Michaeal-959

So instead of me going out and collecting live rock your saying i should leave it up to the fish shops to do it so they can charge me an arm and a leg for a bit of rock? if anything them going out in boats is damaging the reefs more than me considering the reefs i would be going to are closer to shore where far less marine life lives. I've attached a thread of people talking about it and they don't seem to worry about your so called "sustainability". If your so worried about me taking a few rocks maybe you should start opening your eyes and having a look at real problems that reefs face today.

 

also i dont see hundreds of poeple at the beach collecting live rock.... i understand what your saying but its a tad different? 

 

http://www.masa.asn....t=55899&start=0

 

please take negativity else where and be helpful instead...

I would love to add in a sump but I don't think my parents would like me gutting out my side draws to put a sump into them. Plan on just putting a protein skimmer on the side and building a hood with the lights built in and room for the skimmer.

All seems pretty straight forward just need to make a few purchases and the tough part deciding on the stuff to purchase...

What's your thoughts?
Would be a little difficult to fully perfect but still.

Getting there
Update

Personally don't know from experience but I have heard you can bread discus successfully in any water but breeders use soft water with a low pH because that's what it would be in the neutral habitat or discus. Supposably after a few generations on hard water with high pH discus can form deformations. You shouldn't have problems unless you start getting really serious.

I have a t piece connected between my cannister and inlet it tank which T's off to a one way valve to my RO system. I then have a hole near the top which allows water to overflow to. So I just turn on the RO system for a few hours every second day and allow the water to flow.

So I thought I would just share my story
Beginning of the year I decided I wanted discus so I started with my research. Every different site says something different and it's all very misleading which had me in circles. I the. decided I wanted a planted discus tank. The thing I learnt is that discus need premium filtration so I though SUMP, so I got holes put in my tank and built a sump.
In the mean time I was saving for co2, lighting and substrate. Once I got all the pieces of the puzzle I set up my sump, co2 and everything. Had the tank running for about a month. Water was amazingly clear. Turned on my co2 and went and got plants. Plants were doing amazing until I got a few extras that introduced snails to my tank. Within a week my tank and the sump were full. While this was happening I had noticed I was going through lots of co2. Soon I figured that sumps and co2 go in opposite hands.
So out with the sump and in the the canister. In this time I also cut out the overflow box and dried all the dirt to try and get rid of the snails. I used the bottom hole for the cannister inlet and the top hole for overflow drip system.
Finally about 9 months later the tank is going well. I would like to thank you all ok here for giving me advice through my journey into discus. It took so long because I'm a year 12 student who works once a week and my parents like me to have independence however they do chip in lots. I have been given the best advice from Kane I think his name on here is Kane_27. Supplied me with great plants, fertilizer and amazing amounts of advice. If your looking for plants north of the river he is the guy in my opinion.
In the photo the plants are still quite small as I have been trimming and replanting lots to thicken them up. My vision is to have the right side full and the rest covered in the carpet.

The brass fitting inbetween my cannister and the co2 reactor is a one way valve that I plug my RO system into. I take the hose that is attached to the top hole from the once was overflow system and put it outside and connect the hose from the one way valve to the ro system and turn it on. The water slowly goes in and then trickles out. On the top hole that the hose is connected to I have a right angle fitting that is at the water level.

Thanks

Leif
Wow your tank looks amazing well done
Have been tossing up between a planted nano or marine nano. Marine seems like o much effort with an amazing result where as planted wouldn't require as much effort and $$$$
Thanks for your help. I think that one day I'll do one when I'm not in year 12 only working one day a week.
Keep up the good journal is awesome and I love your tank.

Thanks
Michael

Hey
The design looks sweet. I personally just made a sump and it took sometime to perfect but it got working. Biggest issue was the power off. What I found would have worked well is have the dividers lower so there is more room that doesn't have water in it so it can fill up. Also just an idea you can make a trickle filter ontop of that by getting those paper draw things that you out on your desk. Put holes in each draw then fill the draws with bio balls or whatever you want. You could even use that as a pre filter and it would be very easy to replace those filter pads in there. Or just sit it on the top and tap it off the pump. Another good pre filter sort of thing are filter socks. Just where the water comes in chuck a filter sock over that pipe and wallah. I ran a 3600lph on my 4x2x2 with a 80l sump and the water was crystal clear and there wasn't too much flow but it was on the higher end. You can draw as many plans as you want but it will change as you go. Oh also I would recommend have a largeish return area
On the return pipe just have a t piece that leads back into the first section of the sump. Put a valve alon here so if the fish look stressed just turn the valve on a little which will reduce the flow and stuff. Will also increase the amount the water goes through the media which is a plus

So I am thinking of going from Malawi cichlids to discus. I have a 4 ft full of marble chips and I'm not sure if this is suitable for discus. I have heard so much about them being very picky fish but I'm willing to do what ever it takes to make them happy. I'm selling off all my cichlids at the moment but am wondering if I'm going to have to get rid of the sand/marble chips. The marble chips are a good 5cm deep. I haven't really seen a discus setup with a deep substrate