Techs & Specs for our 150 Gallon Discus Aquarium

Checking out the Discus Digs!

One of the best tips we can give towards successful aquarium keeping is to “tech your tuna”. In other words, use technology to your advantage when designing any aquatic system. Within recent years, the aquarium hobby has witnessed an emergence of increasing tech products all designed to aid aquarists in establishing and monitoring our aquatic ecosystems. Below is a list and summary of equipment which has been running on our 150 Gallon Discus Tank for the past year.

Two Fluval FX6 Canister Filters - Each one of these is rated for tanks up to 400 gallons. With a flow rate of up to 928 gph (gallons per hour) each one of these canisters re-circulates 538 gallons of water every hour when full of media. Though keep in mind this number may fluctuate depending on the type of media you house in the canister.  Overkill, we realize, however we feel having additional filtration provides a huge benefit towards water conditions. 

Eheim 2217 Canister Filter with Eheim Installation Set-2 Spray Bar - This particular Eheim is rated for tanks up 159 gallons. It has a flow rate of 264 gph (gallons per hour), but once again remember that the amount of media within the canister will cause this number to vary. We opted to go with yet another filter on this aquarium in order to obtain the benefits of a different design, as well as, have a system with a slower flow rate to couple with a sterilizer. We weren’t thrilled with the green color of the initial spray bar that came with the unit, so we purchased the Set-2 Spray Bar which is grey in color.

Coralife Turbo-Twist 12x UV Sterilizer - This sterilizer is rated for aquariums up to 500 Gallons. Operation requires a pump with 300 to 900 gph flow rate, so we have attached this unit inline with the outflow from the Eheim 2217 canister which houses very minimal media in order to increase its flow rate. A slower flow rate enables the UV light to have more time to kill parasites and harmful bacteria. (note: Coralife recommends that the bulb be replaced every 6 months.)

Update (5/8/16): 
Both the Eheim 2217 & the Coralife Turbo-Twist 12x UV Sterilizer have been removed from our Discus Tank System. To find out why, check our our Discus Tank Blog. 

Two 300-Watt Aquatop Aquarium Submersible Heaters - Discus require temperatures higher than your average freshwater aquarium in the range of 82F - 86 F (28 - 30 C). We typically like to have our aquarium set somewhere between 83F - 84 F (28 - 29 C). One 300 Watt heater can manage aquariums up to 75 gallons; therefore, we have two units running our system. 

​This also provides added security that should one unit fail while we are away, the additional heater can help prevent the temperature within the tank from dropping drastically. The two heaters are regulated by our Neptune Apex monitoring system. 

Neptune Apex with Temperature Probe, pH probe and Moonlights - Many reserve the Neptune Apex for saltwater aquarium systems. However, we felt with the delicate nature of discus fish, we wanted redundancy and monitoring capabilities on our system. The Apex monitors the pH and temperature levels within our tank and can report to us when levels fall outside of designated ranges.

But there is much more the Apex does beyond just monitoring. We currently have our three filters (The 2 Fluval Fx6 and Eheim), the TurboTwist UV Sterilizer and the two heaters plugged into the Apex Energy Bar. The Apex Energy Bar 8 has a total of eight outlets. Every piece of equipment plugged within the unit can be set to follow protocols established within the Apex Fusion (Neptune’s cloud-based service), as well as, follow commands given via computer or phone. This capability enables us to turn off all the filters during feedings (Feed Mode) to prevent food from being sucked into the canisters. If any food found its way inside the canisters, it could begin to decompose ultimately leading to a nitrate spike in the tank.  

​Additionally we have programmed, should the temperature in the tank ever raise above 84 F (29 C), the Energy Bar 8 will turn off the outlets running the heaters. This provides peace of mind that should either heater break and stick in the “on” position, we don’t have to worry about coming home to cooked discus!
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The Apex also has many expansion features which others might choose to add to the unit. We have moonlights running over our tank at night which have the capability to mimic the current lunar cycle.

Current USA Satellite Freshwater LED Plus 48 - 60 inch - Light with Current USA Single Ramp Timer  - This light achieves 6500K white LEDs and full spectrum RGB LEDs. The Single Ramp Timer allows the light to simulate a gently sunrise and sunset feature when the lights power on and off. This gentle increase and decrease of lighting over a 15 minute period prevents the discus from startling. We run our light from 11 A.M - 7:00 PM. The small square fixtures that you see in the picture are the moonlight running in conjunction with the Neptune Apex. 

This is just a quick rundown on some of the primary equipment we use on our discus aquarium. If you are interested in constructing your own discus tank, many of these fixtures can be omitted at the onset of your build. However, this is the combination of equipment which we have found successful to date. Just keep in mind that if you are planning on keeping discus, the absolute minimum size tank we suggest for discus is 55 gallons. Though the 65 -75 gallon range is preferable.  

As we continue to tweak and modify the system, we will update with any changes. Do you have any questions regarding our 150 gallon discus aquarium? Or do you have any questions regarding discus in general? Let us know! We would be more than happy to assist you in constructing your own aqua paradise!

Until next time, Keep Krill'in!