amazon tank substrate

[Phoenixphire55]

Ok, so I want to do an amazon style tank eventually. I want to have driftwood in it and lots of plants. My idea is to use soil and then a layer of sand over it or a layer of fluorite clay instead. Would I have to change this substrate ever? I mean what is the maintenance like in a fully planted tank? I know some people have dead leaves at the bottom of their tanks. Can the tank just be left like that with the leaves decaying?

 

[rich311k]

If it is planted well enough a wave of the gravel vac will keep the substrate tidy. Dead leaves should be removed. If you want a black water setup for say apistios etc. some folks do have a layer of leaf litter on the bottom.

 

[Purrbox]

Eventually the soil layer will get depleted. At that point you'll need to decide whether you want to tear things down and replace it, or just start supplementing.