I've been intensely working on water plants the last year..and before had kept them and pond and marine algae and plants over 45 years.
I've come to the conclusion that all soils, dirts are only for very temporary results in aquariums. Our plants unlike terrestrial plants are foliar feeders eventually. No matter what you put under them,it dissolves and leaches into the tank. At best the roots absorb close to the root ball for a short while and then,hungry try to take out off the water column what got out. Obvious to me..plants don't need all those root tablets and mixes...they need Iron,maybe potassium..I'm not even sold on that last unless your tap water has none or not enough. Phosphates ,Nitrates?..they get plenty from the food you feed. Same for Urea.
So what are the roots doing ? Anchoring the plant mostly. So why do the roots spread so far? Because they too are absorbing what's in the water..not like people think..directly from the sands and gravels raw poop.
This for the vast majority of Aquarium plants... large pond and marsh plants are another matter.
Basically your aquarium plants are hydroponics dialed down..why the gravel not be anything special..just let water in and roots move.
How I see it.
I've come to the conclusion that all soils, dirts are only for very temporary results in aquariums. Our plants unlike terrestrial plants are foliar feeders eventually. No matter what you put under them,it dissolves and leaches into the tank. At best the roots absorb close to the root ball for a short while and then,hungry try to take out off the water column what got out. Obvious to me..plants don't need all those root tablets and mixes...they need Iron,maybe potassium..I'm not even sold on that last unless your tap water has none or not enough. Phosphates ,Nitrates?..they get plenty from the food you feed. Same for Urea.
So what are the roots doing ? Anchoring the plant mostly. So why do the roots spread so far? Because they too are absorbing what's in the water..not like people think..directly from the sands and gravels raw poop.
This for the vast majority of Aquarium plants... large pond and marsh plants are another matter.
Basically your aquarium plants are hydroponics dialed down..why the gravel not be anything special..just let water in and roots move.
How I see it.
