# Plant growth in sand vs gravel



## mrjbacon (May 22, 2017)

I see several places online that recommend planting it in the substrate still in the pot to get outward and upward growth, maybe the sand was causing the plant to grow up because it's a water column feeder? Someone with more experience can probably comment about that. Eco-complete has lots of easily-accessible nutrients so maybe that's why?


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Eco complete and blasting sand are both innert. My guess is something else changed, most likely nutrients.

Plants grow towards light. If you want HM to carpet then trim it more ofthen. Why someone would recommend planting a plant in its original basket is beyond me. Pearl weed also grows fine floating.


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## Fishtanks (Nov 21, 2016)

It depends on the plants. Some prefer gravel and others are sand.


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Fishtanks said:


> It depends on the plants. Some prefer gravel and others are sand.


Gotta ask the plants.


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## Jonathanr27 (Apr 13, 2018)

Haha true, yeah I guess it's the plants decision. It's just strange to me. Also, if anything I've been dosing more ferts and I have more light now. It's really strange. 

I'm also not going for a carpet, I prefer how it looks tall and bunched.


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## Jonathanr27 (Apr 13, 2018)

Ok, my pearl weed is still being outgrown by other plants like crazy! I really am dumbfounded to why it's the only plant not growing...


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## mgeorges (Feb 1, 2017)

I agree with OVT, something else must've changed. Did you replace your substrate, or is this a totally different tank? If you replaced the substrate, then you lost all the trapped mulm and detritus that had settled deeper into the substrate that will help feed the plants. Eco-Completes grain size allows a lot to slip down into the cracks and settle in where a quick water change won't get. 
If this is a totally separate tank - Keep in mind, tank to tank, things can be quite different even if you think you've set things up identically. Eco-Complete is a substrate I'm currently using unfortunately...I'm not a fan. It's totally inert, but everything I've planted grows just fine in it because I fertilize the water column. I use pool filter sand in a 10 gallon at home, and all my plants, including carpeting plants, do well in there also. In fact, just added some pearl weed last night that I expect to go nuts here pretty quick!



OVT said:


> Gotta ask the plants.


Dying


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## OVT (Nov 29, 2011)

Jonathanr27 said:


> Ok, my pearl weed is still being outgrown by other plants like crazy! I really am dumbfounded to why it's the only plant not growing...


How about some pictures of the tank and close-up of HM? Is it the same light fixture?
I would let some stems float to see how it does.


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## Jonathanr27 (Apr 13, 2018)

mgeorges said:


> I agree with OVT, something else must've changed. Did you replace your substrate, or is this a totally different tank? If you replaced the substrate, then you lost all the trapped mulm and detritus that had settled deeper into the substrate that will help feed the plants. Eco-Completes grain size allows a lot to slip down into the cracks and settle in where a quick water change won't get.
> If this is a totally separate tank - Keep in mind, tank to tank, things can be quite different even if you think you've set things up identically. Eco-Complete is a substrate I'm currently using unfortunately...I'm not a fan. It's totally inert, but everything I've planted grows just fine in it because I fertilize the water column. I use pool filter sand in a 10 gallon at home, and all my plants, including carpeting plants, do well in there also. In fact, just added some pearl weed last night that I expect to go nuts here pretty quick!
> 
> 
> ...


The only thing that has change is the substrate from black diamond blaster sand to eco complete. I'll get on my phone and upload some photos



OVT said:


> Jonathanr27 said:
> 
> 
> > Ok, my pearl weed is still being outgrown by other plants like crazy! I really am dumbfounded to why it's the only plant not growing...
> ...


The first photos will be close ups of the pearl weed today that’s growing very slowly. The next will be of my whole tank, the other plants are constantly needing trimming. The last photo will be of the pearl weed months ago before when it was growing very quickly.

Sorry, here’s the last photos of the pearl qeee when it had grown much more in a shorter amount of time.

Bump: I have no idea why the images are so blurry when I upload them, but I hope you can tell make them out enough. 

Bump: I've got root tabs, flourish tabs, and I EI dose the water column daily.


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## kaldurak (May 2, 2010)

I used to use eco complete, my current tank is my first with sand instead.

Growth has put anything I've attempted with eco complete to shame. Sand has been much easier to work with and plant in. And the growth rates have been amazing.

However, if you can grow well with eco complete - you can probably grow anything well if you try. My biggest eco complaint would be the difficulty in initial planting of small stems of like, Monte Carlo or pearl weed or HC.


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## Edward (Apr 11, 2005)

Eco-Complete is as much “complete” as Miracle-Gro is “miracle”. 



OVT said:


> Eco complete and blasting sand are both innert.


 Really? No KH and TDS increasing with Eco?


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

Edward said:


> Eco-Complete is as much “complete” as Miracle-Gro is “miracle”.
> 
> Really? No KH and TDS increasing with Eco?



The liquid in the bag is not inert.


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