discus experts please comment

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apuda,
tank was cycled for a month before the fish were added.the tank was barebottom initially,over a period of time plants and driftwood have been added.
this tank has troubled me twice.first time it leaked and i had water all over the house.second time when it was resealed i filled it up and temporary hardness settled in the form of scaling over the entire back glass and selective parts of rest of the glasses.i had already put the fish in before that.had no place to remove the fish so had my staff person scrape the glass with blades with the inhabitants in the tank,thats way back in july.
peppering has lessened slightly,since i have stopped dosing KNO3,as suggesred by MR.Rajiv.
intensity of the light is lessened by lots of floating indian fern on the water surface.
you have not mentioned, but if i understand correctly,another major difference in our setups is CO2.you must be having a pressurized setup,while i don't.

[apuda2010]

Yes, I do have a pressurised setup.

I still think the peppering has to do with stress levels. I dose KNO3+K2SO4 thrice in a week 15ml each time. Micros once or twice a week. I learnt this from discussions on the web on discus in planted tanks. Most folks suggested that the planted tank should be allowed to settle in first completely for atleast 3-4 months before the fish are introduced.

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peppering has reduced slightly,but few of them have patterns that have disappeared.waiting for the patterns to reappear.i think it was higher levels of nitrate that has caused this.
sameer

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new flora added to the tank
one giant ech.ozelot-about 16" in diameter and height,total of about 25 leaves,and a full fledged mother plant.
two pots full of brown cryptos-total of about 15 plants,height abt 14",dia of each group about 15".please id crypto.
sameer

[SCORPIO]

Nice E.ozelot.

It is a good news that your discuss getting rid of peppering. What are feeding those fishes?

[Romi]

the first crypt is Wendtii for sure. But since there are around 15 varieties of it, u will need to keep it for a while before u can be sure which it is. green gecko, if u google image it, has a red spot near the petiole. but as u know, crypts change form as per tank conditions, being highly adaptable yet finicky (drop leaves before adapting!). My green gecko has never shown its red spot! But i love it all the same. i only know it is that coz it came labeled as that.

the second one is my old favourite, i have kept it for years. one book i saw in a gurgaon bookshop identified it as a type of Crytocorybe willissi. as you know, C willlissi is an example of a natural hybrid of two species. there is a green willissi also, so again we are talking of not just different crypts but also different varieties of the same species/natural hybrid.

if u are very interested, wait for flowering! but that needs a lot of dedication and emersed culture!

they are healthy and beautiful plants for sure.

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scorpio-thanks rajiv-the ozelot wasnt totally erect when i clicked it,now it is upright and looking even better,already has two baby plants on it.i am feeding the discus tetrabits,hikari discus biogold,fd tubifex cubes,brine shrimp flakes,spirulina flakes,tetra discus crisps(2-5 times a day) and chicken mince with garlic(thrice a week).
romi-thanks that was quite informative and accurate.
sameer

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new pics!!!
another echino. for id....