Discus Tanks & Sand

Question
I have a 75 gallon Discus aquarium and want to redo it with sand and live plants. Are there any concerns with keeping discus in a tank with sand? If not, are there any types of sand you might be able to recommend? Thanks for the help.

Answer
Hi Erica
I have several tanks(not discus though) with sand in them-for years.  I just went to the local store and picked up a bag of children's play sand.  I also have read where people have used pool filter sand as well.  You just want to make sure it's silica free.  I'm reading where a lot of people are recommending sand WITH silica, I've always heard the opposite because it'll cause algae problems.  I'm posting a link for you to look over, and if you notice the final response says what I've said.  The pet stores also sell sand, or you can buy it online.  It's usually a bit more expensive though.

http://forum.simplydiscus.com/showthread.php?t=53055

Now I wasn't sure if sand was ok with discus, my dealings with discus is very little.  I know they're super sensitive to everything lol.  I thought about getting some, but the care requirements were too much for me at the time, especially with all my other tanks I had.
 
So I searched around online, and just as I was about to give up and tell I DON"T KNOW lol, I found something that pretty much says what I'm saying, and it does sound like it's ok for them.  In fact, it'll probably be a lot easier for you to maintain/clean the tank with sand.  I know with mine, the poop and food falls right on top of the sand.  Doesn't go to the bottom like with gravel.  I personally like the way tanks look with sand, to me it looks more natural.

With the sand you'll want to rinse it good, get a bucket, fill it 1/2 way with sand, (PS do this outside by a hose) fill the bucket with water, slowly dump water out, and repeat-again and again.  When the water runs clear, do it two or three more times, then it's ok(took me about 6 times before it ran clear).  Also, if the sand in the tank is more then an inch thick, you'll need to be sure to "stir it" when you do your water changes.  Use either the siphon, or I use the bottom of the fish net.  Some kind of gas can build up if the sand is too thick.  

That's all I can think of, you'll need to research with your plants to figure out how deep the substrate needs to be.  And the lighting.  Now, I remember reading awhile ago that discus sometimes don't care for the bright lights and prefer a dim light, so something else to think about too.

Good luck & I'm sure it'll turn out really nice!!

Christy