50 gallon discus tank transformation!

HI guys! So I have set up a 50 gallon discus tank 2 weeks ago~
Picture 1: I have 4 discus marbolo, albino red pigeon, blue turquoise, 2 koi angels, 1 common pleco and silver fox. I like the bare bottom tank because I literally only need to clean the filter media and I don't think I will need to do water change weekly for the long run with just bare bottom fish tank.

Picture 2: I added the mopanI driftwood the piece is about 7 lbs~ Then I added barterI anubias (on the right), java fern and anaubias nana (on the left side) I have to removed the pleco and silver fox because they might pick on the plants or uplift the plants from the woodpile since I only super glue part of the plants onto the wood. I also added 3 L144 one male two females in the tank. Hopefully they will propagate in the future! They are doing a good job fanning out all the fish waste under the wood but waste have been staying at the bottom of the tank instead going into the filter now because the wood piece interrupted the water flow. But I can still easily remove with a net daily. I think I will need to do 15% water change weekly

Picture 3: taken today I added 4 pots of narrow leaf jungle val. it was given to me from a friend. I think it is a bit overcrowded right now and I am probably going to get rid of 2 of the pots. My tank water flow has decreased a lot because the jungle val and woodpile so I am going to add a wave maker hopefully they will keep most of the waste inside the filter. I also added 3 sterbaI Cory and 1 panda Cory in there along with assassin snails. The tank look pretty complete But I will definitely need to trim out some of the plants. I did a 40% water change right after I added the jungle val. I will prob need to do 2 water change weekly with this set up but I like the natural look of set up. If I add Ludwigia Repen super red, do you think the L144 will eat it?

I am using full spectrum rgb led light for my discus tank and it really provide great color for the fish and plant growth

 

The corys need substrate

 

... and I don't think I will need to do water change weekly for the long run with just bare bottom fish tank.

Why do you think that? I don't have discus yet, but have done some research, and everything I've seen indicates they need very clean water. I don't see how a lack of substrate changes that.

 

I would change water weekly at least with that stocking ..
Watch the angels ..They really don't go with disc very well over time ..
Usually the disc suffer for their company ..

 

It sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into your plants and set up, what with wave makers to compensate driftwood blocking movement etc. That said I’m not so sure about less than weekly water changes with discus. I think even a weekly water change may sometimes not be enough for such a gentle fish... when you add Plecos and others to the mix you’ll really need to ensure that water is pristine.

I love discus as they are an absolute showpiece for people who come over but I’ve never been able to face the dilemma of such high level maintenance and I’m just not a personal fan of bare bottom tanks (probably related to my laziness when it comes to vacuuming!)

perhaps worth considering also checking compatibility with discus and other fish as they require higher temperatures than most as I understand it. Also current with wave makers - I know little of them but I don't think I’ve seen discus in a tank with strong water flow.
I hope it all goes well for you and your fish. Keep us posted and share pics!

 

Looks like you're off to a good start. Very pretty Discus. Discus require exceptional filtration & need to be introduced into a thoroughly aged & cycled tank. Success is not likely if you are trying to cycle a new tank with Discus. There are several water management gurus in this forum that can assist you.
As a successful, former Discus keeper, I can confidently advise that at least one 50% WC per week. Keep the temp at 82 - 86 degrees. A clean tank is a must, but that's true for any tank. Some are successful keeping Angels with Discus, but Angels, especially wild caught, carry bad intestinal bugs that are not really harmful to them, but can sicken Discus.
A lot of Discus keepers, in particular breeders, keep bare bottom tanks, but don't fear a gravel substrate. In a well maintained tank, 3" of gravel substrate can accommodate a large bed of benificial bacteria. It acts as an additional filter. Good luck. Be sure to use the forum if problems arise.

 

Why do you think that? I don't have discus yet, but have done some research, and everything I've seen indicates they need very clean water. I don't see how a lack of substrate changes that.

I clean the media and the water was crystal clear and the discus are very healthy. But It changed after I added the aquatic plants

The corys need substrate

Ok I will add sand into the tank. I am either with white or black sand but I don't which one would let the cories stand out more?

I would change water weekly at least with that stocking ..
Watch the angels ..They really don't go with disc very well over time ..
Usually the disc suffer for their company ..

They seem to get along very well. My discus don't really interact with the angels or Cory. They are mostly going after my finger for food when I'm around.
Yea I am doing 2 water changes weekly now

It sounds like you’ve put a lot of thought into your plants and set up, what with wave makers to compensate driftwood blocking movement etc. That said I’m not so sure about less than weekly water changes with discus. I think even a weekly water change may sometimes not be enough for such a gentle fish... when you add Plecos and others to the mix you’ll really need to ensure that water is pristine.

I love discus as they are an absolute showpiece for people who come over but I’ve never been able to face the dilemma of such high level maintenance and I’m just not a personal fan of bare bottom tanks (probably related to my laziness when it comes to vacuuming!)

perhaps worth considering also checking compatibility with discus and other fish as they require higher temperatures than most as I understand it. Also current with wave makers - I know little of them but I don't think I’ve seen discus in a tank with strong water flow.
I hope it all goes well for you and your fish. Keep us posted and share pics!

But the waste will be stuck in the substrate tho. can I see a picture of your tank? I might consider adding substrate in the future.
Yes I have a lot of planning and driving around to get this set up complete. I am still working on the tank. I will update more tank pictures here for sure!
I do water change twice a week now

 

Well you should really do some research on discus. Since your keeping 6 large Fish in a 50 gal tank you will need to do more not less water changes. Now add in the pleco which are know to add heavily to the bio-load and the more water changes the better. Right now you are overstocked in that tank.
Not a good idea to add sand with the fish in the tank. The Cory’s will be fine with no substrate. What type of filter are you using? How many gallons an hour does it move?
Are you in the states or do you live in another country?

 

Well you should really do some research on discus. Since your keeping 6 large Fish in a 50 gal tank you will need to do more not less water changes. Now add in the pleco which are know to add heavily to the bio-load and the more water changes the better. Right now you are overstocked in that tank.
Not a good idea to add sand with the fish in the tank. The Cory’s will be fine with no substrate. What type of filter are you using? How many gallons an hour does it move?
Are you in the states or do you live in another country?

I have the aquaclear 70 and I'm adding wave waker.
I got the tank recommendation from google: To keep the discus fish in ideal conditions, a large-sized tank is preferable. One fish per 10 gallons of water would work fine for discus. Since these fish like to live in a group of 5-6 discus, you would have to provide them at least 50 gallons of water.

I guess I can remove the angels.

 

The aquaclear 70 only moves 300gph. Your looking to move more like 500. The reason is once you add media to a filter the flow is reduced. Could be as much as 50%. Still not a fan of the wave maker. All it is is a power head it’s not filtering it’s moving the water. They’re used mostly on reef tanks. Instead of the wave maker put an aquaclear 110 or a tidal 110 in place of the 70.

 

The aquaclear 70 only moves 300gph. Your looking to move more like 500. The reason is once you add media to a filter the flow is reduced. Could be as much as 50%. Still not a fan of the wave maker. All it is is a power head it’s not filtering it’s moving the water. They’re used mostly on reef tanks. Instead of the wave maker put an aquaclear 110 or a tidal 110 in place of the 70.

Ok I will keep that in mind on Boxing Day haha I never try tidal filter before are they better than aquaclear? I prefer quiet filter.
I actually kept this tank for more than a year now but I just decide to add tankscape 2 weeks ago.

 

Yes the tidal is a quite filter. Oh you’ve had the discus for a year now?