Are these plants good

[Cjbear087]

Hi, soon I am going to set up a planted low tech discus tank. I have been looking through some videos and MD’s discus tank really appeals to me so I would like to model mine off of his. I have found this bundle of plants for my size tank and was wondering if they are all okay for low tech, and if they are okay for discus water conditions. Thanks. https://java-plants.com/premium-discus-collections/premiuim-discus-collection-for-a-48-aquarium/

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

A couple questions- what’s your lighting? Substrate? Filtration? Just helps us help you. Sounds like a delightful tank. May I ask the dimensions? Do you know what your water parameters are for your tank and tap water?
 

That’s a reasonable grouping of plants some I’d put in the medium category but the swords are usually very easy as long as you feed their roots. The rotalas appreciate a bright light and column fertilizer. I’d use a planted substrate with them as well for maximum growth or using root tabs especially when they get started. The rhizome plants are all slow growers and easy so you’d have fast, medium and slow growers. If you can find some Hygrophila corymbosa it’s good up to 30 degrees. Also Pogostemon stellatus “octopus” can do that temperature. 
 

If you’re doing MDs method those ideas should sound familiar - nutrients capped with a planted substrate and sand is his usual. With that you’d have some buffering capacity which many discus like. If you’re doing Stenker discus then they can handle harder water as that’s what they’re bred for. 
 

in the end you’ll find which plants work and don’t, then you buy more of what’s working and off to the races you’ll go!! Have fun it’s a great project. I’ve mostly done the poor mans discus - other SA and Old World cichlids- festivum, angels, electric blue Acaras, kribs and Krobia. All planted. When I did the angels I kept them around 26-28 degrees. I had the echinodorus, hygrophila, and the pogostemon with anubias and it worked well. 

[Cjbear087]

On 4/5/2024 at 12:52 AM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:

A couple questions- what’s your lighting? Substrate? Filtration? Just helps us help you. Sounds like a delightful tank. May I ask the dimensions? Do you know what your water parameters are for your tank and tap water?
 

That’s a reasonable grouping of plants some I’d put in the medium category but the swords are usually very easy as long as you feed their roots. The rotalas appreciate a bright light and column fertilizer. I’d use a planted substrate with them as well for maximum growth or using root tabs especially when they get started. The rhizome plants are all slow growers and easy so you’d have fast, medium and slow growers. If you can find some Hygrophila corymbosa it’s good up to 30 degrees. Also Pogostemon stellatus “octopus” can do that temperature. 
 

If you’re doing MDs method those ideas should sound familiar - nutrients capped with a planted substrate and sand is his usual. With that you’d have some buffering capacity which many discus like. If you’re doing Stenker discus then they can handle harder water as that’s what they’re bred for. 
 

in the end you’ll find which plants work and don’t, then you buy more of what’s working and off to the races you’ll go!! Have fun it’s a great project. I’ve mostly done the poor mans discus - other SA and Old World cichlids- festivum, angels, electric blue Acaras, kribs and Krobia. All planted. When I did the angels I kept them around 26-28 degrees. I had the echinodorus, hygrophila, and the pogostemon with anubias and it worked well. 

Thank you 🙂 I haven’t actually got the tank yet, just planning everything before I go and get it. I am going to get a Juwel Rio 350 (90gal) which comes with a sponge filter and a 29w light. The power head is 1000l/h which I think is enough (could you confirm?) For substrate I am going to do 8cm of Fluval Stratum and top it with 6cm of fine sand. I am not actually at home at the moment so I can’t tell you parameters of my tap water right now. The tanks dimensions are 121x51x62cm.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

I think those Juwel tanks are wicked! Wish they sold them in the states!! 120 x 50 cm is a nice foot print, the discus should use that 60 cm height but may not. 
 

Sword plants can get big, so they can fill out the back well with the stems in between. The filter will turn over plenty and should circulate the fertilizer well. Your substrate system should work fine, stratum has a good cation exchange so should provide plenty for this roots. 
 

I think it should be plenty of light, if I remember correctly there’s a whole thing of people adding extra to those tanks - I think George Farmer had someone on his channel with a 20 year old Juwel tank and he’d rigged up extra lights.
 

Have fun! This will be fun to follow along! Please start a journal and let us follow!