[skytrike]

So I have 2, 3L bags of Amazonia coming for my 10 gallon tank. I might need a little extra height and I have some smooth medium gravel lying around. What would be some pros and cons to capping about 2" of Amazonia with 1" gravel? Would it just be better to stick with Amazonia alone? Thanks!

 

[minorhero]

If your gravel is fine enough to be good for plant roots, then the pro is that it's easier to plant into. If it matches your aesthetic then that's another pro as well. From my perspective there really is no con unless the gravel is not suitable for plants or doesn't look good to you. I do my tanks now with a thin layer of aqua soil on the bottom and sand/gravel on top. aesthetically this works for me and I haven't noticed any difference in plant growth.

 

[Tiger15]

The pro is that carpet plants grow better in nutrient rich soil than inert substrate. The con is that working with soil based substrate is dirty, generating dust cloud whenever the substrate is disturbed. It’s fine if you have slow growth plants that rarely need manipulation, not so if you have fast growing stems that need frequent replanting.

Note that all plants can survive without rich soil as they can uptake nutrients entirely from the water column, though it may give a head start of some plants. Over time the nutrients in the soil will be depleted, and rejuvenation is needed from new soil or root tabs.

 

[kristyjackson]

Hi. The advantage I can see in using Amazonia is that it has a good specific gravity that holds plants very well. And it's very ammonia-rich and releases amounts of Nitrogen during the first weeks. The only disadvantage of Amazonia is that you need to replenish it after 12 to 18 months but will also depend on your plants. Also, you may need to cycle again your aquarium because of the initial Nitrogen release.