Gravel Tidy in a Planted Aquarium

[phantomfisher]

Hi,

I am setting up a 48x24x24 planted tank using Carib Sea Eco Complete as a substrate and fine gravel as a top decorative layer. The Eco complete substrate is around 3"/75mm deep and the gravel around 2"/50mm deep with the layers seperated by a Gravel Tidy. Now the silly question! :?

How do I plant the plants with this setup? Do I make a hole in the gravel tidy and plant the roots in the substrate? Or perhaps plant the roots in the gravel on top of the gravel tidy alowing the roots to penetrate through the gravel tidy mesh?

As you have probably guesed I am pretty new to this planted aquarium game so any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[Ed Seeley]

Don't use a gravel tidy. Plant roots will root through it and when you remove large plants you may pull it up or at least cause more disturbance.

I think you may be best using the Eco-complete for the substrate in the majority of the tank and just have the decorative gravel in the front unplanted section for effect. You can separate the two with a vertical divider or just use some of the hardscape to do the job.

 

[phantomfisher]

Hi Ed,

Thanks for your advise I will ditch the gravel tidy idea and use a vertical divider as suggested