Setting up my new South American Tank

[heather]

Hi all. I'm not new to the hobby, but this will be the first tank I have set up in 15 years, and all my past setups have been community tanks! I have spent the last six months reading but could use some help to make sure I am on the right track. I have aquired a 1220x45x45, 250l tank; a 300w heater and a Rena XP3 external cannister filter. The lights are still to come and am deciding between a lighthood to retrofit to the canopy or buying electronic ballasts. My tap water is 7.2ph and 2dKH. I will acidify with peat to make suitable for 10 emperor, 10 cardinal tetras and 5 panda corydoras. I would like to also have Mikrogeophagus ramirezi or ram cichlid but am unsure of how many would live together peaceably. Also, I am keen on planting reasonably heavily. I thought about discus but all the books talk about needing RO water and that i think is out of my price range.

AM I ON THE RIGHT TRACK???

[Aqua]

Sounds like you've got things under control!

From what I've read about discus, they're a lot of maintenance, and when it comes to 50% water changes daily, I'm just not up to do that... (Especially when it's about 200L of water changing every day!)

If you're going to be planting heavily, I'd suggest getting a good substrate to help encourage good growth, and also look at getting reasonably high levels of lighting (dependant on what plants you're looking at..). CO2 wouldn't go amiss either...

Try reading through our Aquatic Plants forum here, and also try http://www.plantgeek.net/forum

[KM]

Discus are a lot easier to keep than most people think. They do require certain water conditions, which are easy enough to achieve. I only do weekly ater changes of about 15%, and my discus are happy enough to be laying eggs. So no problems there!

My discus don't get RO water, they get water that has been sitting in a container for at least a week with some ph down...and that's about it.

[suphew]

Discus have become alot easier in the last few years with a number of people breeding them and so making them more suited to 'normal' water parameters. I keep 3 in a tank similar in size to yours, I have had up to 5 and could proberly have had a couple more if half the tank wasn't full with a huge log.

I do about 30% water change each week mixing rain and tap water to soften the water. I use no additives, and dont warm or age the water.

I have to agree with making sure your subtrate is good if you want to go planted, I see so many people online spending $30+ a month on suppliments etc, when they could have just added a bit of clay and peat to their gravel to start with and never had to worry about it again.

[BK]

I agree with the above. Discus aren't as hard to keep as some people make out. A breeding pair would really be the icing on top. I have a tank about the same size but tall with tetras, rams (only one pair as they can be a problem), 3 cory's and 3 small Discus. Lots of plants as well but due to depth these aren't looking so great. I water change between 25%-30% both sat-sunday only because I'm mad. My water comes out of the hot tap in to a bucket into the tank. I have peat in the filter just to keep it from bouncing around to much. Tap water in CHCH doesn't have any chems added so you migth have to age it and ph of 7.4 with dh at about 4 if I can remember. If you can keep things like Rams I'm sure Discus wont be to hard. Good luke. Try the NZDiscusman for good fish at fair rates.