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Ok so I could add more gravel if I stirred it up with the other not just layer it?..which I was going to do anyway because I have black and blue gravel right now and I want to add more black but still have the blue mixed in. I dont think I'm going to worry about plant substrate because I keep hearing they will grow fine in just gravel and that the main thing to get is good lighting.

Hi,
Yes, stirring it and adding the excess gravel at the same
time, to one section, would probably be better than just
burying a section with fresh gravel. Depending upon
several things, you have problems with the decaying
bacteria and tank if you just bury the gravel.

It is true that you can have a beautiful planted tank, and
not use any of the specialty substrates. The breakdown of
the organic wastes will provide much of what plants need
for life and growth. The problem arrives when the plants
consumption of nutrients outstrips the supply. Another
problem is that plants don't all use the same elements
in the same amounts over the same time. Some use iron more
than others. Some use Mg more than others, etc. The result
is that over time, you may find your plants starting to
backslide. Leaves may yellow, prematurely, or develop
holes in their leaves and other symptoms of nutrient
deficiency.
This is a site that describes the various symptoms and
what to do about them:
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nutrient.htm

In the end, at some time, you will have to add fertilizer
to the tank to offset the deficiencies in the nutrients.
You can do this by using products such as the Flourish
series of plant foods, or, for root feeders such as the
Amazon Swords and crypts, you can use plant tablets, or
plant sticks that you push into the gravel near their
roots.

-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

I noticed that my platy have been picking at and destroying the lone small plant I have in there right now (grown from a walmart bulb)...didn't know platy would destroy plants? Do all livebearers like plants? Maybe I'll just go fake.

Hi,
It may well be eating it. Or it may be eating algae or some
other "goody" off the leaf. Or it may be eating a dieing
leaf.

Anubis has "tough" leaves, is a low light plant, and few
fish enjoy chomping its leaves - Try them.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

It took a leaf off of the plant (I saw it rip it off), but it was a dying leaf. I just dont want it to start destroying the good leaves.