it was come close to disclose very useful in the posterior phases of project. To all the weight of 120Kg is 10 casters to bear one weight estimate of 500Kg. Each bears caster (specifications techniques) what it gives much safety margin.

Views
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/projecto_discus02.jpg
For the exterior covering of the structure I used contraclad marine pine of 10mm of thickness with doors to run on gutters for access to one sump in the interior. The doors to run are a more advantageous system for operations of maintenance of that the doors with hinges because they allow to take off and to put the doors with great easiness.

2º Step was the construction that in accordance with started with acquisition of the casters and the iron and the consequent assembly of these elements project.

Structure
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/estrutura_discus01.jpg
This structure was metallized and painted with a special ink anti-rust what it very becomes it resistant the corrosion.

Acquisition of the aquarium and respective sump and plus some material (bomb of circulation and heaters)
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus01.jpg

http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus02.jpg
Aquarium with dry column.

... and now for magic but due to photographs it does not appear the mounted aquarium already.
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus03.jpg
This aquarium takes frames in return of the aquarium (aesthetic option), a Arcadia illumination 120cm of 3 T8 light bulbs with 38 watt each, two timers to bind and disconnect the illumination in sequência (to simulate the dawn and putting of the sun), deep 3D and one sump with 80x40x40 (128 liters rude).

Sump
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/sump_discus01.jpg
Sump takes in the first period of training staple fibres for filtering mechanics, later sponge of wide pores for filtering biological mechanics and, later biological filtering with porous ceramics, bio balls, etc. and two heaters of 200 watt each and in the last period of training sponge of fine pores and bomb of return of the water for the aquarium.

Initially it had a bomb of return OR2005 but this showed for an aquarium of discus and plants besides being too much powerful a noisy bit. By the way the reduction of the noise was my bigger obstacle, exceeded with one "durso Standpipe" in the dry column and a valve of sphere in the water entrance for sump thus reducing air in the exit of the pipe.

After decided the noise problem the advantages of the filtering for sump are evidentes in relation to the other systems of filtering such as great easiness of maintenance (water changes without afectar the volume of the aquarium, then less stress for the fish), easiness of substance addition that if they dissolve in sump and not in the aquarium, greater amount of filter masses, more options of filter material, considerable increase of the "litragem" of the aquarium giving more stability to the parameters chemistries of the water and finally I inside do not have an only device of the aquarium (aesthetic advantages).

In relation to the dry column where the water captation if makes to the surface and the fact of if saying that in the water aquariums candy the captation of the water in the aquarium must be in the deep one as for me are one of great myths of the aquariofilia, therefore in accordance with my experience with a communitarian aquarium where the water captation is made in the deep one, the this dirty in such a way level of sediments in the deep one as other. If the aquarium abundantly will not be planted to that to sinfonar the areão.

Arrived of the lodgers
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/discus01.jpg
It finally arrived the waited and desired day more, the magnificent purchase of discus. 5 Beautiful units bought in the Ruimar store in Lisbon. I chose this store because discus in the Ruimar is proceeding from Germany where they are created in harder and alkaline waters with PH in the house of the 7, equivalent the water of my zone.

The release...
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/discus02.jpg
This is not the image of the release well, because at the first moments I did not obtain to see none discu, they had disappeared mysteriously...

Global views
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus04.jpg

http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus05.jpg

http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus06.jpg

Zoom views
http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/discus03.jpg

http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus07.jpg

http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus08.jpg

http://podesign.home.sapo.pt/aqua/fotos/aquario_discus09.jpg

Best regards,
Pedro Oliveira

[sammigold]

Pedro, your tank is beautiful.... you have obviously done alot of research and spent alot of time in perfecting the home for your very nice discus...

Your descriptions of how you constructed your tank are very interesting and informative... thank you.... :D
and your finished product is something you should be very proud of... :D

[Ben]

Welcome to the discus forum Pedro!

Your tank is truely superb!
Your discus will grow and look amazing in a tank like that!

well done!

Ben

[nicholas76]

Pedro

simply awsum,,, :shock: :shock:

im taking notes .......................

how do you do water changes? how often?

[Pedro Oliveira]

I change about 75 liters (20%) per week. I make the exchanges in sump in direct way, with addition of Aquasafe of the Tetra.

Best regards,
Pedro Oliviera

[OscarManAlpha]

Pedro,

That's one peace of engineering to be admired.

Volvo construction with Ferrari looks.

The detail is amazing.

Mate come to Australia and build some of those tanks for us.

PLEASE :) :) :)

Cheers,

Mark

[Merrilyn]

Hello Pedro and a very warm welcome to the forum.

Your tank is beautiful, and very well thought out. Your selection of fish is excellent. Good luck with raising your lovely fish.

[Proteus]

As per all the previous comments Pedro, simply outstanding. You have done yourself, and us fellow hobbyists proud.

This sums it up>


Volvo construction with Ferrari looks

also, Welcome to our community of Discus addicts

[adolfovacemberg]

Pedro,

be welcome. the tank is amazing and the discus are gorgeous.
what kind of background did you use???
Best regards

__________________________________________________ _______
Pedro,
Tudo bem? parabéns pelo belo tanque, incluindo setup e discus. Qual material vc usou para o fundo do aquário?. Como colocou lá? abraços

[Mattzilla]

wow that is amazing mate! well done

makes me want to set up a planted tank

[piranha-discus]

hello pedro
nice tank and setup, but theres one problem, and i just give you an extra idear that will make jobs easier for you. i had same stump filter in cabnett before, after while the filiter needs to be clean, has waste and brown alge grow, i can scrub the stump filter but had trouble get the dirty water out 100% was the main problem, To fix the problems is each walls that divide the stump filter to sectons, get a hole each drilled and just use a plug to keep the water in, when do the clean up, u can just pull the plug out so the waste dirty water can get out, and that the stump filter can be hosed down inside to get a 100% clean, to avoid water go in the house u put a connection under the stump filter hole, glue the connections to the holes and connect to a hose to it so that the waste water goes out side the house or to in a drain.. the one reason i do that,is because the stump filter has water in it each section and its too heavy to lift the stump filter out of the cabbnet for a clean out,,,,
i hope i gave you some help full idears ,,,,,,,,ben

[Pedro Oliveira]

Hello people, thanks for the posts.

adolfovacemberg, the background is the Juwel Strutured background STR 600, Article Description: "Juwel Structured Backgrounds are very decorativ and improve the inside appearance of your aquarium by adding visual depth. Their colour and structure improve the looks of your decoration inside the tank. Select the Strucutred Backgrounds to fit your aquarium exactly. They are easy to cut to the size you need. Use aquarium silicone to fasten them inside the aquarium!"

piranha-discus, I did not perceive very well its suggestion, my English is not very technician. Is possible show me by photos your suggestion. Thanks.

Best regards,
Pedro Oliveira

[Jeroen]

Hi Pedro,


Really nice setup (Y)
Just wondering one thing: I just have installed myself a new setup for breeding and I do have a idencital filter system...I noticed that you have filled the small spaces with filter material, but everywhere I look and find information it is exactly reverse, the big spaces are used for filtration material

Before I also use the ceramic rings but there are solid and so they have a very small surface, they can not host a large amount of good bacterials.
Now I use Denilit, this has many tiny whols in it so that gives a much larger surface to grow bacterials...

Can you explain me why you use the smaller spaces for filtration

Thanks

Ps. very nice fish you have there ;-)

Jeroen

[Pedro Oliveira]

Hi Jeroen, the small spaces have 5 cm of thickness, what he is ideal for the sponges of 5 cm that I buy in the fish shops and are grasped in these spaces compelling the water to pass for them. The same it happens with the porous ceramics that fill all the space for where it passes the water. All the water passes forcibly for the process of biological filtration. But I also use bioballs in the great spaces but do not come in this photo, because I had still not placed bioballs in sump. Bioballs floats breaching the greasy film that if it forms to the surface and also makes biological filtration at the same time.

Best regards.