Well, as I am currently setting up my first discus biotope myself too I'll start ...... I have basically followed Heiko's advice on setting up a tank for wilds.
This is a 120 gallon tank. I have set it up with white pool sand as a substrate and added three bits of driftwood. I tried to place them so as to hide the heater and the sponge filters. Not entirely successful I know but that's about as far as my imagination will take me !
Yesterday I tied down 4 Anubias which I hope will settle in and grow quickly. I also have some bits of floating weed ( not sure what it is ) which I am planning to use to provide some cover. Right now the tank is lit only by two 20 watt lamps so it is quite dark but I will add another two. You can see that the driftwood has turned the water quite brown
The sponge filters are currently cycling and I will be adding a wet/dry Eheim filter over the next couple of days. This will be seeded with media from another mature canister filter that I have running in a large planted tank.
The water is currently tap water. TDS 330 ppm, PH 8.5. Once I am ready I will probably use RO mix but I have not decided yet.
tankmates will probably be 8 Cory Sterbai's and a couple of Ancistrus.
What's left ........ well if I can get my hands on 7 or 8 young Heckels they will go into this tank. If not, I will move my wild greens into it hoping that this will get them interested in spawning.
Aaron