# Eco-complete Users



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I think the label says that you don't have to rinse it, but what are you guys doing? Seems like most of the particles wouldn't float or cloud an aquarium and you wouldn't need to. The two other times I have used it I used with other gravel and really couldn't tell if it was the eco-complete or the other stuff clouding the water.

I'm removing gravel from a tank and putting this stuff in with water and fish in the tank and don't want another huge mess. This tank has been running for a few months.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

You gotta take the fish out. When i did my swap i took the fish out and the filter off. Tank was clear enough for the fish to go back into witin half hour.


----------



## beaslbob (May 29, 2009)

Gee amiee'e tank looks so good you gotta change your substrate?

What I do (in addition to the layering and sand) is set up the tank with no circulation no mechanical filtration. I find that way the cloudiness/floaters settle down in a day or two.

HTH

my .02


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

mk4gti said:


> You gotta take the fish out. When i did my swap i took the fish out and the filter off. Tank was clear enough for the fish to go back into witin half hour.


I guess you're right. Just hate catching the suckers. They have 6ft of length to run in. Some can be pretty tricky. A swordtail has amazing speed.

Are you rinsing your eco-complete though?



> Gee amiee'e tank looks so good you gotta change your substrate?
> 
> What I do (in addition to the layering and sand) is set up the tank with no circulation no mechanical filtration. I find that way the cloudiness/floaters settle down in a day or two.


LOL, that wasn't why I decided to change. Although if I hadn't decided before then, maybe.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

Never rinse it, they claim that it comes with bio bacteria in it. IDK though ive never rinsed mine and have always gotten good results, i think by rinsing it u would remove some of the minerals and nutrients built into the substrate though. I cant catch fish in my tank for the life of me, espcially with large peices of wood and plants for them to hid around.


----------



## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*I use Eco-Complete as well. I never rinsed. Its not like flourite or anything. You cut the bag and dump it. It was cloudy at first but it goes away VERY fast. 

Eco is probably the best thing invented besides ADA Amazonia Aquasoil lol.*


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I didn't rinse it and like you said, it clears very fast. It was the aquariumplants.com's custom blend that clouded my tank. Not for too long though.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

Did u put that little packet of stuff that they gave u in there? I never use it so i never really looked into what it is or does.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I used all 8 packets. Not sure if it helped. Eco-complete really isn't bad at all.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

I like it the only complaint i have is the price, especially when you need 9 bags.


----------



## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

mk4gti said:


> I like it the only complaint i have is the price, especially when you need 9 bags.


*9bags? How big is your tank. My friend has a 120g and I dont remember him buying 9 bags for it.*


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

90 gallons i could have used 7 bags but iw anted 4 inches of substrate.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

Has anyone ever redone a tank with eco compelte in it or moved eco from 1 tank to another? I want to take down my 20 long and use the substrate and drift wood for my girls new 29.


----------



## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

mk4gti said:


> 90 gallons i could have used 7 bags but iw anted 4 inches of substrate.


*4 inches?? I believe you only need 2" or 3". Why would you need 4"? Plus there could be dead spots if you use 4". You could have even used only 5 or 6 bags. No wonder its expensive since you are wanting so many bags lol. The only reason I can think that would need 4" is if it is a very densely planted tank and all plants are root heavy.*




mk4gti said:


> Has anyone ever redone a tank with eco compelte in it or moved eco from 1 tank to another? I want to take down my 20 long and use the substrate and drift wood for my girls new 29.


*I tore down my 20g which has Mineralized Topsoil and replaced it with Eco-complete. I had to rinse it out with tap water from a hose because of so much mud. However, after setting it back up, my tank re-cycled in less than a week. I think it was because of the seeding with the filter, plants, and driftwood.*


----------



## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

mk4gti said:


> Has anyone ever redone a tank with eco compelte in it or moved eco from 1 tank to another? I want to take down my 20 long and use the substrate and drift wood for my girls new 29.


yes, get some 5g buckets(brand new if you can) and a scoop for feed and such from the dollar store. when its all out, take the tank outside and rinse it out of the old substrate, then start over again.


I never rinsed it, I do not use the biomagnet clarifier that comes with it just because what it turns into once its used up looks very odd to me and clean up of it sucks. 

Im with the others, take the fish out first, use 5g buckets and towels under them if they are not on insulated floors(carpet only or a rug really)


----------



## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

jrman83 said:


> I didn't rinse it and like you said, it clears very fast. It was the aquariumplants.com's custom blend that clouded my tank. Not for too long though.


which blend did you get? I use their black diamond and its friggin awesome. I havnt used their fert tabs in 6 months and the plants are just starting to slow down in their growth. Their total fert system works great. pricey but great. 

my 210 took 5 of their buckets to fill it and im contemplating adding one more for depth and dimension.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

All my plants are root heavy except for the 1 java fern i got tied to the back of my drift wood. My corkscrew vales grow 3 inches downward in a day or so i started with about 3 small patches of vales and in less than 3 months i have over 40, i think i see a new sprout every day if not more. When i bought the ecocomplete i think that the deal was if i spent 35 more dollars (or something like that) i would get free shipping or else i would have to pay a ton in shipping costs so i got i think 1 or 2 extra bags. I dont think there is too much soil, it actually looks perfect, you can see a lot of the roots in on the sides of the tanks it amazes me how easialy plants root in the stuff.


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

I used 8 bags of eco in my 125 and then put a 6-gallon bucket of the custom substrate on top. It's only right at 3" if I levelled it off. I had planned on just 10 bags of eco, but one of my shipments from PETCO was damaged and they sent it back before it even got to me. Didn't feel like waiting on replacements to come in Friday. I had originally bought the other stuff for my other 125 that I am rescaping down the road soon. It already has good substrate in it, was just adding a little more.

@whitedevil - I got the natural amazon color of aquariumplants.com's substrate, which is cost $5 more than the black diamond. That stuff goes a long way, but $75 a bucket sucks. Can't imagine getting as many as you did. I actually plan to stir that and the eco together. Will make a cool color substrate. Glad to hear it's good stuff. I got their fert tabs, but really haven't a need to use them yet. I plan to order all of my plants at once for this tank. I have about 15 in there now. I may have to move to EI dosing to keep from everything dying on me. Still reading up on how to do that.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

I got mine from petco, it came in heavy *** boxes right to my door.


----------



## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

yea when I ordered my eco it was from petsolutions and came like that, I was ticked I figured it would be in two seperate heavy boxes but NNNOOOOOOOOOO.


Jr, yes it goes a long way, their tabs are great too, when i put one under my sword it doubles in size and spits out new daughter plants. i need to do that again to have some more to work with.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

Here some pics of my eco compelte with some root penetration going down.


----------



## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*Thats a deep substrate. My 20g has 1 inch and my 55g has 2 inches LOL. 

That picture in my sig was with a 1" substrate of Eco lmao. Kinda surprising*


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

I gues its kinda deep but i think it makes a good bed for bio filtration and breaking down solid waste.


----------



## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

mines only 4" deep and needs more, with rooted plants the deeper the bed the better as they have room to grow and feed.


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

I figured same thing mines about 4 maybe 4.5 inches


----------



## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Mine isn't quite that deep. Roots will make a turn if they reach the bottom. I don't believe that will slow a plant down. Plants in pots above ground do exceptionally well.


----------



## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*My Red Tiger Lotus is a heavy root plant, and it grows exceptionally well in my tank. Only 1" Eco in there. *


----------



## mk4gti (Jun 15, 2010)

Lol yeah mine grows a little excessive right now it looks like a tree in the middle of my tank with about 12 leaves floating on the top of the water. I didnt plant it either i just threw the bulb in there, it looks like there is more than one plant growingo ut ofthe bulb as well.


----------



## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Ive got a dozen RTL's and they are always the ones with little roots. even my vals and C. Spiralis have about 4x the amount of roots then any of the RTL's got.

I go deep for my swords though, nothing like tearing it out and seeing the roots twice the size of the actual plant.


----------

