Hey guys! Have a few questions!

Well I am new to this hobby and I learning so please bear with me. I have a 55 gal set Saturday. I have 60 pounds of Eco complete substrate and marineland penguin 350 hob filter.

My question is will my filter be enough for discus? I was thinking of running two but one of my lps chains said it will hurt more then help. I did take it with grain of salt because he told me tiger barbs go good with goldfish. I wont over board on the questions just yet!

 

Discus are quite a finicky fish. They require very stable water parameters with slightly acidic (six point eight) and harder water. IMO they are not good for a first tank, but if you want to add them, I would wait 3 or so months for your bacterial load and water chemistry to mature then add them.

The harder water is usually achieved just through the hardness of tap water. The acidity will need to be dosed, but this isn't to hard, but can change with every water change as the water from your tap is about 7.2. You may need to add some pH down (acid) every water change for discuss.

If you keep a steady water change schedule and wait for the filters to get up the bacterial load it should be ok. In terms of that filter, its not a good choice. For a tank that size, you really want an external cannister filter, it costs more money but is a much better filtration option ( and keeps unsightly filters out of your display). You aim for approx 10 times turnover an hour.

Feeding them can also be a challenge. They like a varied diet of meaty and algae flake and some brineshrimp etc. helps alot.

Its important to keep them in a well planted tank with a variety of refuges for them to go to when panicked. Because of their acidic water it also limits the different species of fish you can get to go with it. Some larger Cardinal Tetras and Rummy Nose and a pair of German Rams (Beautiful fish) would be what I would suggest.

Good luck

 

PS Tiger barbs dont go well with goldfish

 

Discus are very sensitive to poor water conditions so you are going to have good tank keeping habits. Stay on top of maintenance, such as, testing parameters, gravel vacuuming, don't over feed the fish and make sure the carbon you are running is active. Carbon is great when it's fresh but can quickly become "full" and leech back in to the system. Try to keep you're levels all in check and keep you're PH neutral. A steady lvl is most important for discus.

I think you will get a lot of opinions on which filter is better and if 2 is better but the 350 hob is a lot of bang for the buck. Start out with one and see how you do. You can always add on or upgrade to a canister in the future. Live plants are also going to help mitigate nitrates from your system.

As far as tiger barbs with gold fish that is a huge NO! Tiger barbs are notorious fin nippers and I wouldn't really recommend them for any community tank. Aside from that they live in a tropical warm water setup vs the cold water that gold fish enjoy.

Welcome to the hobby! Patience is the biggest key to making or breaking a successful tank!

 

Ya I have read alot on discus and some pointed me here. I want a canister filter but the old laid her foot down I think I will use the hob filter and hitter and use it on my spare 55 gal. I got 2 55 gal tanks and a stand brand new for 100 bucks.

 

Also discus would be my last fish. I am going planted first then fish.

 

I don't know your level of experience with fish and tanks but I've had freshwater since I was a teenager (I just turned 30). I started with tetras and molly's and platy's. Had good success. I still have a 35 hex in my living room occupied with about 15-18 tetras, they school and I think its neat.

If your looking for something sorta exotic might wanna try african cichlids instead of the discus (which is a cichlid). I wouldn't recommend em with a planted tank tho. They nest and root in the gravel/substrate. I had a few cichlids before I went to saltwater and was really pleased with them. They are not community fish as well. I bought mine from the LFS when they were on sale and had em for 4 years. I found them easier to take care of (and easy to breed if you want). They do like hard water tho, like Ryan said in his earlier post.

 

My level of experience is very very low. I do learn fast tho and I am not afraid to ask questions and listen. I look at a Oscar and some others of the same breed but a planted tank looks amazing and I want a challenge.

My wife wants perch / bluegill and this is the close thing she has seen to it. I think it's set it stone but I will ask. Tetras are going to be the first fish. Cardinals or neons just have not made up my mind yet. What about angelfish??

 

If you want to do a planted tank try and stick with fish that school. Tetras are great! you cold also do Blood fin tetras or my personal favorite White Clouds ... those kind of fish, relatively inexpensive(1-3 dollars a piece) and pretty hardy. You could always get your tank going then 6 months in buy an angelfish or two.

Angelfish are a cichlid as well they come from the amazon and like the vegetation. Just know that they have been known to eat smaller fish (neon and cardinal tetras and such) and smaller aggressive fish can nip at there fins. If you do put them in with each other just make sure you feed the angels enough to keep them disinterested in the other tank mates (but be careful to not overfeed). ... My uncle breeds them and has 3 breeding pair. They can be tricky. The like there water a little more acidic in PH below 7.5 ... Hardest part is finding a good source, I don't think I would buy any from a Big box retailer or my LFS. My uncle has offered me some of his babies but I just started a reef tank.

I'm sorry If I made your head spin. I'm at work bored out of my mind and kinda thought I'd just give you a whole bunch of info to digest. Hope it helps.

 

Nope no head spin haha. I completely understand what your saying. I don't want a fish that is completely solitaire. I am looking for a med size fish that is really center peach and a joy to work with and can get along with other fish. Money isn't to much of a issue just a little at a time. What other kinda fish fits the bill for what we are looking for??