new discus 65g

[mousley]

I am in the very beginning stages of setting up a new 65g tank. I still have to get a stand and several pieces of equipment, so possibly I could benefit from some experienced input.
I was leaning in the direction of a Rena XP3 canister filter but I am not sure if this will be enough or possibly even too much. The tank will be lightly planted...mostly swords, vals, and java fern/moss. I plan to keep most of the space open for swimming and divide up a background corner for planting while allowing the rest to be sand substrate and open space.
I suppose I would also be looking for a filter to stand up to sand. I also have considered a hang on back filter such as emperor or aquaclear which I know will be quite easy to clean and maintain.
Does anyone here use sand and what types? I have some ADA bright and some carib sea white sand I will be mixing.
I plan on diving the space with a driftwood centerpiece, it is cedar and I will sink it with slate rock.
I also need to purchase a heater, I'm needing something known to be well reliable.
I could also use some advice on how to stock the tank..I'm mostly keeping Discus for enjoyment so I will likely get a few different strains. I currently have two juveniles which I have in 16g bowfront and they are active and eating like horse. However one seems to be lagging behind the other in growth which I hope is remedied in a larger tank. I primarily feed them on spirulina enriched brine shrimp..they can eat it before it sinks and gets caught up into the plants.
All advice is well appreciated. Thanks

[Merrilyn]

Hi mousley. The layout design of your tank sounds perfect. Discus appreciate lots of open space for swimming, so the driftwood in the centre will be ideal.

The plants you mention are mainly root feeders, and as there's not much nutrient in sand, you'll need to add some kind of fertilizer sticks to the sand so your plants grow and thrive.

As for equipment, I don't really think you can beat Eheim products for reliability. I know you pay a little more in the beginning, but they seem to outlast just about everything else.

So long as you keep your filter intake pipe a few inches above the sand level, you should be fine. I have several tanks with sand substrate, and never any problems with the filters.

When you select your fish, try to get them all pretty much the same size, and if possible, get them all at once. That should reduce any initial fighting when they settle in.

[k9outfit]

a driftwood centerpiece, it is cedar
Doesn't cedar have some oil in it which some people are even allergic to? Would it have all leached out over time and would the driftwood then be safe to use with fish?

[mousley]

The wood I have is a terrific centerpiece. It's actually tennessee red cedar, which isn't truly a member of the cedar family but the Juniper family. It's old and hardwood that has been heat treated and pressure washed.
I am curious what I could layer under the sand in the background...something nutritious for root feeding plants that would allow the sand to settle down under it.