# 75g Hybrid Discus Tank



## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Saw the inverted pots at PeterChow's post. Think, think, think: pond baskets, plastic flower pots, acrylic containers. While modifying the 100g sump for the 150g, decided to pull out a few pieces of scrap acrylic and voila.

It is planted and it is bare bottomed - hybrid it is!

15 good size discus. Supposedly 4 breeding pairs in there - 2 for sure but not yet proven. 

Waterchange every two week. Plant are not doing too great yet, new substrate and have not injected CO2 yet.

Sump made from a 30g (or 27g) acrylic tank. Tower made from baskets from the 2 dollar store in Richmond (mental block and the name of the store got stuck in my head) - 6 @ $2 = $12. The fit is perfect.

And yes Eric, if you are counting, I lost one of your big fat rams and that one cory did not make it  How are your discus?


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

Daiso?
Very impressive pictures and awesome interior design with the plant setup. Love the background picture, brings back some memories of an old tank.


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## bonsai dave (Apr 21, 2010)

looking good Gordon. Keep up the good work.


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## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

*He's the man!!*

See! it's Gordon's brain child the planter boxes I mean. I can hardly wait to get mine into the new 110g. "Brilliant I say"


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

planter boxes will be the next "in" thing in the near future


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

Gordon,

Great pictures and an interesting concept.I would have never thought of that idea personally.As mentioned in an earliar post , is this something thats catching on with most people in ths hobby? A nice colourful and vibrant bunch of discus , thanks for sharing

Luke


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Luke78 said:


> Gordon,
> 
> Great pictures and an interesting concept.I would have never thought of that idea personally.As mentioned in an earliar post , is this something thats catching on with most people in ths hobby? A nice colourful and vibrant bunch of discus , thanks for sharing
> 
> Luke


Hi Loukas:

Thanks again for your inspiration for a planted discus tank. I love discus, that's basically all I keep now besides breeding long fin albino BNP for cleaning crew. I cannot catch on the the sterile look of bare tank - FW or SW.

And the light ! It's like brand new ! Thanks and nice meeting you tonight.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

jobber604 said:


> planter boxes will be the next "in" thing in the near future


Mmmm. Think, think again. Should I do a mass production? But not sure if I want to deplete my acrylic stock. Current acrylic price seems to be up in the sky.

Anyone interested at $20 ea. 5 - 6 mm acrylic. You can get acrylic boxes cheap at London Drug and Daiso but not that big.

Anybody like to test out the look with betta boxes or cheap glass vases from Winner's / Michael's / .......


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## Luke78 (Apr 24, 2010)

Gordon,

Not a problem , your very welcome.Yeah like i mentioned to you last night i barely used it, and when i buy anything i like to maintain and keep it in mint condition.Iam happy you took inspiration from my setup to add on to yours.My setup came courtesy of another members photos , so iam glad he and myself could pass them on to you and the others on this forum.I agree with you on the bare look to an aquarium, but others see otherwise and its up for debate.I would rather create a similar environment , so my fish could be themselves and settle in properly.



gklaw said:


> Hi Loukas:
> 
> Thanks again for your inspiration for a planted discus tank. I love discus, that's basically all I keep now besides breeding long fin albino BNP for cleaning crew. I cannot catch on the the sterile look of bare tank - FW or SW.
> 
> And the light ! It's like brand new ! Thanks and nice meeting you tonight.


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## April (Apr 21, 2010)

Looks
Great Gordon!!!


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Thanks April. See your virgin reds and scorpion in there. And a turquois that I think now need glasses  - Not complaining, it was very healthy when I first got it.

BTW. Is there such thing as eye disease in discus? I seem to have another one needing glasses.


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## Homahfan (Apr 22, 2010)

Gorgeous Setup!!


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## Chappy (Apr 21, 2010)

Wicked brilliant idea - I LOVE it!!!!!!  Yeah, I've always hated the look of bare bottom but nothing can compare to it as far as ease of cleaning. I'm really blown away by that tank. You've got me thinking, that's for sure 
Awesome.


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## Mferko (Jun 8, 2010)

stunning tank!! love the flower box


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

the words i was going to refer to the planter boxes: clean and clear
had to pass by this journal to look at it again.


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Heehee. I enjoy watching the real thing on my gliding chair.

Got a round glass bowl, about 12" round. Wondering how it would look inside another tank.


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## thefishwife (Apr 21, 2010)

I love the planter boxes, what a neat idea!!! 

The discus are beautiful and such brilliant colours! Congrats


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Very clean sump, I like it. As for CO2, since you contained planter boxes, I wouldn't bother. I would layer peat and laterite on the bottom of that gravel (or use Flourite on it) and call it good. Shouldn't need to fertilize or anything after that.


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## jobber (May 14, 2010)

That round glass would look nice if placed in between the existing two rectangular one's. 
Never imagine one can do interior decorating in a fish tank


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

*75 Gallon Discus Revamped*

Found it hard to maintain with food settling on the planter box. Learned that April is putting a planted tank under her new discus tank.

Aaaah ! FW refugium. Decided to plumb in th 15g and the Current USA 2XT5HO that did not sell to keep the plants and another pair of LF ABNP - satellite planted tank.

Added are Laurie's discus from Canadian Aqua Farm and a few of InfraredDream's baby endlers and DaveJ's cherry shrimps in the planted satellite.

Hope that would improve the water quality. Couple of fish are not happy - probably combined with poor water and stress from a new found breeding pair. Found some eggs laid while pulling out the plants and cleaning the tank.

PM me if anyone wants the acrylic planter boxes (approx 22"x4" x 3" Tall) for $15. Otherwise, they would be turned to breeding boxes 

With this and the breedign station. Hope this will be the end of these project and I can rest for a bit. Except to set up a tank for the new found pair -just a stand alone. Nothing fancy - until another crazy idea comes.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

The refugium is a great idea. Discus are messy, almost as messy as my plecos. I'm very keen to see how this works out for you, as I have a long term pleco project that may involve a FW refugium concept. Are you regularly monitoring the nitrates to see how much reduction there is?


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

Hi Gary:

I don't monitor my water parameter but more the fish. I tested my water for ammonia first time in over 12 years because a couple of discus are getting cloudy eyes and I cna smell the water. And yes ammonia at 1. did 2 water changes in a week. Therefore decided the system needs to be improved.

Will try monitoring NO3 over the next couple of weeks. But there result will be biased by the fact that I am planning to vacuum out the waste with the bare bottom.


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## hillmar (Sep 25, 2010)

Wow love the new look of your setup Gordon.... I think I'm going to have to examine it in person for a hour or so just to take in the new changes! 
I was going to come over today but my back is killing me after that big tank swap, let me rest up for a day or so


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## dean9922 (Apr 21, 2010)

looks great!!!! nice and neat job and good looking set of discus....


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

*Just an Update on the Stock*

So far still on WC every 3 week. Finally decommissioned the XP canister filter.


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