# Onyx Sand vs Eco-Complete



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

I'm stuck between these two for using in my new 20g hex. I like the color and texture of each but am confused as to which would offer me the bigger advantage. My plans are:

Heavily Planted
CO2 
Lots of fish
Decent filtration

Any help is appreciated.


----------



## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Onyx will buffer your water so unless you are going to keep african ciclids then consider flourite and eco. Flourite is all natural and eco is a modified material and has caused some aquarium keepers some problems with nutrients leaching into the water column. Go to the substrate section and read up.


----------



## Sully (Nov 11, 2005)

Eco complete is the best. Easy to use, color is right, and best of all no rinsing involved compared to flourite. Onxy sand looks too gray, and doesn't bring out the colors of the plants as well. Growth of plants in all three substrates are equal.

-SULLY


----------



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Looks like I'll go with Eco-Complete. $23 shipped is a good price.


----------



## heidisue (May 3, 2006)

I use both mixed together. It isn't cheap, but I like the color of the two combined and the separate size and texture. The Eco is porous and chunkier, the Onyx holds plants beautifully. Both kicked up my GH considerably but everything I've read suggests that this will ebb over time. I'm looking forward to trying a soil substrate for my next tank but for a first tank these were both great. Rinse that Onyx! It exploded into a grey cloud in my tank. Live and learn.


----------



## erik Loza (Feb 6, 2006)

'Nuther mixer here. I mixed Eco-complete into my soil substrate and Onyx with my top layer or gravel. Fish are happy, plants grow great, looks nice.


----------



## oRiN999 (Apr 22, 2006)

i use half eco and half regular black sand on top plants grow great even crypts and nymphaea lotus. with eco you don't have to rinse it is supposed to explode into a gray cloud and will disappear after a few hours. flourite you have to rinse very well otherwise you get mud


----------



## heidisue (May 3, 2006)

just to clarify - it was the Onyx that needed to be rinsed, not the Eco. The Onyx specifically intructs on the bag to rinse and the cloud does not go away in a few hours. It takes days and still the very small dust particles remain unless you finally rinse it.


----------



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

I found some nice looking generic gravel at the LFS that I'm going to use as a top layer over the Eco. I don't think one bag will get the proper depth I want so going with the gravel on top will help. Looks really good too.


----------



## jeff63851 (Feb 23, 2005)

On the safe side, I would recommend you to wash the eco-complete before you use it. Some users (and me) have experienced extreme cloudiness since we didn't wash the eco-complete. I think it has something to do with their packaging.


----------



## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

You don't have to use a cap over the eco, it works very well uncapped. I like it alot compared with other substrates i have tried. It seems to have a lot of the minerals that are needed for plant growth which is nice


----------



## trilinearmipmap (Mar 8, 2005)

I have had a tank with onyx sand for maybe five years or more, I have lost track.

I am very happy with the onyx sand. As far as buffering up the water, it does, but not much. As far as the comment about african cichlids, my onyx sand tank has thriving schools of rummy-nose and cardinal tetras.

The only downside to the onyx sand is you have to really rinse it repeatedly (I mean 40 or 50 rinses per bucket of sand).


----------

