Opinions on Carib Sea eco black substrate

[Epicoz]

i want to put it over and mix it with my regular white aquarium gravel. Is there any negatives or anything i should ‘now before using it. Can I use it in a cycled tank with fish in it.

 

[Livebearer08]

I believe so. I don’t think it should harm anything, but, for a recommendation, I would put the gravel on top of the eco complete because then your tank looks nice with gravel, and your plants’ roots will get the nutrients from the eco complete.

 

[kanzekatores]

It worked pretty great for me, but I ended up liking the look of black sand better. It's does a great job of giving your plants nutrients though.

 

[Chanyi]

Eco-Complete is inert, it contains no nutrients for your plants, it is expensive when comparing other inert aquarium substrates, it has inconsistent granule texture and size, it is very good at trapping detritus which typically will feed algae, it has a moderately poor CEC, it is tough to plant smaller / delicate plants into, it occasionally turns a washed out grey colour in harder water.

My opinion is, I do not like it. It grows plants fine, but it's other draw backs are a deal breaker for me, especially because it's so expensive.

You can use it in an already cycled tank because it is inert and will not alter water parameters (maybe a small kH bump initially, but it quickly goes away).

It's essentially crushed up lava rock.

 

[Epicoz]

Ok I kinda like the look honestly, but If you have any other black eco substrate it would be apprecited if you could let me know

 

[Chanyi]

Ok I kinda like the look honestly, but If you have any other black eco substrate it would be apprecited if you could let me know

For the black look you can go with Black Diamond Blasting Sand, Aquarium specific black sand, aquarium specific black gravel or Flourite black.

I would recommend the blasting sand or the regular black aquarium gravel.

 

[Sheldon13]

I second the diamond blasting sand.

 

[Epicoz]

Would it go well with this gravel, mixed into it

 

[Epicoz]

I don’t think sand would look good with it

 

[Sheldon13]

I’ve done the black and white mixed sand thing and it’s very busy. Very distracting. It’s best to just have one color.

 

[Epicoz]

Really?

It’s not sand it’s gravel also

 

[Sheldon13]

It’s purely an opinion on aesthetics.

 

[Epicoz]

Your kinda right

Is there anyway to replace my gravel without taking out the fish

 

[Chanyi]

Is there anyway to replace my gravel without taking out the fish

Replace the gravel by removing it and putting new gravel in, perform a couple big water changes to get rid of the mulm and watch parameters for a week or two.

 

[86 ssinit]

You can mix black with the white but you’d have to use the same size gravel or the eco. Sand will just go through your gravel to the bottom.

Can you remove the gravel with fish in the tank yes. For thebest results you will need your python vacume. Remove the vacume part and just use the hose to remove the gravel. Do it a third of the tank at a time. Do it during 50% weekly water changes. I just did this for a 90g removing 120lbs of eco-incomplete. Now have gravel. Plants growing well.

 

[Epicoz]

Ok thanks I’ll try that so you think eco complete is good?

 

[86 ssinit]

Me no it’s a waste of money. I removed it and filled in a groundhog hole!thats about 100lbs! It was a deep hole .

 

[Epicoz]

He but does anyone have any other black gravel recommendations

 

[Epicoz]

What do you think about Seachem flouride

 

[Chanyi]

What do you think about Seachem flouride

It's basically the same as Eco-Complete except instead of crushed up lava rock its more like shards of sedimentary rock.

Flourite has less CEC than Eco-complete too.

 

[Epicoz]

I’ll just get Eco complete I k8 da just want black gravel

 

[Epicoz]

*kinda

 

[Livebearer08]

This is my eco complete. The plants are doing well and everything pops because it’s black.

 

[86 ssinit]

Get the black gravel!! . You won’t be wasting money!!

 

[Epicoz]

Ok thanks, it’ll be hard to replace my current gravel but I’ll try