Sand bad for plants?

I've heard a few people mentioning that sand isn't the best substrate for plants. Is this true? I haven't seen any thing specific about what it does to plants. Does it harm the roots or suffocate them? In a dirted tank with a sand cap would this harm shallowly rooted plants?

I'm thinking more about how I can keep bottom feeders like corrys and loaches in a heavily planted tank with sand substrate over a bit of dirt. :/

 

Dolfan can help, but I think that root feeders are the ones that don't do as well with sand.

 

Yeah I've heard about sand not letting enough air for the roots and plants. But I've been having sand in my 60 gallon with a lot of plants and they are doing great. My tank is about to be 1 year old. Sand is a really good choice, especially for cories. I do use root tabs to give some nutrients to my plants. Especially heavy root feeders. With dirt, I think that your plants should be fine.

 

Issue is that sand are very small rocks. Thus no nutrients given off

 

Plants can grow great in any substrate. I would bet that I could grow plants in a substrate made of marbles. All you need is root tabs for substrates without nutrients like regular gravel or sand. The plants will do great and have exactly what they need from the root tabs. Having Malaysian Trumpet Snails helps too, they help aerate the soil and break things down so the plants can utilize the nutrients. They are sort of like earthworms in a terrestrial garden, very beneficial, help clean up algae too.

 

Plants can grow great in any substrate. I would bet that I could grow plants in a substrate made of marbles. All you need is root tabs for substrates without nutrients like regular gravel or sand. The plants will do great and have exactly what they need from the root tabs. Having Malaysian Trumpet Snails helps too, they help aerate the soil and break things down so the plants can utilize the nutrients. They are sort of like earthworms in a terrestrial garden, very beneficial, help clean up algae too.

Yeah I knew about the no nutrients deal. And root tabs have always been added in all of my tanks. I'll have to think about the snails though. Just got rid of one small infestation....

 

So if one was to try a dirted tank, would it be necessary to layer it or would mixing it be ok to do? What about adding clay based additives such as layerite or similar? Would they cloud the tank in the process?

 

With dirted tanks you always have to cap with sand or a fine grained gravel. Adding additives such as iron rich clay balls into the dirt are also recommended for plants like swords. I don't think the clay balls would add to the cloudiness when it's all covered. You wouldn't be able to mix the sand with dirt of you'll end up with a cloudy mess and have to start over again or cap the dirt/sand mix.... Which wouldn't help the plants.

And as for cloudiness... Well any dirted tank will be cloudy for the first day or so. Twice as cloudy due to the soil along with the dust from the sand.

Maybe capping with a fine gravel or large grained sand would be better for the plants. I don't really want to add any snails