Polish Rio Negro..

[Lukas]

Helo all. I was have just U to looking see on my tank.I don't know where I'm must copy this post and I please moderator as copy on the good place on that's subject.

Tank: 150 x 50 x 50 =375L= 99,07 gallons
Water: Clean RO water - Ph=6.5-7.0, Gh 1,Kh 2
Decorations: Wood and olcha's cocons(?), white sand
Light: Phillips Master TLD 840,T8
Heating: Termoregulator Rt-2 + heater AQUA SZUT 80W
Temperature: 29*C

Fauna/Animals:
7x Symphysodon Aequifasciatus brown(ferm brown)
2+4 Dicrossus filamentosus
1+1 Apistogramma gibbiceps
11x Nannostomus eques

On the time I must buy a Corydoras adolfoi x 8-12

Flora/Plants:
A lot's of Echinodorus bleheri
a small E.rose
Echinodorus amazonicus

I'm sorry but photos are from behind one month,when I have a time this I copy new photos on the forum!

The first one (02.06.2007)


The second from (25.06.2007)


Who want this fish ?


Feeding

[Lukas]

NeXT..

Echinodorus Bleheri


They're name was a Brown


Texas warrior <lol2> - female


Four gangsta's

[Lukas]

New photos from (16/07/2007)



Eye in my head


Brown looking for what's happening


We are the big fish!


Dicro

[Lukas]

The NEXT one

We looking on the sand


Tank


Fish


Sunny was qickly




We wish for U a good atmosphere at looking for this tank.Good bye.

[Lisachromis]

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC TANK/SETUP/PHOTOS!

Makes my discus tank look blah.

[Ken Boorman]

Beautiful tank. Congratulations on setting it up so well. Your fish look stunning.

Ken

[bantamweight1911]

Really great.

Many thanks for sharing your fishes and tank.

I am particularly interested because I am thinking of doing a similar thing with a 5footx2footx 18 inch high tank. (Thats 152cmx60x45 lxwxh)

I am thinking of keeping a shoal of wild discus, a large group of Biotodoma, and some dwarfes, maybe 2 trios of a chosen apisto.
If I decide there is room, I would like to add Taenicara Candidi also.

Are your dwarf cichlids successful at feeding time?
And what is your water change regime? - your water parameters are similar to mine. (Part RO part tap water)

[Lukas]

bantamweight1911 I have a idea in last time of keeping discus and geophagus/biotodoma in one tank,but people in Poland... sure as this is not very good trio,because geo digging in the sand and discus was hate this thing(?).I try by them and I sure as this idea it's true.Propabbly tank 152cmx60x45 lxwxh it's not very good as keeping discus and geo/biotodoma in one tank,because this second was digging and discus don't like it. What to do my dwarf cichlids in feeding time at her eat with discus,they hate eat mlawi,but discus love this feed.My water it's clean RO,I don't parting RO with fresh water..Thanks for possitive reaction!

[bantamweight1911]

Thank you for your copmment.

I do think there is a big difference between keeping Geophagus and Biotodoma with Discus. What do you think.

Geophagus could dominate the Discius, but I do not think Biotodoma would.

Why would the discus have a problem with the bottom being 'churned up anyway' ? I dont see the logic there, but certainly Geophagus being too big/boistrous is a good reason not to keep them with discus. But as I said, I will not keep Geophagus with them, but Biotodoma

I have to admit to not being very knowledgable about Discus, but I do not see them as some unique fish. They are delicate Cichlids from the Amazon, as many of my fish are. My plan is that the Discus would be the dominant fish, in a medium sized tank, with ideal water conditions

Actually, if the biotodoma did for some reason cause a problem, I could easily move them to another tank, which I will do at some point to try to breed them (2 years from now due to their slow growth!!!)

Going back to the idea that discuss didnt like the bottom being disturbed,,, can you expand on that (not that Biotodma are like a JCB anyway) but remeber that Apistos are actually sand sifters!!


r.e. water - I am bvery fortunate, my tap water after 12 hours of standing is pH 6.5 KH 3 GH 6, so I can easily get good water with only a small addition of RO.

Regards,

Richard

[Lukas]

That's grate!Thanks.

I listen at polish aquarist's as Eartheater when digging and atom's of sand swim to the Discus gill.Geophagus was really dominate the discus,but Biotodoma are not agressive to other fish.In my aqua Discus dominated as other fish,they're a big fish which tank was they.Biotodoma did due 2 years?A lot of time wow. . My Dicrossus filamentosus was digging in sand,I love looking for they're job ! Now I was catch male and female to the 70L of aquarium and I waiting for eggs.



Sorry but I don't stand at moment's.I have a summer and I don't speak in english now My english is so bad grhr . I'm sorry when I wrote don't stand for You.

[Lisachromis]

Don't discus themselves pick at the bottom of a tank looking for food when they have substrate?

[bantamweight1911]

Exactly Lisa.

I can see the problem with Geophagus being very active fish, some quite large and aggresive upsetting discus, but the idea that they upset them by disturbing the substrate makes no sense.

All useful comments however, good to think about these things.

I plan to go ahead with my Discus / Biotodoma community.

If I do have a concern, it is that the Biotodoma wil not be happy in the presence of Discus, but if that is the case they will get a new tank.

Regards,

Richard

[Marko Lenac]

"I listen at polish aquarist's as Eartheater when digging and atom's of sand swim to the Discus gill" - I keep sand in my tanks just for that purpose, it is good for their gills.

I am sure that the Geos would bother the discus. for long time it would be stresing for them. but Biotodoma are very peaceful. only problem is the quality of water if you keep a large group of Biotodoma. how large?

[bantamweight1911]

only problem is the quality of water if you keep a large group of Biotodoma. how large?

I typically try to buy groups of 7 or 8 whenever possible. That way I am likely to get several pairs, and avoid bullying.

Water quality wouldnt be a problemI am thinking of 7 or 8 Biotodoma, 5 or 6 discus a shoal of cardinals and a few small dwarf cichlids.

It is a 115 Gallons, and part of a 450 gallon centralised system. My greatest challenge is temperature, by keeping discus, I am committing to having a lot of very warm tanks, which is not good for breeding apistos for example.

[Marko Lenac]

sorry, when i read large i think 15.. my mistake. i start as well with a group of 6-10 for the same reasons you wrote. i don't do it only if getting very expensive fish

[bantamweight1911]

Like the discvus hence 5 or 6 of those

[apistomaster]

I have kept wild adult discus with Geophagus cf surinamensis for two years. This was long ago but they were completely compatible. I would not hesitate to do so again but if I were trying it with your domestic browns I would start with juvenile Geophagus. They actually are quite compatible. This will go against the current conventional discus keeping wisdom. Going against the collective discus mythology is nothing new to me I love to do it. I have been keeping and breeding discus since the late 1960's. I began breeding wild discus in 1969. Discus gills will not be damaged by the materials disturbed by the Geos. In fact, the discus will soon learn that following behind the Geos will pay off in tidbits of food that they find that the Geos dig up. Discus do like to sort through the substrate themselves so this will come naturally to them. They are frequently found together in the wild. If you practice occasional "hydro-vacuuming of your substrate there will be little debris stirred up. Certainly nothing your filters can't handle. I would make sure the aquarium is large enough for the adult sizes of the Discus and Geos. A day may come when the Geos become too large and then they may intrude unintentionally into the "living space" that discus like to have for themselves but it will not occur because of aggression on the part of the Geos. That is always a consideration when keeping any large Cichlid species. I do not have any experience with other large Cichlids with Discus except wild Angel Fish which is another compatible tankmate as long as the Discus have head start in size.

Your discus tank is set up very well. Looking at your Discus I would expect them to develop quite a bit more blue than they currently have.

[bantamweight1911]

Interesting comments.

I agree with the general concept and comments, but think it is important to consider:

Geophagus species are very varied in size and behaviour.
What was previously sold as Geophagus Surinamensis is now known to be many different species
Some Geophagus grow to 12 inches. At this size, a breeding pair will expell any fish it can from a fairly large area for breeding, this is likely to be stressful to any other fish present, be that discus, or other.
Some Geophagus (Like the Argyrosticta group for example) can be quite aggressive even when not spawning

I will not be keeping Geophagus with Discus, but I will try Biotodoma, and some dwarf's

Most importantly, your comments are along the lines of my thinking, Discus are South American cichlids, but for some reason people talk as though they are unique, and need unique care, they dont, they need the same consideration as other delicate fishes from river systems

richard

[apistomaster]

"Most importantly, your comments are along the lines of my thinking, Discus are South American cichlids, but for some reason people talk as though they are unique, and need unique care, they dont, they need the same consideration as other delicate fishes from river systems."

Hi Richard,
That has essentially been my position regarding discus as long as one takes their Genus specific requirements in mind. Discus do have certain needs especially wild discus appreciate a set up more complex than the bare bones bare bottom set up many keepers, including myself, provide for their Domestic Discus. I do find all discus like having even a 1/4 inch layer of sand to pick through for food. It also often makes them seem more at ease, especially the wild discus. If the sand is very thin then maintenance is hardly different than the bare bottom type of set up. I always include some bog wood and a potted Echindorus plant or two so my tanks are never completely bare. I also prefer to at least paint the bottoms of the discus tanks and even the ends and backs. This provides them a greater sense of security and reduces their tendency to startle from sudden movements outside their tanks.

I am currently redoing my Heckel Discus display tank and I will post some photos in another thread when I have completed it. I recently removed the substrate which I had collected from a local creek. It was causing my pH and hardness to increase higher than I prefer to keep Heckels in.

You make a valid point about the different species that once were all pretty much sold as Geophagus surinamensis. I had my set up about the time the "surinamensis' types began appearing in the trade. I will never know which species I had. I only know that mine never grew to as large as some and they were peaceful among the adult wild discus. Mine grew to about six inches SL but then they were sold. I guess I should have said that a peaceful Geophagus species up to six inches worked well with discus so maybe it would be a long term but still temporarily workable combination. I did find it was an interesting community and the Discus even spawned in the presence of the Geophagus I had. I interpreted that to mean the Discus did not feel very threatened by those Geos.
It was a fairly roomy 125 gal, six ft tank. There were six large adult wild discus, four of the Geophagus and some Corydoras species. The ocassional juvenile silver arowana, never more than 10 inches, and a few Black Ghosts passed through as temporary inhabitants.. This was when I owned a fish shop.

[Lukas]

Hello all Thanks for posts! I must actuallity subject and i to do You new photo of my tank.

The first one


Second


Third


Next


Aqua


I must camuflated pite.Thank's for wrote as Geo with Discus in one tank.