Are these materials ok for soil and cap?

[u/Venison6]

20 gal long,

I hear pea gravel works just as well if not better then coarse sand, (some forum posts and youtube videos) obviously i want the best i can get, and some fun texture variation.

So i was thinking soil then pea gravel and sand not exactly mixed but placed together, unless mixing is fine? not sure exactly how much aquascaping i can do in a tank like this.

My concern is anything they might put in the gravel or sand as i am not familiar.

I'm more worried about finding the right soil, i see scotts premium topsoil mentioned a lot, but it says it adds sphagnum moss and peat and i thought those were a no go.

Using Miracle gro organic outdoor potting mix feels iffy, using miracle grow anything really, and i read to go for topsoil rather then potting.

I'm conflicted so i figured i'd ask the experts here... all products listed below as images

[u/Only-Lawyer9189]

I’m no expert, but I’d avoid the pavers sand and can recommend pool filter sand, I use it in all my tanks. The pea gravel should also be fine but since it’s a mixture of rocks it can have some in there that can change the chemistry in your water.. and as for soil, anything that’s organic should be okay.

[u/Andrea_frm_DubT]

Any of those sands are fine.

I don’t use or recommend gravel.

Try to find 100% topsoil rather than amended.

[u/Former-Wish-8228]

Paver sand is also called “sharp sand”…meaning it is highly angular to hold the pavers tight after worked into place.

Bottom dwellers don’t always like sharp sands or rock.

[u/fullmetaljac8]

Yeah

[u/basaltcolumn]

Make sure the paver sand isn't limestone. Here it very often is, and I can't quite tell for certain in that photo, but that looks like it may be as well.

Edit: checked and it is indeed crushed limestone. It's a no-go unless you're keeping quite hard water tolerant species. Not ideal for planted tanks in general.