# EC Durability



## fishfan (Feb 19, 2006)

How long is Eco-Complete supposed to last for? Is this substrate pretty much permanent in that it doesn't decompose over time? I assume it might lose some of its nutrient content over time but I am more concerned about the actual gravel bits holding up.


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## bigstick120 (Mar 8, 2005)

It will last a lifetime


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Most of its nutrient content is in the "soup" it is packaged in, not in the particles themselves. That part probably has a limited life, but not the particles.


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## gheitman (Aug 18, 2007)

hoppycalif said:


> Most of its nutrient content is in the "soup" it is packaged in, not in the particles themselves. That part probably has a limited life, but not the particles.


If that is true, then if you buy a bag of Eco-Complete that has been punctured and the water leaked out (or if you wash the substrate for some reason and dump out the water) you have almost no nutrient value left in the gravel. I always thought, perhaps mistakenly, that the water was solely to contain live bacteria for cycling the tank. I've used Eco-Complete in two of my tanks so far and have been very happy with both the look it gives the tank and how well the plants do in it.


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