Please Help- bad substrate, light doesn't fit and glass lid

[LesPaulPlayer]

Ok so my 29 gallon planted tank has been set up for 2 days.
I purchased the eco-complete black and apparently I got a bad batch from a few years ago. It is very thin, not so black and clouds to easily.

I called the company and they said it isn't dangerous so... I don't know I think its a bit late.
I got the double deluxe strip PC coralife light. I like it but the only thing is the lips don't properly fit over the 29.
So I purchased a glass lid because I wasn't comfortable with it barely balancing over water. Which brings us to the third thing. Because the light is so darn big there is no way to position it where the black plastic for the folding lid is not under the light. Unless I push the light all the way up, leaving me with no flap.

I think I might just take the two pieces of glass apart and chuck the black plastic.
Any help or ideas would be appreciated

[jsoong]

Eco is known to cloud the water at first .... you are supposed to rinse it well to get rid of all the fines to minimize the clouding .... At this point, you can leave it & let the filter get all the fine particles out. It might take a few days, but better than the mess it will make taking it out!

As for the lights - you could purchase little legs that will raise up the light & make it fit onto the rims.
An eg: http://www.aquariumguys.com/aqualightlegs.html

And the light over the little plastic hinge, it is not a big deal, you don't lose too much light with that. <Mine is under the light as well & I don't notice any shadow.> If you are really obsessed about it, you can get a clear hinge:
aquarium, fish tank, door, replacement hinge, clear and black.

[LesPaulPlayer]

Thanks, The heat from the light must have softened the glue in the plastic because when I went to take the light and glass top off to move something it came apart. Well now I have glass the holds and no plastic. Pretty ideal =]
I saw those little legs I might pick them up. I just don't understand why coralife doesn't make it fit perfectly over the top. I guess they want you to buy the legs.

[newfound77951]

you are supposed to rinse it well to get rid of all the fines to minimize the clouding

No! You are definitely not supposed to rinse it! The fine particles are supposed to be there, that's one of the things that makes Eco such a great substrate is the range of particle sizes. Your eco looks fine to me. It is not "black" like tahitian moon sand, it is more of a dark brownish gray. The fines will quickly settle at the bottom of the substrate as you move things around and continue to plant your plants. Don't worry about it.

As for the glass, I had the same problem with my 10g and just stopped using the glass. My light fixture does have legs, though. Advantages to not using the glass are easier access to the tank and no dirty glass to clean. Disadvantages are more evaporation and the possibility of escapees.

[LesPaulPlayer]

Yah I didn't rinse

[jsoong]

I don't use eco - the rinsing was just what people had been recommending.

There is no glue in the hinge, the whole thing is supposed to be friction fitted. I think the light is heating the plastic enough to melt/deform it so it no longer holds. Raising the light with legs will solve the problem ... or just skip the glass top altogether.

[GhostKnife]

I would say that having a light source that is sitting that close(if getting that hot), is not good for the light either.

[tntfish]

yea i read u arent suppose to rinse eco