Weird film formed under soil layer

[ckarta]

I have a thin half inch latyer of inert gravel on the bottom of my tank, and about 1-3 inches thick layer of granular plantation soil over it, with many stem plants thriving. Today while doing some maintenance, I moved a little bit of plantation soil and found a weird layer formed between the gravel and plantation soil. It was mesh like with something covering the mesh. My guess is it was something covering a layer of roots. Weirdly shrimps were very much interested in this layer.

I wonder what it is, and if it is a later of roots, why would they not go in the substrate below, it's small smooth gravel with particle size about 2-3mm.

I tried photographing it, but nothing is recognisable in the photos.

 

[Mudminnow]

That sounds interesting, too bad the photos didn't turn out.

I'm unfamiliar with "plantation soil". Is this a general term for granulated soil?

At any rate, I can only guess at the mesh you found. I suspect it was roots and/or a fungus...maybe even microryza. Shrimps seem to like eating some fungi, so, if some of the mesh was fungus, I'm not too surprised the shrimps were interested in it.

 

[DaveKS]

See this article and see if it seems similar to what you’ve got going on. And yes, I could definitely see shrimp going crazy for it, probably super nutritious for them.

Fungus in Your Fish Tank? Could Be a Good Thing.

 

[ckarta]

Mudminnow the granulated soils are generally called as plantation soil commonly in India. I also feel it is micorrhizae after reading the article DaveKS shared.

ThanksDave, for the article. Also trying to take photos tomorrow again, thinking of taking a small piece of it out. Will post

 

[DaveKS]

Mudminnow the granulated soils are generally called as plantation soil commonly in India. I also feel it is micorrhizae after reading the article DaveKS shared.

ThanksDave, for the article. Also trying to take photos tomorrow again, thinking of taking a small piece of it out. Will post

Micorrhizae are a basic building block of soil structure wether terrestrial or aquatic. Those microbes are responsible almost all of the nutrient uptake that occurs in the root zone. They are the middlemen that convert raw nutrients into a form that plant roots can uptake with little to no effort.