The creation of hills and valleys is not easy no matter what the substrate, since all of them will settle and even out due to gravity and the natural flow of water through the substrate. And this is essential to bring nutrients to the plant roots, as well as maintain the proper bacteria. In my gravel tanks I have had the substrate even out within a few weeks, no different from sand. The only way to prevent this is to use a sub-structure under the sand/gravel. I've never done this, but I believe other members have posted about egg crate and screen being used, though the latter would have to be fine enough to prevent the sand/gravel falling through. Another method is using rock to create terraces.
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how is it to clean and will it ruin a filter impeller?
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I never touch the substrate in most of my tanks, but in the one or two that i do, I run the vacuum over the substrate as normal, not digging down though as there is no need [more below on this], and the particulate matter on the top is easily pulled up because it is lighter than the sand.
Unless you have huge fish that dig, the sand is not going to get stirred up. The filter intake should be approximately 5-6 inches above the substrate, whatever the material is, and no filter is going to pull up any substrate from this height.
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Is it as healthy for the plants as eco? Can the plant roots breath okay?
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In my experience, plants are doing better or no worse in my sand and gravel tanks as in my enriched substrate tank. There is quite a complex process occurring in the substrate of a balanced tank, this is explained more in my article on bacteria.
Byron.
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