Which substrate?

[tmixon_77539]

I am finally to a point where I am ready to put substrate in my tank. I have finally made up my mind and will be putting Discus in my tank....however, I have read so much on which substrate to use and I know everybody has different preferences... I need to know which is the best substrate/color to go with as far as making the Discus colors stand out. I love black substrate as I have always had that in my tanks...but I also like the appearance of the white sand substrate. I have a Marineland Canister filter rated for 200G (my tank is an 80G) so I have plenty of filtration. Any idears on which substrate/color to go with? I have seen where silica sand is the best to use, I would like to stay cheap on the expense but at the same time I want it to look AMAZING!!!! Any tips/ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[barrettsline]

I like the natural look of pool filter sand myself.


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[mnemenoi]

Pool filter sand and Black Diamond are your cheapest options. Landscaping yards are another idea, they have cheap sands for yard use and those could be rinsed and used I suppose.

[morpheus]

i just got pool filter sand from leslie's. very cheap and does the trick. i had tried home depot, but it was not in season. would probably be in stock there now. if you want "white" sand...just know pool filter sand will not be white. it will be more of a beige color. i switched over a few months ago in one tank and have been pleased. easier to clean overall i think.

i think the black may make the discus colors stand out more, but the pool filter will give a more natural look as barrett noted

[Inigo Montoya]

You want the pool filter sand, not the black. Black will promote peppering in the pigeon blood and some other discus and they won't look as clean.

[ptran]

Can't beat PFS for the price. :emt_thumbs:

[Austy16414]

Ace Hardware also carries a PFS that is slightly lighter than Leslie's and still gives a great natural look