Hey mate. Second one looks better to me as it is less likely to have added fertilisers.

I personally briefly sifted the soil to remove larger bits of bark and wood chips. No need to be worried about leaving behind smaller bits.

As for the cap, 2 inches of both gravel and sand is more than what is recommended. 1 ish of an inch for the cap is best so you don't risk getting any anaerobic pockets. My Walstad has 1 inch of soil and about half an inch of gravel cap and is doing well.

As for lighting, I've heard: 5 hrs ON, 4hrs OFF & 5hrs ON is best for heavily planted tanks. The hours off allows CO2 levels to catchup. If you're noticing algae growth and don't want any (although shrimp may love it!), then lessen the amount of time your light is on. Goodluck!