what dimensions?

Discussion in 'General Equipment discussion' started by Catfreak, Jan 15, 2011.

  1. Catfreak

    Catfreak

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    hey guys,

    i was researching keeping discus and due to having a spare 3 ft tank i thought i could use this.

    however i have come to realise that this tank would be too small for adult discus and i wouldn't want to stress them out later by moving them to a larger tank.

    i have advertised my tank and am now looking at upgrading.....SO.

    i need recommendations.

    i can only accomodate a 4 ft and as i already have a 6 ft running i didnt want 2 tanks the same size.

    what dimensions would you recommend and also who do you recommend to build this.

    i have considered the ffg :

    120(l)x50(h)x55(w)....water vol +-330l

    120x50x50=300l

    120x55x55=360l

    120x60x60 = 430l


    what size tank (above)would be ideal for approx 5 adult discus. and can i get away with using 6mm glass and 8mm bases for all the above.

    can you please provide tank builder details if any of you have done a custom build.

    please advise me as i dont want to risk losing fish due to bad builds etc.

    thanks.
     
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  3. Firefly

    Firefly Pleco

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    I don't know much about discus but I remember reading a post by the Prof. that each adult needs 70l of water. So you could use a 300l tank with a 100l sump and get away with 4.
     
  4. azurekoi

    azurekoi Loaches & Gobies

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    Correct @Firefly ,but you also need to keep Discus in groups of 6 or more... aka the 1.2 x 60 x 60 is a dead minimum for 6 fish...reason for the larger groups is to prevent the biggerand most dominant fish bullying the others...

    @Catfreak - PM f-fish - he's got a nifty safety calculator for glass thickness...

    also remember that sucsess with Discus only comes with a lot of work from your side... Regular large waterchanges with the correct water...feeding high quality food round 6 times a day...

    G'luck mate...
     
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  5. f-fish

    f-fish #unspecified

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  6. azurekoi

    azurekoi Loaches & Gobies

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    Thanx @f-fish ... And here I thought you were keeping your hard written software all to yourself...he,he - thanx mate!!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2016
  7. f-fish

    f-fish #unspecified

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    Nope azurekoi - I do not like the idea of redoing things that are already done and dusted when it comes to ICT stuff ... in this case the site has some good tools - true one day it might not be available and I am sure that people have already copied some of this guys scripts but the web is huge and finding something that will be a good resource is probably 90% of the trick. I must add that I like doing the calculations on a safety factor of 3.5 not 2.5 as the default settings indicate. I have validated the results against several other sources and xls files a few years ago and it seemed accurate but use at own risk.

    @Catfreak - I see you are wanting to get a custom build. Might be cheaper to get one that is already done and then stick to those dimensions - also check the adds - I seem to remember DBN having some big tanks at good prices on gumtree over the years. BTW what is currently in the 6ft? Can you not move that to a standard 4ft and then make the 6ft your discus tank ?

    Later Ferdie
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2016
  8. OP
    Catfreak

    Catfreak

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    hey f-fish,

    checked the site you linked.

    it seems pretty spot on with the advice of the tank builder i spoke to.

    awaiting quotes from him.....not keen on a 2nd hand tank....prefer going new so i know what the deal is with the tank + no scratches are a big bonus.

    the 6ft is currently my catfish tank...so no possibility of using that tank....i have 2 pangasius that i grew from 5cm to their current +-55cm sizes and they not gonna be happy downsizing and currently growing out my red tail cat whom i got at about 6cm and is now roughly 6cm wide at his mouth....lol.....(ps the red tail will eventually have a nice big pond for himself)

    ight now the 4ft will have to suffice for discus.
     

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