Substrate change in established tank- bad idea??

[Potterygal]

Chronology- I tend to overthink these ideas?

newly established planted tank 10 gal since spring. Pea size substrate gravel ( see pics) I find it hard to plant things in and the shrimp can’t move it around to find their bits too easily. I’m wishing I’d done sand bottom. The chilis don’t go to bottom that often. It’s mostly the shrimp I’m thinking of.

added 6 Amano shrimp in June 

added 15 Chili Rasboras in July.

all doing great and most plants seem healthy overall. I’ve had a few failures with plants.

my question: can I add sand on top of the round gravel,stones or will it just settle and stones will end up on top. Would I need to remove stones( very disruptive IMO) .maybe I could just clear the front and make a sand area at front wall for few inches??? I have all these questions, ideas and maybe I should just leave well enuf alone??? All comments welcome. Thank you. 
I have a busy pottery biz but love tending to the needs of my little aquarium just as much!! ❤️

[Tony s]

The sand will work its way into and under the gravel. It will look like the stones are rising, but not really. A fix to that is add more sand. or enough sand the first time. If you're going to add sand, you may want to remove your animals temporarily until the dust settles. Air stone in a bucket with the heater should be fine. But I'm not at all sure how you would move a lot of shrimp. 

[johnnyxxl]

I have had to add additional sand to my mixed substrate of pea gravel and playground sand.  I did this by adding it rinsed and wet using a garden trowel one shovel at a time slowly very little dust up in the tank.

[r_e_g]

I LOVE your little pots! Too cute!

[Potterygal]

Thank you! I put lots of holes in them or at least one big hole in bottom. It is fired(2200 degrees) stoneware with food safe glazes so I feel they aren’t leaching anything bad. Makes planting and gravel vac less disruptive. I’m terrible at getting things to stay in substrate!( did I say I have a busy pottery biz! ) Maybe I will market them somewhere for this purpose lol