aqua_chem
Aquarium Advice Addict
Discusapisto said:Kitty litter man too funny lol!!!
Good kitty litter will actually work ok. Its a clay derivative like most substrates, fluorite and EC.
Discusapisto said:Kitty litter man too funny lol!!!
Discusapisto said:Yeah in this day and age I deff wouldn't use it way too many good substrates out there to go back to those days. Lol!
aqua_chem said:Haha, too many good substrates out there, but too few presidents in my wallet, if you know what I mean.
jetajockey said:I have kitty litter (oildri ) in my 125.
Just the fact that ecocomplete doesn't need rinsing makes it go to the top of my list. Its just not my budget build choice.
jetajockey said:Definitely. Just being able to open the bag, dump it in, and start planting is nice. As you know I do a lot of other alternative substrate materials so I have spent my time soaking/rinsing various things, I just think that the ease factor of ecocomplete gives it major points in a basic planted setup, especially for someone who is just getting into it.
jetajockey said:For my 125 I did oil-dri (kitty litter) and mineralized topsoil, it cost around $15 in materials, can't beat it!
James_in_MN said:Thanks for the responses. I did expect that I should reconsider taking the fish out while I swap out the gravel for eco-complete.
I have a 5g bucket I can use; that should work better than a tupperware container both in size and for using a heater. I also have a spare 100w heater I can use during the transition.
Sounds like I need to make this a weekend project rather than try to do it mid-week.
James_in_MN said:Well, my weekend project is done. I was able to net out all of my fish, took out all of my plants, and swapped the gravel.
The water got so nasty from taking out the old gravel that I replaced almost all of it. I'll recheck water parameters tomorrow.
I must say, the blackness of the eco-complete looks fantastic compared to the dark/light blue cheapo gravel I had from PetCo. I like how it shows the fish's colors better also, even the darker colored fish like black neon tetras.
I've also decided to not put the decorations back in. I had a Greek ruins, a few columns, and broken ancient jars in the tank before. Now, I think I'll opt for more natural items like driftwood and rocks. It may also help contribute to a mini-cycle (with the removal of the old gravel), so I'll have to watch closely.
You got any pictures? Yeah I agree black substrate looks great compared with the plants and fish colours, also I think its a better idea going for a more natural look I prefer that
No need to drop the cash on a product IMO. Just keep testing and watching, and change water as needed- your original plan will work just fine. You'll have plenty of bacteria in your filter and the colony should quickly multiply to the point where it can handle your bioload.