720 liter pleco, discus and tetra tank
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Wow, those are some funny looking catfish!
Really though, I like all the wood and design so far. The metal scares me, but you said it was "acid resistant" so I guess it's safe.
Are you going to do an Amano style planting in that tank with with lots of java moss and such covering all the wood?
Gonna be awesome either way.
Really though, I like all the wood and design so far. The metal scares me, but you said it was "acid resistant" so I guess it's safe.
Are you going to do an Amano style planting in that tank with with lots of java moss and such covering all the wood?
Gonna be awesome either way.
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Quality stainless steel is quite safely used in contact with aquarium water.
In tank talk it's Ok to talk about non-catfish topics.
Catfish are often kept in community tanks, even in those with the "pancake" shaped fish.
I prefer using a large Bushy nose for my primary algae eater and some Hypancistrus species or L134 Leopard Frog Peckoltia with Discus instead of Corydoras.
The latter like the same warm temperatures and foods that Discus eat. I believe one Hypancistrus easily equals the "vacuuming" abilities of four Corydoras and they do better at Discus temperatures than any Corydoras species, better than even C. sterbai .
In tank talk it's Ok to talk about non-catfish topics.
Catfish are often kept in community tanks, even in those with the "pancake" shaped fish.
I prefer using a large Bushy nose for my primary algae eater and some Hypancistrus species or L134 Leopard Frog Peckoltia with Discus instead of Corydoras.
The latter like the same warm temperatures and foods that Discus eat. I believe one Hypancistrus easily equals the "vacuuming" abilities of four Corydoras and they do better at Discus temperatures than any Corydoras species, better than even C. sterbai .
Last edited by apistomaster on 04 Nov 2007, 21:50, edited 1 time in total.
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I just use a couple of large Echinodoras bleheri Sword plants in plastic containers concealed in the deep substrate in the back half of that discus tank. This comes in handy if I have to catch fish because I can temporarily remove the sword plants. It also allows me to concentrate timed release substrate fertilizers within only the plants' pots.
Plants aren't necessary nor even natural in the sense of matching the biotope of Discus. I just like a little live greenery and I think a few plants can contribute to water quality.
Plants aren't necessary nor even natural in the sense of matching the biotope of Discus. I just like a little live greenery and I think a few plants can contribute to water quality.
Last edited by apistomaster on 04 Nov 2007, 22:02, edited 1 time in total.
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Hi Haarvad,
They look like Blue Discus.
Whether a discus is Blue or Brown is a subjective and arbitrary decision. I agree with Heiko Bleher that they are one and the same species. Only the extent of the blue determines whether it falls into your personal opinion of what it should be called.
For me, a Blue should have at least, fairly extensive blue striations about its head, upper back and lower back third of it's body including the anal fin.
Browns may have little blue or mostly some about the head and unpaired fins with very little blue striation through their body.
They look like Blue Discus.
Whether a discus is Blue or Brown is a subjective and arbitrary decision. I agree with Heiko Bleher that they are one and the same species. Only the extent of the blue determines whether it falls into your personal opinion of what it should be called.
For me, a Blue should have at least, fairly extensive blue striations about its head, upper back and lower back third of it's body including the anal fin.
Browns may have little blue or mostly some about the head and unpaired fins with very little blue striation through their body.
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If you mean to learn about Wild Strains, check out http://www.simplydiscus.com . As for buying them.. I'll leave that to ApistoMaster.
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Both of your Hemiancistrus tanks are awesome. Seeing how you build your tanks and make them so beautiful and real looking has inspired me to want to try to make similar setups... if only I had the money . It's obvious you put a lot of thought and work into your tanks. Keep it up. I can't wait to see the finished project.
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Yeah! It can be an expensive hobby. This year I have used all my vacation money on equipment.
The tank is nearly finished. I may start to add sand this week.
About discus strains... As I understand it the simplest way of catagorizing them are:
-Heckel
-Haraldi(blue)
-Green
-Brown
The discus I will buy are called Brown by the keeper. Apisto says they look more like Haraldi (blue) and I agree for what it´s worth.
Maybee the best thing would be to use exact location of capture instead of all the fancy names on wild discus. Kind of like the system we use on Poeciliids. Country-state/province-river-more exact part of the river etc.
The tank is nearly finished. I may start to add sand this week.
About discus strains... As I understand it the simplest way of catagorizing them are:
-Heckel
-Haraldi(blue)
-Green
-Brown
The discus I will buy are called Brown by the keeper. Apisto says they look more like Haraldi (blue) and I agree for what it´s worth.
Maybee the best thing would be to use exact location of capture instead of all the fancy names on wild discus. Kind of like the system we use on Poeciliids. Country-state/province-river-more exact part of the river etc.
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There are three recognized species of wild discus with their correct scientific names currently in debate.
There are many variations within every Discus population of everyone of the three species although the Heckel Discus, Symphysodon discus is the most consistent in appearance. The wide variations found in the natural population provided a rich resource of different traits that have been developed into many "strains" of domestic discus. Most were derived from the Blue/Browns but Green discus and their hybridization has played a role in the creation of some of the domestic strains=varieties available today.
The two different ideas on the natural wild species goes like this:
Heiko Bleher's proposal.
Symphysodon discus The Heckel Discus
Symphysodon haraldi Brown/Blue Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus Green Discus
-------------------------------------------
Kullander and others proposal.
Symphysodon discus The Heckel Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus Brown/Blue Discus
Symphysodon tarzoo Green Discus
--------------------------------------------
"Strains" more properly refers to the selectively bred varieties of domesticated discus.
It is sometimes used as a way to distinguish members of the same species with distinctive characteristics found on some specimens from a particular part of the range of the species. It is usually used so loosely and often with place names where discus are not even found so as to become meaningless. One great example are the famous Discus from the Rio Madeira, a great. large, muddy river, devoid of Discus.
According to Heiko Bleher, Bleher's Discus Vol. 1, 2006, the Alenquer type of Brown is not really found at the place name location but rather the Rio Curua', the Boca region, or Cuipeua'. Heiko collected and inroduced them to aquarists so he ought know.
This sort of thing is pervasive among discus keepers.
We don't collect our fish. Collectors don't tell us where they actually find their fish; they have competitors, so many of the location types that are commonly accepted as fact by discus keepers are inventions; nonsense.
There are many variations within every Discus population of everyone of the three species although the Heckel Discus, Symphysodon discus is the most consistent in appearance. The wide variations found in the natural population provided a rich resource of different traits that have been developed into many "strains" of domestic discus. Most were derived from the Blue/Browns but Green discus and their hybridization has played a role in the creation of some of the domestic strains=varieties available today.
The two different ideas on the natural wild species goes like this:
Heiko Bleher's proposal.
Symphysodon discus The Heckel Discus
Symphysodon haraldi Brown/Blue Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus Green Discus
-------------------------------------------
Kullander and others proposal.
Symphysodon discus The Heckel Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus Brown/Blue Discus
Symphysodon tarzoo Green Discus
--------------------------------------------
"Strains" more properly refers to the selectively bred varieties of domesticated discus.
It is sometimes used as a way to distinguish members of the same species with distinctive characteristics found on some specimens from a particular part of the range of the species. It is usually used so loosely and often with place names where discus are not even found so as to become meaningless. One great example are the famous Discus from the Rio Madeira, a great. large, muddy river, devoid of Discus.
According to Heiko Bleher, Bleher's Discus Vol. 1, 2006, the Alenquer type of Brown is not really found at the place name location but rather the Rio Curua', the Boca region, or Cuipeua'. Heiko collected and inroduced them to aquarists so he ought know.
This sort of thing is pervasive among discus keepers.
We don't collect our fish. Collectors don't tell us where they actually find their fish; they have competitors, so many of the location types that are commonly accepted as fact by discus keepers are inventions; nonsense.
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Hi Haavard,
If you want to have the most comprehensive information about wild discus get Heiko Bleher's new book, Bleher's Discus Vol 1, 2006.
Every known Discus is shown,it's exact location, water conditions and history. Also ton of information about Amazonian fish habitats in general. No one has ever provided so much information before. The photos tend to make you wish you had a 100 big tanks and a fortune to collect the all variations shown of the three species of Discus.
Bleher collected and supplied the majority of the best wild discus to the best breeders who used them to create the modern fancy discus over the past four decades.
If you want to have the most comprehensive information about wild discus get Heiko Bleher's new book, Bleher's Discus Vol 1, 2006.
Every known Discus is shown,it's exact location, water conditions and history. Also ton of information about Amazonian fish habitats in general. No one has ever provided so much information before. The photos tend to make you wish you had a 100 big tanks and a fortune to collect the all variations shown of the three species of Discus.
Bleher collected and supplied the majority of the best wild discus to the best breeders who used them to create the modern fancy discus over the past four decades.
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The tank is filled with water and local sea sand.
The fx5 in and outlets on the left side are just temporary. I need to cycle the fx5 for another tank.
At the moment I keep 5 L106 Two L200 "hi fin"and 5 L128s. On Thursday I will get 10 L264. The purpose of the tank will be to house a lot of plecos unntil they are large enough to attemt breeding in other smaller tanks. It is simply a growout tank.
The discus purchase will have to wait indefinetely because of illness on the fish. I may have to buy from another source.
The fx5 in and outlets on the left side are just temporary. I need to cycle the fx5 for another tank.
At the moment I keep 5 L106 Two L200 "hi fin"and 5 L128s. On Thursday I will get 10 L264. The purpose of the tank will be to house a lot of plecos unntil they are large enough to attemt breeding in other smaller tanks. It is simply a growout tank.
The discus purchase will have to wait indefinetely because of illness on the fish. I may have to buy from another source.
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Thank you jopbgon
I sort of agree that plants would look nice, but I will use the tank a lot to photograph fish, and I feel that plants in the frame tend to disturb the image. Maybee I change my mind later. First I have to finish aquascaping with wood and rocks.Bas Pels wrote:Wow, a splendid tank.
If it was mine, I would add 2 plants: 1 thin vallisneria, on 1/3 from the left, halfway from the front, near the curve inwards o nthe second peice of wood - just to increase the deepnes, and a big Echionodorus to fill the very emlty room on the right