Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

So I just wanted to leave my initial impressions, but then will revise this product the more I use it. I purchased the 17.6 pound bag for my 6 Gallon Fluval Edge. A little overkill but for the price I could not resist. I used a little over a half of a bag to get about 2 1/2 inches of depth. I was a little hesitant to purchase this product based on some of the reviews, but I did not encounter any of those. Some top complaints were that it was hard to plant in, or that it was dusty, or that the substrate crumbled and turned into mud. None of that happened for me, but planting too close to another plant can be problematic. My procedure is as followed. Step 1: Pour into tank to desired depth, and spread around. ** Special Note: I did not rinse prior to adding to the tank. ** Step 2: Place hand inside tank, and begin filling it with water using your hand as a buffer. Pour slowly. ** Fill only to moisten the substrate ** Step 3: With the substrate moistened, begin planting your plants. Don't plant them too close or it may loosen and cause another to lift up. Step 4: Begin filling tank once you're fully decorated. I use the hand method to buffer the flow of water, and I filled slowly. There was a "slight" amount of cloudiness but that cleared up a few minutes after turning the filter on. The appearance of this substrate is a chocolate color and will really make your plants pop with their greens. Pictures will be added here in the future. The real test will be how this product helps my plants, most importantly my dwarf hairgrass which always struggled in my inert sand I had in prior.