new fish keeper.

Hello everyone. Im very new to the hobby and brave too (to start with discus! and they are doing well)..thought I'd introduce myself..

I have a tropical low tech tank. Its an Optiwhite 140x60x60 504 L

I use a HMA (heavy metal Axe) filter with 3 pods using sediment/Penteck/Chlorpus filters

My filtration is an external canister (Jbl cristalprofi greenline e1501) upgrading to fluval fx6 soon.

My other bits are jbl prosilent a200, Eheim jager 300w heater, 1 small Arcadia Blue led for night light.

My lighting is T5 54w x4.

I keep Discus. Blue ram. Cardinal tetra. Rummy nose tetra. Siamese algae eaters.

looks well
I'd think about reducing the lights on

I was informed that up to 12- 14 hours for planted tank is good?

Welcome to the forum tetdiscus.

Anthony

if you don't have any algae problems, then its fine but I find anything the 5-8 hours a day is recommended if you do develop algae problems



I use 6 hours 5pm-11pm
and weekends its 10am to 11pm

love the setup
welcome to the forum
question where did you get the HMA filter and are you aging the water or is it going staight to the tank?

Thank you. I got the HMA filter from ro-man. There are other sellers in uk for HMA but the shipping cost is at £40 at least. I dont age the filtered water because there is no need for it. The heavy sediments, chlorine and chloramine are filtered by the HMA 3 pod system. The filtered water goes straight into the tank at the rate of around 1 liter per minute (any faster makes the temp low) i adjust the rate sometimes depending on the water temperature.

The outgoing water is plummed straight to the drain. It's a trickle filing tank system. Im also aware that part of the new water going in also comes out, BUT the system saves me a lot of back ache and wet floors! And i can do water change every day with less trouble.

Thank you, im taking notes

I've read somewhere that too much light can be the result of black beard algae as well as other types of algae. Tank looks good and I agree you are brave I'm going nearly 4 years now and still haven't been brave enough to try discus (although I don't think I ever will due to water charges soon).

Look into information on lighting times. Some of the forum members are really knowledgable when it comes to plants and lights they may be able to explain why less lighting is better it's to do with plants absorbing the nutrients to out compete algae.

Welcome to the forum keep us posted as I'd like to see it when plants grow in abit more I like your small army of Siamese algae eaters .

Cheers,
Joe

Hi thank you for replying. I bought 3 books regarding plants..lol..anyway, from what I understand its got something to do with balancing nutrients/lighting. Also brown/black algae is very common in new tanks (which iam), Iam keeping an eye on it though, everyday. I'll see how long I last

PS..lights are now decreased to 10H/day...see how it goes..

Joekinsella wrote:

I've read somewhere that too much light can be the result of black beard algae as well as other types of algae. Tank looks good and I agree you are brave I'm going nearly 4 years now and still haven't been brave enough to try discus (although I don't think I ever will due to water charges soon).

Look into information on lighting times. Some of the forum members are really knowledgable when it comes to plants and lights they may be able to explain why less lighting is better it's to do with plants absorbing the nutrients to out compete algae.

Welcome to the forum keep us posted as I'd like to see it when plants grow in abit more I like your small army of Siamese algae eaters .

Cheers,
Joe

The water change thing for discus is exagerated: daily water changes when you try to grow juveniles and that is because you are fouling the water with many feedings and the only way you can keep nitrates low is replacing the water. I am doing loads because I have juveniles in all my tanks. Common sense would be to put all juveniles in one tank and adults in others so that I would change loads of water on one tank only, but i have kept things the same because they are from different origins and dont want to take the risk that one type will share a pathogen with another type.

If you have adult grown discus and your tank is not overstocked, then you can feed like any other fish and you should have no issues. The hobby needs more discus keepers!

p.s. I dont think my plants will grow any time soon. As they are the hardy and slow growing ones...

That's some interesting information thanks for that I'll consider adults if that's the case. Could be a few months as I'm hoping to move (again). I've about 100+ pleco, 8 Cory's (spawn regularly egg eater is gone) 5 gourami and 3 angels so I'm overstocked at the min adding discus will be asking for problems when I move. They are lovely looking fish.
Apologies for off topic tetdiscus.

Try 6 to 10 hours rather than 14.

I taught that too but with enough light you will be surprised with how quick java fern and Vallis grows. Last month my Vallis grew 2 foot in 2 weeks it might only have been 4 or 5 leaves but it was still enough to have me amazed.

Are you dosing co2?

tetdiscus wrote:

Thank you. I got the HMA filter from ro-man. There are other sellers in uk for HMA but the shipping cost is at £40 at least. I dont age the filtered water because there is no need for it. The heavy sediments, chlorine and chloramine are filtered by the HMA 3 pod system. The filtered water goes straight into the tank at the rate of around 1 liter per minute (any faster makes the temp low) i adjust the rate sometimes depending on the water temperature.

The outgoing water is plummed straight to the drain. It's a trickle filing tank system. Im also aware that part of the new water going in also comes out, BUT the system saves me a lot of back ache and wet floors! And i can do water change every day with less trouble.

This is exactly where I am heading, although with multiple tanks. I did get a "declorinating filter unit made of 3 tall 20 inch cartridges. But it did not include the Chlorplus one so this will be my next purchase and i will simply add it to the line up. That water will be better than what I drink today . My whole headeache consists in getting that trickle/drip system to feed all/most of my tanks so that I can take a break and look at the fish from time to time . I was worried about the temperature but I guess regulating the flow would solve that. Do you use a flow meter? you mention 1 liter per minute What about PH? Isn't it affected too much?

Hi,

Great looking tank, nice discus too!

Welcome to the forum!

Sina

Miami

Looks like you have a similar auto water change setup like mine,
For flow control this is what I use, took me months to find something like this.



Can't get the eBay link thing to work. So here's the direct one


www.ebay.ie/itm/121176303484?redirect=mobile



Bah, even that's not working.....

Try this...

I did not get a flow meter, because it was for stronger flow rate. I just used a timer (actually, my husband is the handy man)..The tap PH is around 7. Almost same as my tank, with little varying difference at times (6.8-7.2). Averaging around 7.

It must be a pain for you doing a lot of water change in all your tanks?

Thank you. A couple of my discus are already showing interest with each other. The blue diamond and the F1. Though, im not ready for any breeding activity anytime soon!

No, not yet dosing co2.

tetdiscus wrote:

I did not get a flow meter, because it was for stronger flow rate. I just used a timer (actually, my husband is the handy man)..The tap PH is around 7. Almost same as my tank, with little varying difference at times (6.8-7.2). Averaging around 7.

It must be a pain for you doing a lot of water change in all your tanks?

Got it. Thanks for the details. I do a lot of water changes and I have 3 barrels totalling roughly 500L in which I age my water. I have pumps and hoses and i connect these pumps to remote controlled plugs/outlets so i can monitor levels and start/stop pumps . So i barely use buckets (only to siphon fecies from bottom of tanks). But still that means dealing with putting the put in, unrolling the hoses all over the apartment (everyday), put them back when I am done . Sounds easy but each time you deal with this no matter how careful you are there is water on the floor, so you have to mop ... And it's unsightly...
All this is complicated because I am on and 8th floor, barrels are kept inside (just moving them to laundry room where i accomodated some space).
It's messy and it's getting me tired, I love the fish so I am trying to find practical solutions yet they must be flexible: I am renting so I cant be drilling holes, attaching pipes to walls etc etc

I "seem" to have a huge PH difference between tap and tank (7.5 to 6.6/6.8) and this is where I am afraid to put water directly in tanks, at the same time if the flow is good for temperature then it may be good as well for PH differences as the changes would be slow.

Yes, It can get tedious at times. It maybe worth a try doing the trickle filtered water, as long as its gradual and consistent? When you do do that keep us posted? Thanks.