[Discus aggression]

In my 125 gal I have 6 new discus that are fully grown out.  Beautiful fish but I admit I find it difficult to watch the ritual of of the pecking order development of cichlids!  Now 5 days in and one fish especially very aggressive.  Spreading food out to different areas of tank, still difficult to get food to all the fish.  I am wondering if increasing the number if fish to maybe 9 might dilute the aggression of my one bully?

[New to discus]

Breeder that I have chosen (and 6 fully grown are coming next week!) says 82-83 degrees is his usual.  With my AC set at 72 in this Ga heat, can't get my Fluval setting to go above 82.  Ambient room temp need to go higher?  (I hate to suffer!)

Any advise on this Fluval heater adjustment.  (I never seem to do well with these new gadgets.)

 

[Where to start with scaping a new tank!]

And when you get stuff home, go out to your picnic table, lay down tape with footprint of tank.  Your can then arrange multiple patterns.  Take pictures to remember your arrangement!  Your natural artistic side will take over from there!  Have fun and don't rush.

 

[ADI ammonia question]

T

At lease as many by volume.  Love your tank!

[ADI ammonia question]

On 6/27/2021 at 2:17 PM, Randall from Texas said:

Have a pic of your planted tank? At 125 with those few fish and heavy plants you may not have even cycled your filter yet. If you never saw nitrites then you don't have the bacteria to convert to nitrates is my thinking.

It goes into email upside down!  Embarrassed to send!  

[ADI ammonia question]

Probably too concerned about API test where ammonia 0 (Clearly yellow) to more usually 0.25 (not yellow but pale green)?   I’m 4 months into hobby and enjoying my 125 immensely except for this issue.  Clean tank, heavily planted, fish very active and appear healthy. Nitrite never have been over zero, nitrates usually 10 to 20. Eight snails and no deaths in these 4 months.  Fish load: 1 German blue round, 2 gouramis, 7 Cardinals, 7 cherry barbs and 4 SAE’s..  No problems with algae overgrowth.  Thinking now is safe to increase my fertilization to handle the large plant load and to get my nitrates up a bit. What do you think?   I’ve also been reluctant to overfeed my fish, now only a couple of times a week. Thinking I need to increase that also. Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks

[When are test kits reliable after water change?]

Fritz complete w/ water change--how long before next readings of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates reliable?  

[Start all over?]

Ultimate goal for 120 gal planted was to eventually achieve water quality for discus w/ temp 82 degrees.  Starting tap water very soft.  Thought, after watching multiple videos, that i needed to put some crushed coral beneath my gravel as a substrate (1 ").  Now 7 weeks after planting my aquascape with 2 large pieces of drift wood, lots of tannis!, lots of plants that are growing well, and good lighting, my ph is 8.2 +, GH & KH 300.  Corey says just look at plants and algae (life) and not at numbers.  Do i need to start over, remove the crushed coral layer, and put just gravel?  Or should i sit tight, feed my plants easy green and just wait?  (Ammonia 0.50, nitrites 0, nitrates 0).  No live things yet except hitchhicker snails from plants orders).   Hate to start over but would really like to try for discus some day. (and time is short as I am 74!).  HELP!

[Question on Dwarf Aquarium Lily]

This is exactly my question!  Got 2 tall sprouts to surface 
(feel like a stud aquarist), now what?

[Tannins! More light?]

Setting up 125 g planted tank w/ 3 large sponge filters.  Have 2 large wood pieces each end of tank.  Now 4th day of new plants.   Very dark with tannins.  Fluval 3.0 at 50% power for first few weeks.  Looks so dark!  Should I up power b/c of dark water?

[Circulation pump dilemma]

Setting up 125 g planted tank w/ 3 large sponge filters. cgoing,   Have 2 large wood pieces each end of tank.  Bought wrong circ pump which was 2000 gph which "Hurricane Katrina" in my tank.  How many pumps needed?  What flow rate?  Leave on all the time  or put on a timer?  Any recommended learning sites?

[HS Classroom Tank Journal!]

Oh if only many thousands more teachers such as you!!!!  Lucky students!

[Preparation for planting]

Are there plants I should avoid as I prepare for a higher temp (82-84) discus tank?

[Newbie question re: shrimp]

Thanks Kristen.  Thinking of amano shrimp, steribai coorydoras and some kind of snail... at 82  degrees.  What about that cleaning crew?

[Newbie question re: shrimp]

Hey great list to study!  Will these be ok 82-85 degrees?

[Newbie question re: shrimp]

Whate about large amano shimp?  

[Newbie question re: shrimp]

Are shrimp out for a discus tank?  Will discus eat shrimp?  Want "the best" clean up crew!

[Preparation for planting]

In conversation with discus breeder who appears reputable on website, he advises bleach (dilute!) soaking of new plants, followed of course with dechlorination, to remove contamination before planting my 125 gal tank planting.  Do you fell this is necessary with you quality plants?