Here is a picture of the tank plus sump (30gal). The two overflows are plumbed together with PVC pipe, and the return line is T'd off and connected with just Tygon tubing.
The substrate I have (100 pounds, but isn't in the tank yet) is not rock, not sand, but stuff you mix in with swimming pool plaster. It's by 3M called "Color Quartz." It's actually quartz particles coverd in a ceramic coating. So the color is in the ceramic. There is a wide variety of colors, although the selection depends on what grade you get. S grade is very fine, could be finer than regular sand (I haven't seen it). T grade is what I got and it is coarser than sand (think of two sand grains stuck together). The particles are irregularly shaped, so hopefully that will protect against compaction. I got black, or course, mostly because it's bitchin', but also because the dark substrate will not scare off the discus. The stuff sinks quickly, so it may be vacuumable, on low suction, anyway.
You want to make sure you wash this stuff very well before using it. I did it a little at a time, pouring a little into a 5 gallon bucket and then putting the hose on it. During the first 1-2 washes I noticed a shimmery oily layer on the water, along with the very fine dust that turned the water dark. I wanted to make sure I didn't see any more of that oil in any of my washes, but it didn't take more than maybe 3 washes to get rid of it. I probably did at most 5 washes each batch, making sure the water ran clear.
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