# Florite:Eco-Complete



## BJRuttenberg (Sep 25, 2005)

Would my substrate work better if I mixed Florite with Eco-Complete (say at a 1:3 ratio)??


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## RTR (Oct 28, 2005)

Why? Either will work on its own.


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## SnyperP (Dec 10, 2004)

I'd have to agree with the statement that it works well on it's own. I don't think flourite + eco would be asthetically pleasing to me.


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## BJRuttenberg (Sep 25, 2005)

Then is one better than the other?...can anyone refer me to a comprehensive and somewhat technical (but not too technical) guide to planted aquaria?


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## Laith (Sep 4, 2004)

Here's a good starting place:

http://www.aquatic-plants.org/articles/basics/pages/01_intro.html

And another one:

http://www.rexgrigg.com/

For specific info on these two substrates, try a search here, lot's of info available...


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

BJRuttenberg said:


> Then is one better than the other?...


I'm not at all sure that any substrate can be said to be better than another one. Different people like different substrates for different reasons. The commercial ones seem to all be good, as far as I have been able to tell from all of my reading. But, they do look different in the tank, so that is one way to tell if one is better by your standards. DIY substrates, such as back yard soil under pool filter sand, are another story. There, I think, you need to know more about the pros and cons and what precautions you need to follow. But, if you just want to buy something made as a substrate I think the appearance, availability and price are the factors that you need to be concerned with. This doesn't mean that with careful comparative experiments you couldn't see a difference in plant growth between two substrates, but very few of us do that kind of experimenting.


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## Jerm (Nov 11, 2005)

I personally think flourite is the best, and it's cheaper than eco-complete [smilie=n: .. [URL]www.rexgrigg.com[/URL] rex knows his stuff... he is a very frequent poster (right word???) @ plantedtank.net


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## plantastic (May 23, 2005)

My latest tank substrate consists of 1" of eco-complete under 3" of flourite. I did this to try and provide a more nutrient complete substrate without varying hardness parameters in the water column. I have heard from more than a few people that use 100% eco-complete, an inability to control their water hardness.

Flourite is not very diverse with nutrients. However, it does have a high rate of cation exchange. It is a clay based material that is fired to a high temperature to give it a high porosity which makes it perfect for taking and giving various nutrients. The only drawback to it is that it takes time for the Flourite to "mature" enough to get to this point.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

plantastic said:


> Flourite is not very diverse with nutrients. However, it does have a high rate of cation exchange. It is a clay based material that is fired to a high temperature to give it a high porosity which makes it perfect for taking and giving various nutrients. The only drawback to it is that it takes time for the Flourite to "mature" enough to get to this point.


Actually Flourite has a very poor CEC according to the results in this link:
http://home.infinet.net/teban/jamie.htm The only two substrates that test lower on CEC are Playsand and Onyx sand.

Try comparing Flourite to Profile or Turface Black for CEC and mineral content. Profile is the parent company for Turface Products and Shultz Aquatic Plant Soil. For anyone interested in trying the Profile products you may find it easier to locate Soilmaster products. They are pretty much the same product. Here is a good link for Soilmaster:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/showthread.php?t=10914

The only downfall to either Turface or Soilmaster is their weight. Some complain that they are too lightweight but this can be easily remedied by adding some sand.

As stated by Hoppycalif, the main thing in selecting a substrate for me is appearance, price, and availability. Most plant specific substrates are fairly high priced, ~$1 per pound, and fairly expensive to ship. I think Eco Complete is about $30 per bag here and it is rare to find more than 1-2 bags on an LFS shelf. Same with Flourite.


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## plantastic (May 23, 2005)

MatPat-

Wow- You are right.

I don't know why I remembered Flourite as having a high CEC.

Thanks for the link and the clarification.


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## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

So if Flourite has little nutrient content, and poor cec, what makes it so ideal for growing plants?


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

I don't know that it is so great  

I have had good growth in a non-CO2 tank by using Tahitian Moon Sand as a substrate. I have yet to use an inert (sand/gravel) substrate in a high tech tank but I think Edward uses mainly inert substrates in his tanks. 

Hasn't Flourite mainly been advertised for it's iron content? I think the substrate plays a much smaller role when dosing the water column adequately but I don't really have any proof of this


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## 5190 (Dec 2, 2005)

A mix of flourite and soilmaster is good?..Or just soilmaster is sufficient and better than flourite?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

As I understand it, aquatic plants can get their nutrients from either the water column or their roots. If they depend upon their roots then any substrate will eventually run out of nutrients such as nitrates or phosphates, and probably usable iron. Therefore, it makes sense to plan to feed your plants through the water column from the start. That leaves the substrate with the job of holding the roots in order to anchor the plants, and looking however pleases the aquarium keeper. Based on that, Soilmaster, Flourite, Eco Complete, quartz sand, etc. are all good if you like how they look. I like how Soilmaster looks, so it is the best for me.


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## opiesilver (Dec 30, 2004)

MatPat said:


> As stated by Hoppycalif, the main thing in selecting a substrate for me is appearance, price, and availability. Most plant specific substrates are fairly high priced, ~$1 per pound, and fairly expensive to ship. I think Eco Complete is about $30 per bag here and it is rare to find more than 1-2 bags on an LFS shelf. Same with Flourite.


Matt,

You have got to start shopping around. I can get Eco-Complete to you for around $20 per bag with shipping included.

Del


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

Del,

I would shop around and I would more than likely get it from you if I were in the market for some Eco Complete  That price is hard to beat on Eco Complete. However, it is still $1 a pound and that can be cost prohibitive in larger tanks when compared to Soilmaster, Turface, or even plain sand. I can do a 75g for about $20 with Soilmaster or Turface


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## opiesilver (Dec 30, 2004)

I just didn't want you to think that you were stuck paying $30 a bag from the LFS.


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## MatPat (Mar 22, 2004)

opiesilver said:


> I just didn't want you to think that you were stuck paying $30 a bag from the LFS.


Not at all Del and thanks for letting folks know about your pricing  The LFS around here leave plenty to be desired, including their inflated prices for everything. It seems that most online sources charge a similar amount for Eco when you figure in shipping so your prices definatly a good!


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