DPH Tank of the Month questionnaire
With Jeff Cannons

How did you get into keeping a Planted Discus Tank?

I’ve been keeping Discus in planted tanks for 6 years but it wasn’t until 3 years ago that I took the plunge too do it properly with CO2 that was on a 200l tank which I ran for 3 years and was the learning curve for when I moved house in January 2003 then I thought new house, new tank so I set about planning this one, the book that really got me hooked was Nature Aquarium World by Takashi Amano which is the most amazing book with the most amazing pictures of planted tanks I have ever seen so when it came too setting up the new tank I used this book as my inspiration

What do you feel has been the most rewarding aspect of keeping such a tank?

The most rewarding aspect for me is just sitting back and watching the fish explore the tank that I have created for them . I do it for the fish as much as I do it for me.

What has been the hardest challenge for you in keeping a Planted Discus tank and have you overcome it?

I haven’t really had any problems on this tank , had the odd algae problem on the old tank but that was down too the light tubes I was forever swapping and changing tubes too get the right amount of light, but on this tank I’ve gone for 2 x 125w Mercury Vapour pendants that I bought at the Duisburg show I’ve always wanted some but thought they were too exspensive in the U.K, but over there I got 2 for the the same amount of money that one would have cost here.

What kind of approach do you take in maintaining your tank the High Tech way or a more natural way?

I wouldn’t say its too high tech , its set up following the Dennerle book , its got a substrate heater cable and Co2 injected via a diffuser and I use there range of liquid fertilizers, I do want too add a Co2 computer in the near future too make that side of things easier but will probably wait a while (till the next Duisburg show) .

What piece of advice can you give to others who are thinking about setting up a tank like this?

My advice too others is too read as much as you can on the subject before you do go ahead with it and too make sure you have the right equipment from the start . The books that helped me are Nature Aquarium World, The Natural Aquarium, Dennerle Nature Aquaristic and Nature and Aquarium by Berti Gesting this is my bible no fancy pics just everything you need too know about setting up a planted tank . You have too have every aspect right for it too work properly but when it is its worth the effort.

Equipment I have:

• Tank 550litre 72”x24”x18”
• Filter Fluval 303 and Fluval 203
• Heater 2x 300w Visitherm heaters
• Lighting 2x 125w Bresslein Mercury Vapour Pendant lamps
• Substrate: Dennerle Deponit mix covered with quartz gravel
• Rena Cor heater cable
• HobbyFish Co2 with a Dennerle Cyclo Turbo Diffuser

Fish I have:

6 Discus:

1 Red spotted green
1 RSGxScorpion Female
1 Scribbled Turq
1 Blue Snakeskine
2 Red Turqs

15 Cardinal Tetras
5 Garnet Tetras
5 Gold tetras
4 Flying Foxes
6 Corydoras
1 Ancistrus
7 Cardonia Japonica Shrimps

Davis