Discus and Sand

[ann6015]

Hey everyone. I was just wondering about something, and wanted to get some opinions on this. Someone at Petsmart told me that I shouldn't use sand with Discus. What do you think about this?
:girl:

 

[Marinemom]

Did they give you a reason not to? I have seen discus tanks set up from bare bottom to gravel to sand to fully planted and they seem to do fine in all of these senarios.

Marinemom

 

[ann6015]

No they didn't give me a reaon. I assume that in the wild, there is sand. I like making my aquariums as close to natural as possible.

 

[Marinemom]

I do not see a reason not to use sand if that is what you want. Of course I would put the sand in first and let it settle for a few days before adding in the discus.

Marinemom

 

[Mgamer20o0]

Hey everyone. I was just wondering about something, and wanted to get some opinions on this. Someone at Petsmart told me that I shouldn't use sand with Discus. What do you think about this?
:girl:

you always trust what they say?

 

[DarkSoul]

you always trust what they say?

Would she be asking this if she did?

 

[ann6015]

No I don't always trust what they say, that's why I am asking. I am getting some discus from a breeder here close to me, and he just told me today not to use sand in an e-mail. I am e-mailing him back to ask him why he doesn't use sand. Again, thanks everyone.

 

[TimmyB42386]

i would say many breeders.. and keepers for that matter of discus use bare bottom tanks for cleanliness/doc/nitrate issues. If that be the case, sand is going to be your best bet because very few things will fall into the sand bed because it is so compact compared to even a very small grain gravel. I see no problem with using sand, and if I were going to keep discus again, I would use a fine sand substrate to keep all the crap out of the bottom, and in the filter, and if its the "deadly gas pockets" sand gets, very few people have had experience with them even with minimal stirring of the sand, I stir my own sand bottomed tanks about once a month with chopsticks, but a lot of ppl just connect something to the gravel vac to do it for them.

 

[ann6015]

Timmy, that sounds good. I don't plan on breeding them myself. Thanks for your opinion.

 

[madroosta]

i would say many breeders.. and keepers for that matter of discus use bare bottom tanks for cleanliness/doc/nitrate issues. If that be the case, sand is going to be your best bet because very few things will fall into the sand bed because it is so compact compared to even a very small grain gravel. I see no problem with using sand, and if I were going to keep discus again, I would use a fine sand substrate to keep all the crap out of the bottom, and in the filter, and if its the "deadly gas pockets" sand gets, very few people have had experience with them even with minimal stirring of the sand, I stir my own sand bottomed tanks about once a month with chopsticks, but a lot of ppl just connect something to the gravel vac to do it for them.

well i won't be coming over for chinese at yours then......