My Discus Show Tank

Previously I had a bed of fine light coloured gravel. For the remodel I am going to use 3 substrates. Black Earth Aqua Soil for the planted end, transitioning in to sand for the center, and then to fine gravel for the hardscape end. With various wood and rocks for sculpture.

I am running 2 externals on this tank, but the issue with my Discus is that they really don't like much flow in the water. They can handle a little bit, but if the flow gets too much then they will try and find a dead spot in the tank and all huddle there. With near zero flow they casually swim around looking happy. To get around this I previously had complete UG plates under the bed, and plumbed the filter return lines into what were normally the uplift tubes. With this I could run both filters wide open and the water would be seeping up through the gravel across the entire floor of the tank, and thus creating no flow. I had also plumped the Co2 in to the tubes so that the plants were getting a nice even amount of Co2. It worked really well, and also help keep light sediment in suspension and the gravel clean. Anyway I can't do this with the sand, so I will have the UG feed plates under the gravel at the hardscape end so that one filter can run full throttle, with the second filter returning water to the top of the tank, but at a low flow. I will revert to a regular ceramic diffuser for the Co2, and locate it at the planted end.

Here's the plates and uplift to be feed by one filter.....

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Now a thin layer of gravel to cover the plate at that end......

Now a sequence of shots. First with Black earth added, and this will be blended across to the other end with sand.

Next in with the sand, and some scape...... faffed about with this for a while, but happy now....

Now some of the wet stuff.....

Now to finish the planted end, and let the filter run a while to get the fine bits out. Fish are still all fine in the pink box

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Fish can go back now.....and a cold one for me!

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looks nice very beautiful

Fishy friend2 said:

looks nice very beautiful

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Thank you Fishey Friend number two.....and easier maintenance than before, I was starting to feel like a gardener. Getting a little lazy in my old age

lol and your welcome

They have settled in nicely and the sediment has now cleared.

Wow your tank looks REALLY, REALLY nice I love the way it looks, and you're fish a georgeous

Fishy friend2 said:

Wow your tank looks REALLY, REALLY nice I love the way it looks, and you're fish a georgeous

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I am very flattered. Thank you

Feeding time! A frenzy for my beef heart mix.....so yummy ...........ummmmmm tastes like chicken!

I really like the new scaping! Simple yet interesting. Love your discus fish so much

Clarousel said:

I really like the new scaping! Simple yet interesting. Love your discus fish so much

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Will try to get a better pic, because I used my phone, and it is not so clear