Discus Plan Continued (fishless Cycling Tank Mates)

[lordtrini]

Thanks for all the advice i have gotten so far...

Thanks to you guys i moved from planning to put 6 discus in a 46 gallon tank to a 72 Gallon tank...

I dont consider myself an expert just intermediate so i listen to everything and sort it out after...

I have begun a fishless cycle of the tank today i added the ammonia and i am getting water up to 78F before i added a cup or 2 gravel from my mature 55 gallon community tank.

I have 2 Questions...

1. Can i plant the tank during the fishless cycle... I think yes as my Ammonia is at approx 3ppm

2. Thinking ahead... i am wander what are good tank mate for the discus tank...

• 12 Black Neons
• 4 Albino Corys (that i grew myself from egghood)
• Maybe 6 hatchfish
• 2 Otos

I want to stock these guys wait 3 months and then add the discus...

C0mments???

 

[San O Fisher]

jealous of the discuss! I have a pair and I am looking to add a few more once I find a home for some other fish.

I have a group a corys in a planted tank and they get along great as well as a group of oto's. some people will tell you that oto's will latch onto the discus but I have never had a problem with this and I have about 6 in the tank along with a group of neons and glowlights. I would think your stocking is good, and I would even add more tetras. I also have a large syno eupt catfish that gets along great with the discuss. I would recommend one as they are a gentle giant and give you something to look at when the lights are off.

If your tank could handle the load i noticed that when I have added discuss in segments they tend to stick next to the ones they were put into the tank with and form small groups for a while, even pick on each other. I would add them all at once if you could manage.

I hope the tank works out. I stayed away from discuss for a long time, but once i started to keep them i realized they are not as hard as everyone says.

good luck

 

[lordtrini]

jealous of the discuss! I have a pair and I am looking to add a few more once I find a home for some other fish.

I have a group a corys in a planted tank and they get along great as well as a group of oto's. some people will tell you that oto's will latch onto the discus but I have never had a problem with this and I have about 6 in the tank along with a group of neons and glowlights. I would think your stocking is good, and I would even add more tetras. I also have a large syno eupt catfish that gets along great with the discuss. I would recommend one as they are a gentle giant and give you something to look at when the lights are off.

If your tank could handle the load i noticed that when I have added discuss in segments they tend to stick next to the ones they were put into the tank with and form small groups for a while, even pick on each other. I would add them all at once if you could manage.

I hope the tank works out. I stayed away from discuss for a long time, but once i started to keep them i realized they are not as hard as everyone says.

good luck

THanks...
I have an eheim 2128 rated for 160 gallons tank on a 72 gallon tank... so i hope that does something...

 

[theshadowinc]

Thanks for all the advice i have gotten so far...

Thanks to you guys i moved from planning to put 6 discus in a 46 gallon tank to a 72 Gallon tank...

I dont consider myself an expert just intermediate so i listen to everything and sort it out after...

I have begun a fishless cycle of the tank today i added the ammonia and i am getting water up to 78F before i added a cup or 2 gravel from my mature 55 gallon community tank.

I have 2 Questions...

1. Can i plant the tank during the fishless cycle... I think yes as my Ammonia is at approx 3ppm

2. Thinking ahead... i am wander what are good tank mate for the discus tank...

• 12 Black Neons
• 4 Albino Corys (that i grew myself from egghood)
• Maybe 6 hatchfish
• 2 Otos

I want to stock these guys wait 3 months and then add the discus...

C0mments???

If you are doing a true planted, now would be the time to add the plants also with a tank that big you want to look into doing properly if you are holding discus. Now depends on the fish depending on the size of discus you have to remember not all fish are friendly and tank safe and some just can't stand the heat same with some plants. If you can afford to overfiltr your tank I would rec it, also with a planted tank you want even more filtration and for sure a flow rate of no less than 10x of the tank filtration in the area of 6-10, 6 being the lowest you would actually go.

Suitable tank mates so far I have had Panda Corys and they work well lost afew to heat but other than that they seem to be good and they eat what the discus leave behind, i tend to over feed alot so they really help on cleaning the mess up. Ottos I wouldn't reco but i have no experience with tem with discus, I have ABN 2 of them but only babies and so far they havn't attached themselves to the discus and doubt the albinos will. But plans are to getrid of them when fully grown. I also have Tetris about 8 of them in with the discus if they are small and can fit in the mouths of the discus they will actually eat them. I have a what i would call a rougue SAE, but had problems ith another SAE that was in the tank alway eating there slim coat. I also have a loach in with them and the loach stays to itself so meh. I have tried other corys but they couldn't handle the heat the heat just killed them and they melted away. Also certain plants I have grow really well but others that depand lower temps actually grow slower and don't really get big quick.

Maybe this will help

 

[lordtrini]

Thanks for all the advice i have gotten so far...

Thanks to you guys i moved from planning to put 6 discus in a 46 gallon tank to a 72 Gallon tank...

I dont consider myself an expert just intermediate so i listen to everything and sort it out after...

I have begun a fishless cycle of the tank today i added the ammonia and i am getting water up to 78F before i added a cup or 2 gravel from my mature 55 gallon community tank.

I have 2 Questions...

1. Can i plant the tank during the fishless cycle... I think yes as my Ammonia is at approx 3ppm

2. Thinking ahead... i am wander what are good tank mate for the discus tank...

• 12 Black Neons
• 4 Albino Corys (that i grew myself from egghood)
• Maybe 6 hatchfish
• 2 Otos

I want to stock these guys wait 3 months and then add the discus...

C0mments???

If you are doing a true planted, now would be the time to add the plants also with a tank that big you want to look into doing properly if you are holding discus. Now depends on the fish depending on the size of discus you have to remember not all fish are friendly and tank safe and some just can't stand the heat same with some plants. If you can afford to overfiltr your tank I would rec it, also with a planted tank you want even more filtration and for sure a flow rate of no less than 10x of the tank filtration in the area of 6-10, 6 being the lowest you would actually go.

Suitable tank mates so far I have had Panda Corys and they work well lost afew to heat but other than that they seem to be good and they eat what the discus leave behind, i tend to over feed alot so they really help on cleaning the mess up. Ottos I wouldn't reco but i have no experience with tem with discus, I have ABN 2 of them but only babies and so far they havn't attached themselves to the discus and doubt the albinos will. But plans are to getrid of them when fully grown. I also have Tetris about 8 of them in with the discus if they are small and can fit in the mouths of the discus they will actually eat them. I have a what i would call a rougue SAE, but had problems ith another SAE that was in the tank alway eating there slim coat. I also have a loach in with them and the loach stays to itself so meh. I have tried other corys but they couldn't handle the heat the heat just killed them and they melted away. Also certain plants I have grow really well but others that depand lower temps actually grow slower and don't really get big quick.

Maybe this will help

Sweet... i am going to plant the tank and add a few cups of mature gravel today..
Hopefully that should significantly speed up the cycling...

 

[rabbut]

Adding gravel from a mature tank will do little to help the cycle unless the mature tank has a UFG You'd be better off moving some mature filter media into the filter IMO

Albino Corries will just melt at Discus tank temperatures. On paper, so will Pandas, though they aren't one I've tried. Julii, Adolfoi, Metea and Sterai should all do OK though

Ottos can be dodgy. I've had it both work and fail before...

The Neons may become Discus food when they are adult, but many get away with it

Hatchets will possibly melt, I remember them being lower temperature lovers, though I know many that keep them with Discus. If you opt for them, you will need a tight fitting lid, as they are jumpers

Syno cats can also be iffy. Sometimes it works, most times it fails, mainly due to them being nocturnal and likely to disturb the Discus while they sleep

All the best
Rabbut