Ouch, that hurt.

[WaterPond]

Well, i got a job to support my addiction. My first purchase was a 20lb bag of eco complete for my 5gallon shrimp tank, and my 10gallon guppy tank(which is coming soon). Thats the single most expensive thing i have ever purchased. No where carries it around here and they can't even order it in for me. :?

I had to order it online, shipping wasnt as bad as i thought it would be but it wasn't cheap.

I have always been amazined with the plant growth i see in the tanks with eco. I hope to have the same.

Now i have a few questions...

-Can i mix eco with regular substrate?
-How big is it? like are the pebble things large, or small?
-Will a 20lb bag be enough to do a 10gal and a 5gal?

I just want to make sure i will be happy with it.

Can anyone share their expereinces with it?

TIA

 

[An t-iasg]

You can mix Eco with regular substrate. The literature that I have read states that Eco Complete must be at least half of the substrate if you are going to mix it, while still keeping its benefits. Personally, I like the look of Eco by itself and I would not mix it. I would let the plants have all the benefits of Eco without compromise. If you ever wanted to separate the regular gravel out later, it would be almost impossible, as you can imagine.

The grains range from small pebble-size to very fine sand-size. The finer particles settle down over time and provide an excellent anchor for the plant roots without compacting them. The larger pieces remain on top. I would not call any of the pieces large and rocky.

A 20 lb. bag will probably not be enough for a 10 and a 5 gallon if you are using only Eco. I used one and one-fourth bags in my 10 gallon. In all, I think I used three bags up totally for one 10 gallon tank and three 5 gallon tanks. One bag went completely into the 10 gallon. One bag went completely into two of the 5 gallons. All three tanks needed a little more, so I got a third bag. I topped off the 10 and the two 5s, and then filled up the third 5 gallon.

I can't imagine you not being happy with it It is very pretty, my plants grow very well, and it is not dusty at all, when setting up the tank or when trimming/replanting later.

PS. Congrats on your new job!