75 gal. freshwater planted conversion

[Kscurrr88]

since i got a nano for my corals,
i decided why not go FW planted instead of FOWLR?

so basically im thinking tiger barbs.
i love them.
but i also like the discus idea.
is a 75 gallon big enough for some discus?
if so, how many?
and if i go with tiger barbs,
will this effect me putting more peaceful fish in such as neon tetras?

ive done FW before but not planted.
right now for my reef i have 4x65w PC lighting.
will these be ok with freshwater plants?

and if you have any cool ideas for me let me know.
i like the black sand idea.
also, what kind of rock and/or driftwood should i use?
i used to use lava rock.
TAI, kyle

[greyhoundfan]

since i got a nano for my corals,
i decided why not go FW planted instead of FOWLR?

so basically im thinking tiger barbs.
i love them.
but i also like the discus idea.
is a 75 gallon big enough for some discus?
if so, how many?
and if i go with tiger barbs,
will this effect me putting more peaceful fish in such as neon tetras?

ive done FW before but not planted.
right now for my reef i have 4x65w PC lighting.
will these be ok with freshwater plants?

and if you have any cool ideas for me let me know.
i like the black sand idea.
also, what kind of rock and/or driftwood should i use?
i used to use lava rock.
TAI, kyle

When you start out with discus it is better to start of with semi-adults at least 3-4" in size. They will cost more but they are more tolerable to any adverse water conditions.

With a planted tank I would do no more than 4 discus in a 75 Gallon tank. If you go bare bottom you could do 6. There is no substitute for water changes. All the best filtration will not matter if you do not change your water.

I can't offer too much advice regarding your plant selction and lighting. If you stick to anubias and ferns than your lighting will be adequate as these are low light plants.

Mopani or Malaysian driftwoods would be best. They sink straight to the bottom.

I would not use tiger barbs with discus, they have the reputation of being fin nippers. Swap out the neon tetras with cardinals instead. Cardinals are more hardier and can stand up better to the higher water temperatures discus like.

Simplydiscus.com or discusasahobby.com are two great sites for discus resources.

Good luck!!

[Kscurrr88]

ok thanks for the info.
but im trying to get a ballpark estimate for amount of fish and what not.
ive seen dhuynh 500 gal and noticed hes got what seems to be hundreds of fish.
also, why would being barebottom help me have more discus?

[greyhoundfan]

ok thanks for the info.
but im trying to get a ballpark estimate for amount of fish and what not.
ive seen dhuynh 500 gal and noticed hes got what seems to be hundreds of fish.
also, why would being barebottom help me have more discus?

Cleaner tank conditions. Substrate will have a tendency to collect waste matter. Even if you vacuum it very thouroughly you won't remove all the waste. David can afford 100's a fish because most are small. I have a bare bottom 75 that I am QT'ing for my discus. Right now I have 50 Black Neon tetras, eventually I'll be putting in 6 Blue Knights.

With a planted 75, you could get away with 100 or so dithers and 4-5 adult discus max. I wanted to do the same thing as you and this is what was suggested to me on the forums I mentioned above.

[Kscurrr88]

thanks.
but what exactly is a "dither"
and im definately going with a substrate i was just curious.

[Kscurrr88]

also, will the discus eat other small fish?

[Kscurrr88]

also will a saltwater filtration work for FW?
i have a UNI aquarium which means a built in sump.
with protein skimmer and what not.
this means i cant do a HOB filter.
what are my options

[Kscurrr88]

i know there is more FW keepers out there

[unix858]

uniquarium is good.. no need for skimmer. just have some filter padding and thats about it.. no medias... just to filter through the water. The plants is what keeps that water param good. You will need a good substrate like eco complete or flourite.. depends on what plants you want. If your gonna go with discuss, i suggest using flora base as substrate or aquasoil amazonia.

[Kscurrr88]

thanks unix.
for the first time im happy i bought a uni!
always made stacking LR really hard.

also will the discus pick on or eat other small fish like neon tetras?

and can someone put together a nice stock list for me?

i think i would want 4-5 discus.
along with some tetras and other schooling fish.
i also want some bottomfeeders like clown loaches or cory cats.
i like the plecos but dont hey produce a lot of waste.
and hide a lot

[Kscurrr88]

........

[unix858]

its really a gamble sometimes mixing discus with smaller fishes...
Dannys discus has eaten some of his tetras... but i think they will get used to it. You have to keep them well fed. Sorry i havent been getting back..man i just tore down my whole tank.. 240G... all plants out.. JUST TO CATCH 5 stinking FISHES that are killing some of my cardinal tetras that i just got... a whole new aquascape coming in... :( :mad: :D :eek:

[Kscurrr88]

haha its ok.
man that stinks.
i really like the way this looks.
http://www.elacuariodealex.com/09_otras_galerias/04_Takashi_amano/ampliades/g3.jpg
would this be hard to do?

[Kscurrr88]

does that tank even have rock or woood in it or is it all plants?

[unix858]

does that tank even have rock or woood in it or is it all plants?

It has 2 driftwood with moss tied down to it.

[Kscurrr88]

is driftwood good to use?
or should i use something else?

[Kscurrr88]

also whats a good fishlist.
i want 5 discus
some tetras
some corydoras
and a pleco or few.

[Kscurrr88]

and how much are discus?
fountains sells them for around 70-90.
is this good? if so i doubt ill be doing discus.
im not gonna spend around $500 for fish when i thought i was switching to FW to go cheaper
what do people sell them for around here?

[unix858]

is driftwood good to use?
or should i use something else?

Driftwood is good for a planted discus tank as it will help lower the PH... Discus is pretty expensive but i think danny has a contact with good prices. Keep up with our threads as we do group buys.

[Kscurrr88]

im not gonna get the discus.
they cost wayy to much and i want to keep other fish in it with the discus standards.

i would like to get several smaller fish with some other medium fish.
are there any cichlids i could have or are they all too aggresive and move plants for my tank.
any ideas???
what about tiger barbs?
ive kept them in the past.
but are they able to be kept with small other fish like neon tetras?
thanks

[unix858]

im not gonna get the discus.
they cost wayy to much and i want to keep other fish in it with the discus standards.

i would like to get several smaller fish with some other medium fish.
are there any cichlids i could have or are they all too aggresive and move plants for my tank.
any ideas???
what about tiger barbs?
ive kept them in the past.
but are they able to be kept with small other fish like neon tetras?
thanks

just google community fishes. Barbs are too agressive if you mix them with smaller fishes.. Those barbs get big. There maybe some positive results mixing those two but i would read up on their compatability. Lots of cichlids can uproot your plants

[Kscurrr88]

what about firemouth cichlids?
ive read they are pretty shy and can be kept in community tanks.

[dhuynh]

I can get you smaller discus for pretty cheap.. $20-$30 each for about 2-3" size ones. But they are VERY demanding. If you want to do less water changes and not run a UV, then go with dwarf cichlids... German Blue Rams are great for planted tanks.

Welcome to the conversion! :)

[unix858]

danny .. let me know when the next GB for fishes .. i need to get some more. I might try some discus... maybe 6 little blue ones..

[dhuynh]

Will do.


danny .. let me know when the next GB for fishes .. i need to get some more. I might try some discus... maybe 6 little blue ones..

[Kscurrr88]

thanks danny.
to be honest,
your the reason i switched.

[dhuynh]

LOL..

Since we're seeing so many planted tanks coming up. Jake (Unix858) and I have decided to start "sdplanted.com". There's not much there yet, but hey, we're starting out. :)

[unix858]

after my 240 has established enough growth.. im gonna start my 10 gallon rimless projects..