Do I Need To Use...

[aibo210]

Plant substrate for my plants or are they fine put in to gravel thats already in the tank and use a good liquid fertalizer? I just dont fancy stripping the tank to get this stuff under the gravel!

 

[mlawson]

If you want lush plant growth, then a nutrient rich substrate is necessary.
The plants may still grow, but not very well.

 

[Dave Spencer]

You should get good results from a nutrient rich water column, but root feeders such as Amazon Swords will benefit from root tabs.

 

[Underwurlde]

Agreed, a nutrient rich substrate is not necessary by any means....