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Originally Posted by Andrea67
Since I'm quite unsatisfied by the actual look of my discus tank, I thought that time for a new setup has come. It's actually 2 yrs old but I'm suffering some BGA problems and arrested development of plants. Fortunately fish feel nice and keep on breeding  .
The tank is around 220 lt (60 gal) with metal halide 70 W and no CO2. My focus will be on creating a nice environment for the discus and have at the same time some plants with not too high requirements. I'd skip any fast growing and/or stem plant in favour of echinodorus, crypto, fern, vallisneria.
It could be called a typical "low-tech" tank.
Let's talk about the substrate: my choice would be for a fine (but not too much) quartz sand. Grains dimensions: 0,5 to 1 mm.
I'd like to use some Seachem tabs under plant roots. A sort of "ad hoc" fertilization for each plant.
What I'd like to understand is if I need some supplement for the substrate to help it cycling/starting... I've read something in Tom's article concerning Leonardite. Could you recommend its usage and in which quantity? Could it replace the mulm for starting? |
Low tech(non CO2) Discus tanks need large tanks with less fish and that are not over feed.
Otherwise the tank is simply never going to balance.
I like 2-3mm sand. This seems to work best.
Flourite and other brand name subs are better able to cycle waste than non porous substrates, Leonardite is mainly a carbon supply for the bacteria in the start up phase and NA to your tank.
You can add it if you want to, but it'll make little change.
Based on what you have said and assuming you will not lower the fish load and feeding:
Good sized water changes weekly if possible.
I'd keep the Swords and ferns.
I'd attach lots of weeds to driftwood, namely java fern, Bolbitus etc, add Anubias in the darker sections.
Swords in the open areas.
I'd add CO2.
Now you might think this will add more work, no, not if you use easy to care for ferns attached to driftwood, these require little maintaenance and folks will buy them off you for good $!
They grow slow and are easy to deal with.
Plant choice can reduce the work load and provuide for a nice long term aquascape. The sand can still be used also.
With your light, the CO2(or excel) would greatly improve plant health and uptake of waste with only a small increase in actual work and more likely less, it's easier to prune the weeds than the algae, no?
Something is going to grow in there, you have a choice of what.
By adding CO2, this will allow you to get the most out of the light you have.
By chosing easy slow growing plants, that will reduce the work load as well as only having a low level of light.
Regards,
Tom Barr