Recommended substrate for planted Discus aquarium

[vanessa messig]

Hi everyone, I have white sand substrate in my discus aquarium which looks good but not the best for plants which are not growing very well. The reason for the white sand was so that I could keep the surface cleaner, thinking it would be best for discus. I heard and was wondering, if it is true that discus would get spooked by white sand as it is too bright? :?

Would anyone be able to recommend the best suitable substrate for both plants and discus :?:

[ILLUSN]

I like sand, the poo doesn't seem to settle into it like it does in gravel.

to give your plants a boost try some clay ball near the roots, this will give them a good clay substrate where they need it, and you wont have to tear down the entire tank and replace your substrate.

my discus never minded a pool filter sand substrate, under very bright light it could possibly spook them but i've had no trouble in 4x18x20 tall tank with 3x54w T5's on the top.

[vanessa messig]

Thats good to hear, thanks Illusn. I like the sand for just that reason and it looks good to, also the discus can easily get to the food rather than the food rolling in between gravel.

I usually keep the position of my light either to one side of the tank or directly in the middle for most of the day except evenings, that way the discus do not have bright light on them all day, they also have logs to hide under.

Where can I get the appropriate clay ball from?

[Hollowman]

Vanessa, have you ever though of getting floating plants? I have Frogbit and Water Lettuce in my tank. If the worry is too much light, this stuff grows and spreads over the surface giving some shade. Can look good on BB or sand substrate tanks too with the roots dangling down from the top.
Just a thought. :)

Hollowman

[vanessa messig]

Hi Hollowman, I have thought of it ages ago but was not sure and since forgotten about it... its a very good idea so long as the leaves don't burn on top from the light.
The look of roots dangling down will add another dimension to the whole look of the tank. Thank you for bringing it up, :D it should help keep the nitrates down as well.
I was also wondering what the best procedure would be in regard to sterilizing plants before adding to the discus tank :?:

Thank you so much for the great idea Hollowman :wink:

[Hollowman]

Hi Vanessa,

Here is a photo i took a while back when I had floating plants in the tank. I never fund that it got burnt fron the lights, with a slow current in the tank, I found that as long as it didn't completely cover the surface it would move slowly, so I never had that problem. If you feed tetra bits or flake you must make sure that food does not get trapped on the top (if you use an auto feeder) But the fish love it, as you say, it gives another dimension.

hth

Hollowman

[vanessa messig]

Wow! That looks fantastic :thumb I will definitely get some.

Do you think new plants should to be sterilized before adding to the discus tank?

Thank you Hollowman for such wonderful idea! and thanks for showing me your pic.

[Hollowman]

Plants, inherently are difficult to sterilise. The best you can do is to wash them off very carefully under the tap, or even soak in a bucket of water with a snail killer in it.
I always ask if they are snail free if buying from a shop, but these floaters came from a trusted friend, so it was just a rinse and drop in.

I am sure others that know more about plants can help on the specifics of sterilising, try Illusn, he is a plant expert.

hth

H

[vanessa messig]

Thanks so much Hollowman, I think another option could be to buy direct from an aquarium 'plants' only wholesaler where they do not stock fish. I have also dipped my plants in a bucket with an overdose of Protozin added for a short time, not sure if it did the trick but at least I felt better.

Cheers,

[Greggy]

Hollowman is right... I also strongly advise you nuke all new plants with copper sulphate for a few hours before putting them in your tank to kill all snails.

Rinse thoroughly after treatment and you won't harm any invertebrates in your tank.

Regards,

Greggy

[rwel4809]

I give all new plants a 10 min pp bath to kill all snail eggs and other nasties...

Robert

[vanessa messig]

Thanks Greggy and Robert,
I have snail rid, that should do the trick.

I also read that Potassium Pemanganate is supposed to be one of the best methods, but have not found it in the LFS, I asked at the chemist with no luck.

[ILLUSN]

You'll have to buy PP from a chemist, you cant buy it in a supermarket anymore cause you can use it to make bombs.

[vanessa messig]

Thanks Illusn, Hmm, its a worry, I'll try one in the city and explain what I want to use it for.