Frequently Asked Questions about
my 50 Gallon Planted Discus Aquarium

How much light do you use?
I use a coralife strip power compact fixture. The light holds 4 65 watt bulbs but I only use 2 of them most of the time.

How much light do you use?
I use a coralife strip power compact fixture. The light holds 4 65 watt bulbs but I only use 2 of them most of the time.

Do you add Co2 to the water?
I have a C02 Tank that adds C02 to the tank when the lights are on.

What do you do for filtration?
I use an Eheim Pro II external canister filter 2026.

What do you do to keep the water clean enough for Discus?
Not much. I use RO water when I top off and do semi-regular water changes. The large number of plants and minimum fish stoking keeps the water in great shape. People say that discus are tough to keep but I have had them for many years and find them to be very hardy and long lived.

How do you keep the water warm enough for discus?
I have a Hydor ETH In-Line External Heater in plumbed into the return line of the Eheim filter. It keeps the temperature spot on.

Do you have to clean the tank very often?
The tank is very stable. The water stays crystal clear and the front acrylic hardly even gets any algae. The real work comes from having to trim the plants back. If you neglect them the tank will literally fill with plant matter.

What kind of sub-straight/gravel do you use?
The tank has a mix of Flourite black sand and Flourite red gravel. It is about 3-4 inches deep. I really like the black sand effect. The mix of gravel and sand makes it easy to plant delicate plants like grasses.