# Substrate for Discus Tank



## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

Hello I was wondering what gravel you guys think I should get for my discus tank. I was thinking maybe black eco-complete as it won't harm my cories. Do you think I should use just eco-complete or should I use a base layer of eco-complete and then maybe some silica sand? What do you think will look better and which will be better for a planted tank? Thanks


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

What do you think?


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## Plant keeper (Jan 27, 2011)

I was going to do sand and the Eco-complete with my 55gallon planted/ community tank... hope that help..


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## alan924 (May 31, 2011)

if you use eco, your discus will very likely get dark. or your pigeons will pepper over time too. if you cap the eco you will love the bright colors of your discus, (if there adults) but you will see the poop everywhere. unless you have some good water movement to push the poop into a corner. i tried it and loved it till the poop was everywhere on w/c day.


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

If you're not intending to do a very heavily planted tank, and want to give the discus some space to move around, I would strongly suggest white silica PFS. You'll need to do fairly frequent WCs anyway, so it's very easy to keep clean, and all your plants will need is some root fert tabs, and other liquid or dry ferts, with or without CO2. (I just use Excel).
I've kept discus for a long time and used many different substrates, but now use exclusively PFS - have done for the past 2 years - for optimizing the plant & discus colors - wouldn't use anything else.
Have a quick look at my low/med tech 75 gal set-up, and see what you think:
http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/FTS-Osaka260


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## nikonD70s (Apr 6, 2008)

id recommend white sand. dark substrates will darken your discus and give them stress bars and peppering. unless you get albino's then you can get any substrate color you want. the brighter the layout of the tank the better coloring your discus will show.


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## mgamer20o0 (Mar 8, 2007)

discuspaul said:


> If you're not intending to do a very heavily planted tank, and want to give the discus some space to move around, I would strongly suggest white silica PFS. You'll need to do fairly frequent WCs anyway, so it's very easy to keep clean, and all your plants will need is some root fert tabs, and other liquid or dry ferts, with or without CO2. (I just use Excel).
> I've kept discus for a long time and used many different substrates, but now use exclusively PFS - have done for the past 2 years - for optimizing the plant & discus colors - wouldn't use anything else.
> Have a quick look at my low/med tech 75 gal set-up, and see what you think:
> http://s1105.photobucket.com/albums/h357/discuspaul/FTS-Osaka260


exactly what i would do. your tank looks great.


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

I think I will cap the eco complete with some kind of sand what do you think?


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

Will that work?


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## alan924 (May 31, 2011)

Yes, use pool filter sand.


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## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

Your tank is to small for discus! Even for 2.
And if you want to grow out discus, its better to have a bare bottom.
If you really want to keep discus in your 37 gal, go to simply discus forum and ask there for advice. 

Don't make a mistake that you will regret!!


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

nalu86 said:


> Your tank is to small for discus! Even for 2.
> And if you want to grow out discus, its better to have a bare bottom.
> If you really want to keep discus in your 37 gal, go to simply discus forum and ask there for advice.
> 
> Don't make a mistake that you will regret!!


I didn't know your tank was just 37 gals. - Yes, that is really too small for keeping a suitable number of discus - you might do 5 juvies in that tank for a while, but you'd need to be prepared to do large daily wcs as they grow out - otherwise you will likely be asking for problems/trouble.
You may want to have a read of my illustrated "Beginner's Guide to Getting Started with Discus" in the simplydiscus.com forum, section 'Discus Basics for Beginners'. Link: 
www.forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?86009-Beginner-s-Guide-to-Getting-Started-with-Discus


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## fishboy199413 (Jan 20, 2010)

No that is not the tank I'm going to use instead I will be using a 55 gallon just to tell you guys


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## discuspaul (Jul 27, 2010)

That's great to hear. Good luck. Call on us if we can be of any help.


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## 10galfornow (May 13, 2011)

I think if you are dropping on discus you should go with shrimp stratum. Best substrate evarr!!


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