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"I regret using Dennerle Aquasoil but the soil shouldn't matter that much? Previously Tropica substrate really performs so well for the Bonsai and Hra." I've only used Aquasoil once, it was the ADA Amazonia. Despite its claims I never really liked it. I found that planting carpeting plants with...

The actual Scape looks excellent despite the issues you've had with that brown filamentous algae. I don't think you'll have that problem again once it clears up. But having looked closely again at your excellent scape, I'm beginning to second guess your choice of Discus as the future...

Incidentally I highly recommend this food for your Discus. It is the best form of protein you can give them. Don't bother with frozen bloodworm it is useless, and feed them beef heart at your peril, not recommended at all, especially in a planted tank. http://taaquaculture.uk/Freeze_Dried.htm

Such a pity that has happened. So frustrating. Sounds like a few "Schoolboy" errors you've made there, but we have all been there and done that somewhere along the way. Hopefully it will all turn out as you hoped for. I've had a lot of experience with planted Discus scapes, some great, and a...

So are you going with Stendker Discus from Devotedly Discus then. When are the plants going in?

Hi Dan, just a question on the pot scrubbers. I'm guessing that you will be keeping your discus in a low PH setup, say around 5.5 to 6.0 PH? I have heard of the potential fir acidic water to break down the plastic over time and releasing "stuff" into the water that could potentially harm your...

Seems I've got the CO2 balance right now. This is going to need a trim soon. Can anyone ID the stem plants growing out of the Riccia Fluitans?

I bought the B-A Configuration as per the recommendation from CO2 Supermarket. The problem is that none of the female threads on the Camozzi Precision Flow Controller are compatible with the make threads on the TMC Regulator. So I have had to botch it slightly. Martin from CO2 Supermarket told...

Any suggestions on how I should trim this without making a complete mess of it?

Still having some flow control issues since I installed the two way splitter from CO2 Supermarket. Regarding the Camozzi Precision Flow Controller for CO2, can any one tell me which configuration I would need and where in the system it would need to be installed, going off the photographs below...

Thanks very much for the heads up on the food. Much obliged.

Did you ever get rid of that horrible BBA, and if so what was the remedy? Any updates. Pictures.

Well I got the same advice from a friend, and from a person I know who works at Maidenhead Aquatics. So in the end I went for Pygmy Coryadorus x 12, Pencil Fish x 8, Harlequin Rasboras x 10, and a shoal of 20 x Ember Tetras. They've all settled in really well. I got several types of Hikari...

Nothing pearls quite like Riccia.

I've been trying to decide which schooling fish to put in this tank as soon as it is ready. I've picked a few out. Any thoughts, on how many etc

I'm thinking or wondering if the new valve should or could be placed as per the diagram below. I.e the splitter attaches to the new Camozzi Flow Controller.

Thanks, I'll have to look at it in detail. If I add it after the solenoid I'm not sure how the splitter would attach?

So how does that work when you have got two lines?

Ps @Wookii exactly how have you retro fitted this to your existing Regulator? Here is how mine is set up at present. Bearing in mind I need to incorporate the two way splitter to both Diffusers. Thanks

Thanks @Wookii Strangely enough I've just been looking at them myself and noticed they were out of stock. Don't ask me how but I have managed to increase the bubble rate again without it going ballistic. I think it will be a case of watch and see. There are no fish in there yet so no danger of...

Photographs hopefully minus reflections.

Agreed, it is low for one diffuser. But there are two diffusers at 40BPM. So that's 80BPM. Still tweaking the needle valves on the two way Splitter. I'm not sure if the needle valve on the regulator should be fully open and then control the flow rate using the two valves on the Splitter. When...

I forgot to mention, the 2 x CO2 Diffusers are the 3 in 1 Colombo Large Diffusers. Which so far I have to say I am impressed with. No need for a check valve or a bubble counter, these have all three in one diffuser.

I have just completed this rescape. Recently I subscribed to the Aqua Essentials Newsletter and the Top Tips for maintaining a healthy planted tank. I have had several emails from Richard with some useful information. I have just emailed him back with a question about water changes during the...

Hi Melll, Have a look around for something called Rooibos Tea. No need to boil it, just pour it into a net or a muslin bag and add it to the tank. Gives it a lovely reddy brown colour. But change loads if water first to get rid of the dark brown tannin colour. Cheers, Steve

Liked the video. I was quite surprised to see the amount of different snails inside this tank, especially with injected CO2. The last time I added Nerite Snails they didn't survive because the CO2 dissolved their shells. Even though I thought the CO2 was below 3pm :rolleyes:

It was a pleasure to meet two like minded people from UKAPS who are just as nutty as I am. Glad you had a good day out. Looking forward to seeing what you do with the wood and stone. Best regards, Steve

@LondonDragon is there a way to access an Edit Function in an old thread? I would like to go into the journal and remove those blank annoying Photobucket stamps and re-insert the original photographs. Any way I can do that? Thanks

Four years has flown by since I wrote this journal. Where does the time go to. If any of the photographs are missing I am going to find them on my old Laptop and re post them. The journal is not complete without the photographs :confused::confused:

Pity all the photographs have mostly disappeared from this journal. That's Photobucket for you. Glad to see we can now upload photographs straight from our PC and mobile devices. I must see if I can find the original photographs and replace them. I hate those blanks....

Thread Bump. Apologies, I know its 10 years ago, but I wouldn't mind knowing how this ended up. Did James manage to sustain this tank with the plants and the Discus? When was it broken down, did the Discus spawn etc......

Well done Jaap for persevering, but I would have given up on that ages ago and stripped everything out, emptied the tank and started again. When choosing the substrate you only get one shot at it, so don't skimp on the quality. I have had some success recently with the JBL Volcanic Base...

Great to see you made it, you've been a very busy bee! So have I, just related mine a week ago today, so early days. No fish in it at the moment because I'm still experimenting with the CO2 and other water parameters. Cheers, Steve

Hi Lindy, I know this a bit of a thread bump, but I just finished reading your journal 500 litre Discus Tank. Phew, bit of a journey with a lot of ups and downs, but you got there in the end At one point I was thinking so where's the discus then, almost getting disappointed, then on the last...

Better late than never Wish I still had it!

Bit of a thread bump:D:D:D But Angel Fish in with Gold Fish, one cold water one warm water? I would have binned the gold fish (not literally) a long time ago, no need for it in a tank like this. But with the best of intentions the gravel was never going to stay as clearly defined as you had it...

Well folks I can not believe how much time has gone by since I last updated this post. I am embarrassed actually:shy: how long it has been. But to be honest not a great deal has occurred other than I am still trying to get these Wild Red Spotted Green Discus to breed!:mad::mad: All the discus...

Thanks Lindy, much appreciated:cool: Best, Steve

No way it is just you, it is every discus keeper I know. I think part of it is due to guilt, we know how much money and time we invest in our discus, then to think of losing them we think of the money we may have wasted and what else could we have with the time, in particular our wives or...

Thanks very much! I think it is my wife who deserves the big pat on the back for putting up with me being so miserable when my fish are sick, and all the pfaffing about with water running after she has gone to bed. I think she's a keeper:lol:

Me too, I feared the worst and dreaded coming down in the morning not knowing what I was going to see. Tough job going to bed at 1.30am ad well.

Tell me about it! I think everyone has ups and downs, we just hope there are more ups than downs. Steve

Sorry guys, its been a tough 8 days, so no nice photos of unboxing and putting the discus in the tank. Had more serious issues to deal with I am afraid. Here is the story. So...If someone advised you that it wasn't safe to drive at high speeds on the motorway with your eyes closed...you would...

Well the Discus arrived, three from Chris Ingham at Plymoth Discus and two from Smon Hall at Midlands Discus. Both boxes arrived together on the same van. I have taken photographs but not had time to upload to Photobucket yet, sorry. They all seem to be getting on well together, so no fireworks...

Oh that's nice when did you see them?

I should be so lucky but here's hoping eh!:nailbiting:

So after one of these last night... And probably another one tonight... Because...I am very... While For these to arrive... In the next few weeks I am hoping my Male Discus will be like... So until... See you later, Cheers, Steve

Girls are coming from Chris Ingham at Plymouth Discus:hungry:

LMAO :lol::lol::lol::thumbup: Okay will try to maintain previous standards! I too am looking forward to the reaction of the boys! I am hoping there will be some lurve in the air. Cheers, Steve

So....bit of an update. After consulting various experts and sending photographs to them, we have concluded that almost certainly all 7 of the Discus in my tank are males. What's the chance of that happening. So I have sold the Semi Royal Red, the Tefe Green and the smallest of the RSG's. This...

Top job with the Angel Fish mate, you have cracked it by the look of it. You'll be moving on to Discus fish next ha ha! Steve

Blush:shy::shy::shy::shy:

Err bit of an update...brand new full HD Video with soundtrack added. See below! Ta.

My first attempt at a video of my Wild Discus since changing my aquarium over to a more natural looking biotope! Cheers, Steve

That's a great story sciencefiction, I have done the same more than once but managed to resist each time. When your discus are healthy it is a joy to behold. But when they get ill it is stressful to say the least and we do anything to try and help them. That said if you are buying fish that...

They are hypnotising you into giving them more food! ;)

Okay thanks very much! Steve

I have got 4 X Ottocinclus, 2 x Sailfin Plecs and 4 x Amano Shrimps, will they do ha ha.

Tank shot end on.

Co2 Drop Checker, PH Currently stable at PH 5.67. TDS 80ppm.

Giant Seed Pod.

Next one

A few photos from tonight after yesterday adding some Teak Sandstone Pebbles and a few Giant Amazonian Seed Pods and a very yellow looking Co2 drop checker. One photo at a time sorry as I'm doing this on the iPad. Cheers, Steve

Okay thanks. How long does it usually take? Steve

I tried darker substrate but found it too dark especially with the black background as well, plus with the lighter JBL River sand I can see the poop better for vacuuming it out:oops: The branches are from a beech tree, cut and dried out in a shed. The wood is rock hard and the bark is so thin...

I have got the five large Amazon Sword Plants still in the jars in a small tank upstairs if anyone is able to collect them. Cheers, Steve

Keeping the sand as it is for now, it looks less bright under different lighting. Why what were you thinking of? Cheers, Steve

Cheers Zozo, looks impressive, I love the open top tanks with emerged growing, one of my favourites, always looks more natural. I'd just be wary of the Discus jumping out of the tank! When they get spooked sometimes it's only the glass lids stopping them from getting carpet rash. Steve

Thanks Ryan, I think they like it.

The Discus seem to be shoaling about more naturally in their new surroundings:)

More to follow later.

Next one.

Well following a visit by a guy from the BIDKA Forumthere has been a development. The visit by Streety went rather well. He really set the cat among the pigeons with my thinking for my Wild Discus tank. So out came the plants in storage jars and in went the wood he brought me. A few river...

Hi Ryan, you are welcome! Just send me a PM whenever you think you might be up this neck of the woods and I can pass you my details. ;) Cheers, Steve

Hi sciencefiction, glad to hear things are working out with your tank and the fish and your potted plants:):) It feels a bit like I am cheating a bit, sort of "having my cake and eating it" But the Discus are taking priority at the moment. It does seem strange though, not adding any ferts, no...

Well done Garry these are looking the business now. Hope all is well? Cheers, Steve

AverageWhiteBloke There are some other photos of these fish in the old journal on page 34. https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/the-full-monty-has-left-the-building-last-photos.33594/page-30#post-464039 Cheers, Steve

Sorry photography is not brilliant. Cheers, Steve

Cheers, Steve

The Full Tank Shots Especially for you, sorry they are taken under the moonlight setting so look a bit blue. Next time I'll post some under normal lighting:)

Hi Darrel, Got home tonight and no problems, PH 5.85, fish are fine so all's good. Thanks for the reassurance, very much appreciated. Steve

Well here is the video of Wild Jutai Green Discus that got me started with discus again for about the 10th time. Watch it if you dare, but don't blame if you find yourself rushing out to spend "loadsamoney" on a bigger tank so you can go out and spend even more "loadsamoney" for a shed full of...

Thanks Tim, This is the first time I have kept Wild Discus and I must say they are better than any previous domestic bred discus I have had in the past. The pictures don't do them full justice, to see them for real close up is a joy to behold. I am going to find the video on YouTube that kicked...

Hi Darrel, Thanks for the detailed explanation, very informative. Last night the PH reading was bobbing around a bit on the digital display around 5.87 PH. All the discus and marbled hatchet fish seem perfectly fine. I think this is because the change has occurred very slowly over a week, so...

Hi Ryan, I don't know where you live but you are welcome to come and see them for yourself if you like. The same invitation goes for anyone from UKAPS, if you are passing by North Wales, not far from Chester, you are welcome to call in for a tea or coffee and a good natter about our hobby, in...

Hi, Sorry to hear of your past experiences in keeping discus.:arghh: I don't know anyone who has kept discus that hasn't had a disaster at some stage while keeping them. Years ago I had a planted tank with loads of Riccia Fluitans tied to wood and rocks. I went away for a week and while I was...

Hi AverageWhiteBloke, sorry to disappoint on the FTS, I will take some later and post them up in the next post. You are right in what you say, it was a video on YouTube that swayed me back again to keeping Discus. It was a bit of a rough ride at the start, lost two in the first month, one to...

Darrel, Thanks ever so much for this reply. As ever very informative with lots of facts, advice and help, nothing less expected from dw1305. I have a tub of MGSO4 in the cupboard and a tub of Calcium so got most if not all the ingredients required to make up this mix. This evening the TDS is...

Hi All, Most of you will remember this tank previously as 'The Full Monty' which now no longer exists as it was. It has evolved into a home for 5 x Wild Red Spotted Green Discus from the Rio Nannay in Peru, and 2 x Wild Solid Royals. Originally the remaining plants I had left were still...

The theory is 24/7 CO2 but at a lower bubble count, constant / consistent level of CO2 without peaks and troughs, therefore static PH, therefore less stress on plants and fish. Simples. Steve

Hi John, I know there is a lot of information on this forum on the subject of flow rate around the tank. I've followed it as have many others, with varying degrees of success. But my advice would be not to get too obsessed with flow rates, some of the best planted tanks I have ever seen have...

I suppose it will be all right, depends what the source of the ammonia was from. I have heard of people adding hydrochloride or sulphuric acid straight into their tanks to reduce the PH. Not for me though I'm afraid.

By the way, great job on the hardscape and planting. Don't be in too much of a hurry for huge quick growth, enjoy the development as it happens, because once it takes off it will be unrecognisable from the original conception. Steve

Hi Carpman, sorry for the late reply. Personally I have never used ammonia to boost the cycling of a filter, ammonia sounds like something I would use to remove stains or clean the kitchen sink / toilet with. I have heard of other people using it but I think there are far better products out...

Nitrate continually at the 50 mark tells me the filter is not matured enough yet. It's a balancing act at first. If you have no livestock in the tank and no food going in, the pollution level is extremely low, so nice clean water, but no nitrite for the bacteria in the filter to feed off either...

Hi John, Aqua Safe is okay, it does the job but it is fairly expensive considering how much you have to use each time you do a water change. There are better products out there which are more concentrated so you use less, I.e. Seachem Prime, or Easy Life Filter Medium. I use a HMA (Heavy Metal...

As long as you have no plans to fill it full of fish and food in one go the filter will soon catch up again, it'll be fine.;)

Looking good John, healthy plants means good water quality means healthy and happy fish. I got obsessive also over the pearling, I always thought if there was no pearling something wasn't right, I had plenty of growth but no pearling, then after a few months the plants seemed to get into a...

Not if your filters have been running with warm cycled tank water in order for the de-nitrifying bacteria to build up in the filter media. Cracking job on the planting and layout, if that's your first go at it well done to you! Steve