[iceburg]

I've watched the video on the making of James Findley's Altitude aquascape several times. It describes mixing ADA Aquasoil and Power Sand to prevent compression.

I'm not clear on how a mix like that prevents compaction. Can anyone explain how it prevents compaction. Has anyone done this or something similar with success?

 

[John Wong]

Err, this is new thing for me.

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[roadmaster]

Would not stress or fret much but rather mix the stuff to your liking and plant heavily.
Weight of water in the tank is gonna want to compress/compact near anything.
Some improved water circulation through first few centimeter's of substrates can be gained with different grain size gravel/sand but not much more as you go deeper. IMHO
I use dirt as bottom layer and it compact's ,yet plant's do not seem to mind.
Small rock can be covered with substrates to help hold slopes along with other methods.

 

[pmcarbrey]

I've watched the video on the making of James Findley's Altitude aquascape several times. It describes mixing ADA Aquasoil and Power Sand to prevent compression.

I'm not clear on how a mix like that prevents compaction. Can anyone explain how it prevents compaction. Has anyone done this or something similar with success?

The techniques used in this scape are not applicable to 90% of the tanks you will see on this forum. The reason compaction was a worry in this tank was due to the great height at which the stones were stacked, at the highest point there is very likely over a foot of substrate. The mixing of substrates provides a stable base, that is less likely to compact and shift, and less likely to bind, creating anerobic zones. How successful this is in preventing the latter I am unsure, but in extreme substrate depths the stability provided by the larger substrate molecules mixed in is extremely beneficial to the overall integrity of the scape.

 

[iceburg]

Thanks for the replies.

I probably should have put more background in my original post. I understand that this example is very unusual with exceptionally deep substrate and that I'm unlikely to ever use substrate that deep and I'm not too concerned about compaction at normal depths. I'm mainly hoping to understand the mechanics of why the mixture described in the video would prevent compaction

 

[Bananableps]

I've never believed in this. In my experience, if you put sand over gravel, the sand will eventually fill in the spaces between the gravel. Might as well just make it sand all the way through, unless the gravel is cheaper.

If you're worried about compaction, make a false bottom. This can be as simple as filling the space up with one large object like a rock or a block of foam.

 

[iceburg]

In my experience, if you put sand over gravel, the sand will eventually fill in the spaces between the gravel.

That's what I had thought as well and why I was surprised by the video. I think you're right that using a solid object as a support/platform is much simpler. I haven't tried foam, but that sounds like a good idea as long as it's well anchored.