Plants benefit from some soil?

[New Boy]

I’ve got gravel in my current tank and I understand that plants don’t do very well in gravel generally I was wondering whether it was worth cutting a margarine tub up, filling the bottom with some aquatic compost (available for ponds), putting the plants in and then burying the tub under the gravel??? Would it help them grow?

Thanks

 

[Lateral Line]

It's certainly my experience that plants grow better in finer substrates. It is more like their natural environment, (normally fine mud and sand). That said, plants will grow in gravel, mine used to before I swapped.

If your plants are not growing, I'd be checking your lighting before doing anything else. Without knowing the type of plants you've got it's difficult to advise, but most plants want at least 2W per gallon. Some plants can do with less, (Anubias sp. for example will almost grow in the dark!). Other require more, some A LOT more. Cabomba sp. for example will want 3.5 - 4W per gallon. Get the light right and you'll solve 75%+ of plant problems.

After light, the next limiting factor is usually CO2. High light demanding plants also demand high CO2 levels.

Trace, micro and macro nutrients come after that.

Once you've got all that right, then a good substrate will give better results than a poor one.

 

[guppymonkey]

I have to agree with Lateral Line, plants probably need more light. I can never find good enough wattage for my plants. I can only find 20 watt bulbs in 24". I don't know why they don't make higher wattages for that length. I will probably have to get a couple 24" tubes and have them side by side over the tank to give it more light.