pepetj

I have five FW planted tanks (5.5, 10, 29bow, 40, 145 UsGal). All of them are low-light low-tech. I am going to upgrade (not substitute) the quality of my substrate by adding Eco-Complete. They are all running.

What's the best way of placing a bed of Eco-Complete and replace the allready in there sand and sand/gravel substrates? What should I NOT do?

I have four bags of 20lbs ea (all that was available). Would that be enough for all tanks? Should I skip or use less in the lightly planted tanks (e.g. the Oscars and the female Betta tanks)?

Thank you

Pepe
Santo Domingo

pepetj

I forgot tank #6. 55gal (at my office, set-up scheduled for next week), which will be either a species only Kenyi tank, or a Lake Malawi aggressive combo. Of course I will plant that tank.

Pepe
Santo Domingo

sirdarksol

The most difficult part is going to be pulling the old substrate out. The great part about EcoComplete is that it doesn't need to be rinsed at all, meaning it can go directly in an established tank. I'm not sure what the best way to pull old substrate out is.

As for amounts, I can tell you this. I have a good-depth bed in my 90g tank (18" by 48" footprint). I have 2/3 of the space filled with EcoComplete, and 1/3 with stone, driftwood, and gravel (I've got a gravel "river" running through the center of my tank). This took two bags of EcoComplete.

I would start out with the more heavily planted tanks, then see what you have left (if anything). You could use the remainder to supplement the normal substrate in these other tanks. It will give the plants some extra nutrients.

Hope this helped.

pepetj

Update: I got home two bags, used 1/2 of it in the Angelfish tank (Aqueon 26, a 29USgal bow tank) as "partial" bottom substrate, and placed old sand on top of it (I only placed Eco-Complete in 2/3 of the bottom area, from rear to front). Planted several Amazon Swords there... let's see how it goes.

I just placed 1 1/2 bags of Eco-Complete in the Rainbowfish tank, I love the looks of this dark substrate, so I'm gonna let it be... Hope my filter's colonies hold the challenge (good thing is... I'm not overstocked!)

I placed the used substrate in a bucket -aquarium use only- with water... just in case I need it. Hope someone could use it to seed a tank! will place an airstone in it, just in case I let MTS strikes again tomorrow... I took Monday off, and... well, you know!

Pepe
Santo Domingo

pepetj

Update: Ended up adding another 1/2bag to the 40gal tank. So far it looks like 5lbs of Eco-Complete per feet of lenght of tank works pretty well. 40 lbs for the 4 footer 40gal tank. Thanks for the feedback sirdarksol, I just love the looks of Eco-Complete, and ordered more for some of my other tanks (the Angelfish, thinking about the 6footer though...)

Pepe
Santo Domingo