Why is the clay red? iron content? What is the purpose for the clay? Mixing clay with soil then adding water I could see turning out to be a sloppy mess. Add peat to the filtration system if you trying to go blackwater.
Did something similar in a Borneo biotope a few years back focusing on loaches. Instead of red based or clay mixture, I used 3M tan coloured quartz sand for substrate. Very easy to keep clean.
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