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Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 11:58 am
by Haven
I've got a 75-gallon planted tank with six Discus, and my plants aren't thriving. Using a basic LED light, 8 hours a day. Substrate is Flourite, and I dose liquid ferts twice a week. Water params are good, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, nitrates around 10 ppm. Any tips on better lighting setups?
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 12:21 pm
by River
What's the wattage on your current LED? For a tank that size, you might need stronger lighting, especially if you're growing demanding plants like Amazon swords or red varieties. I run a Fluval Plant 3.0 on my 90-gallon, 12 hours with a siesta period. My Discus seem chill with it, and the plants are booming.
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 2:15 pm
by duskfox
Yo, ditch the basic LED, bruh. Grab a full-spectrum light like the Chihiros Vivid 2. My plants went from sad to rad in weeks. Also, crank the photoperiod to 10 hours, but watch for algae. My Discus dig the extra light, and the colors pop harder.
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 2:45 pm
by maverick
River wrote: ↑Mon Jul 28, 2025 12:21 pm
What's the wattage on your current LED? For a tank that size, you might need stronger lighting, especially if you're growing demanding plants like Amazon swords or red varieties. I run a Fluval Plant 3.0 on my 90-gallon, 12 hours with a siesta period. My Discus seem chill with it, and the plants are booming.
Agreed. Wattage matters, but PAR (photosynthetic active radiation) is key. A light with adjustable intensity lets you dial it in without stressing the fish. I've had success with the Twinstar S series.
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 3:09 pm
by paddlepop
My plants were strugglin' too till I swapped to a Hygger 24/7. It's got a sunrise/sunset mode, and my Discus seem less skittish. Tank's a 55-gallon with sand substrate, and I dose Easy Green weekly. Plants are finally growin' proper.
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 5:04 pm
by WiseLynx
If you're dosing ferts, make sure your light can keep up. Low light + high ferts = algae city. I learned that the hard way. Now I run a Nicrew Classic at 80% for 9 hours, and my Java ferns and Anubias are happy. Discus don't mind either way.
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 6:20 pm
by RiverEdge
Consider CO2 if you're serious about plant growth. I added a DIY setup, and even with moderate lighting, my plants exploded. Just keep an eye on pH swings—Discus aren't fans of rapid changes. My tank's at 6.8, and everyone's thriving.
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 6:54 pm
by CycleFan
Ain't gotta overcomplicate it, mate. I run a cheap Beamswork DA FSPEC on my 75, and my plants are green as heck. Discus don't care as long as the water's clean. Save the cash for more fish, yeah?
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 8:38 pm
by Haven
Thanks for the advice, everyone. Gonna look into the Fluval and Twinstar options. Appreciate the help!
Re: Discus tank plant lighting needs
Posted: Mon Jul 28, 2025 9:35 pm
by duskfox
CycleFan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 28, 2025 6:54 pm
Ain't gotta overcomplicate it, mate. I run a cheap Beamswork DA FSPEC on my 75, and my plants are green as heck. Discus don't care as long as the water's clean. Save the cash for more fish, yeah?
True, but if you wanna grow red plants or carpeting species, you'll need more juice. My Ludwigia super reds only color up under high light. Discus don't mind either way, though.