Hey All,

I am getting back into FW after keep reef tanks the last several years and I am revisiting keeping discus. I miss watching the parental care I used to see with my old CA/SA cichlids. The tank I am using is a 50 gallon drilled tank with a 20 gallon sump. I am going with a wet/dry setup with a filter sponge and a "refugium" section where I want to try growing wisteria to help with nitrate reduction.

Although this is a breeding tank, these fish are pets above all else and the breeding is for fun so I want it to look somewhat aesthetically pleasing. Would a very thin layer of a heavy pool filter type sand and thin branching driftwood work at keeping the tank easy to clean? I was thinking of possibly growing moss on the driftwood as well. I plan to just buy an adult breeding pair.

Lastly I have an RO/DI setup from my reef tank so I was going to use RO water(Just taking the DI filter out). DO I need to do anything further to the water or would it be more beneficial to mix Ro/Tap water(My water is on the harder side out the tap)?.

Thanks in advance guys!