What Do Plants Like More, Small Gravel Or Sand?

[Fighterfish]

I think only painted gravel discolours as i had it once and it dicoloured and went to normal colour, i have never had natural gravel discolour on me though who knows.

 

[Jen]

I have silica sand, and it started out nice and white, but in a year has gone a bit beige-y. It doesn't look bad, just not nice and white anymore. The bottom portion of it is reddish, but that's from the layer of laterite.

 

[Dubby]

Sorry to give you the bad news.....All sands and gravel will discolour over time.

Really? How come?

Probably due to the formation of bacteria/algae on the surface.

 

[Alps]

Has anyone's laterite risen up to the top yet with sand?

Could it be resolved by using a fine netting, like filter bag netting, and covering the very bottom layer of laterite?

 

[Jen]

Oh yeah. the laterite comes up to the top, but only if you poke around in the sand alot, or move your plants around too much.

I think the netting would work, but you would have to poke holes in it where you plant so the roots could get through.

 

[Alps]

Oh yeah. the laterite comes up to the top, but only if you poke around in the sand alot, or move your plants around too much.

I think the netting would work, but you would have to poke holes in it where you plant so the roots could get through.

well my idea was to use the type of bag/netting that they use in aquaclear media, you know the mesh type stuff, so i would have a very bottom layer of laterite, the mesh, then sand. Do you think the plants would still try to get through the mesh, eventhough it would be right over the laterite?
If they did get through, it would be even more of a headache.

- so ideally the roots would just grow over the netting, but is this realistic?

 

[Jen]

The whole point of laterite and flourite and all those things is that the roots need to grow in them to get the nutrients. I don't know how beneficial the laterite would be if seperated.

 

[Alps]

The whole point of laterite and flourite and all those things is that the roots need to grow in them to get the nutrients. I don't know how beneficial the laterite would be if seperated.

Guess I'll be doing it the most common way then. Do I have to mix the lateriteinto the bottom half of the substrate, or can I just have the very bottom layer be laterite w/ sand up above it?

Thanks for your help Jen

 

[Jen]

The box says to mix the box with equal parts sand I think. I don't know the reason for it... probably just to get the laterite spread out more evenly. I didn't really measure. I just scooped until it looked good and mixed it together in a bucket. I leveled it in the tank and added the rest of the sand.