Choosing between gravel substrate and soil for your aquarium

[Breezeyfans]

I'm thinking of switching from sweet pea substrate to tropica soil, mainly to give my plants a boost. Does the tropica soil have a similar appearance to the sweet pea, or is it noticeably different?

[orchid]

Honestly, I'm not familiar with sweet pea substrate - I'm assuming it's not pea gravel, right? The thing is, the look of a substrate is pretty subjective, so I think you should focus on what you're trying to achieve with your setup. You mentioned wanting to switch to Tropica soil for the plants' benefit, which is a great choice, but it might not be necessary if you already have a substrate that's working for you. If you have a low-tech setup with not a lot of plants, you could try using root tabs or an all-in-one fertilizer to get the job done. But to give you more specific advice, I'd need to know more about your setup - what's your goal, what plants are you working with, and is it a low-tech or high-tech setup? A picture would be super helpful too.

[Mermaidel]

I agree with the previous comments. Not all plants will benefit from a nutrient-rich substrate. For instance, stem plants tend to get most of their nutrients from the water column, while epiphyte plants also don't derive much benefit from the substrate. On the other hand, root-heavy plants like Crypts or Swords would thrive in a nutrient-rich substrate. However, if you're not planning on using these types of plants, then it's not strictly necessary. Your plans and the overall aesthetic you're aiming for will ultimately dictate the choice of substrate.