30 replies to this topic

[Redevilz]

Hey all,

I have been doing lots of research about discus and I was thinking about keeping 5 in a 3x1.5x2

For filtration on the tank I was going for 1x Astro 2208, air pump with air stone and a Hang On Filter.

Would this be enough for the discus?

Cheers

[Bowdy]

Scrap the 2208 and hang on filter and just go the 2212. Less power usage and more filtration.
Also I'd add a Venturi so no need for the air pump. More power saving. Simple.

[Bermont]

the more filtration the better when it comes to discus, id go more with what Bowdy has said, id get a nice large cannister rated to atleast 2x the tanks capacity, either a venturi or add a sponge is a good idea too, the sponge may not look the best but its good solid fiiltration and if you lose power you can hook a battery powered air pump upto it and still have air and filtration available

[Bowdy]

If its a display dont use a sponge. The idea of a display is to look good and it will look shit with one in there.

[Bermont]

unless you hide it behind rocks etc like i sometimes do

[Redevilz]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'll get the 2212 or an Eheim of some sort.

What Venturi would you recommend?

[Westie]

this kind

[Bowdy]

Spot on Jason

[Angelo]

nothing wrong with using a sponge filter in a discus display if you conceal it well, if you have a black background it blends in even better. discus do not like the strong flow so sponger filters work well. I've always used a canister/sponge filter combo for my discus tanks. 

Edited by Angelo, 14 August 2013 - 11:51 AM.

[Westie]

yeah but you don't need to go for crazy fast flow on a tank, and I agree with the above post that spong filters look terrible on a display tank unless you can hide them

[Bermont]

i usually hide my sponges and heaters behind rock work in the tank so it has as natural a look as possible, but in some tanks i just dont care and they are in the open

[Bowdy]

If you select the apropriate canister for the tank you don't need ugly sponges.
Less hardware needed in a tank the better.

[Redevilz]

Cheers bowdy, I totally agree.

What eheim external canister would best suit my tank?

Cheers

[slink]

You could go the 2226 or astro 2212

[Redevilz]

Which one would be better?

[slink]

Well eheim have the reputation of making great filters but for a cheaper alternative the astro filters are great. I have been very impressed with the quality of the astro thats running on my 6x2x2 with my 2228

Edited by slink, 14 August 2013 - 08:54 PM.

[Redevilz]

Thanks slink, I'll get the Astro
Would the flow be too strong for the discus?

[Hooked]

Hi BRT,

 

I use Eheims on all my discus tanks. They are the best bar none in my opinion. I've bought heaps cheap, second hand off gumtree and had no probs with them also. I usually buy a reasonably priced tank with a pump I'm after, remove it, clean the tank right up then sell it for what I originally paid, sometimes more. If you go for a large model then you can drill out the spray bar holes to reduce the flow velocity. Just make sure you use a blunt drill when drilling plastic. A sharp one grabs and cracks plastic/perspex etc easily. As someone above said choose a size that is rated double your 270 litre capacity. Usually allow 40 litres for a each discus to have a reasonable grow out, so you should be right with 5. 

I don't bother with airstones or venturies. The spray bar flow moving the surface water (not vigorously, just a slight rippling) is more than enough to aerate the tank. Air Stones and venturis bubbling remove the already minimal Co2 from the tank that plants love.

When it comes time to get some discus contact living78 a member on here. He can help with Discus meds too when needed.

We all do things differently, for different reasons. If you want to breed discus then a sponge filter on hand is a good thing. I've just had a couple of newly arrived discus lay in a 200lt quarantine tank today and it has a  Ehiem 2215 running on it with the usual type canister filter pick up. I now have to modify etc to stop the fry, if they eventuate from being sucked up. I'd kill for a seeded sponge filter right now! 

 

Beware,,,,, Discus are addictive! : )

 

All the best,

 

Cheers

[Bowdy]

Hi hooked I have a heap of seeded sponges running atm. Your welcome to grab a couple if you like mate.

[Westie]

I have the same filtration set up as slink (Astro 2212 and an Eheim 2228) and if I were to choose again, I would go for 2 x Astro 2212 filters. Only thing I don't like about the Astro is the srpay bar seems flimsy compared to the Eheim. I prefered the Astro to the Eheim for maintenance (and price  )