# Eco Complete and Toninas



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I thought I'd take a minute to share my experience with growing toninas. I picked up a few during a trip to Aqua Forest in San Fransicso a couple of months ago. They include Tonina fluviatilis, Tonina sp. 'Belem', and another that I don't have a positive ID on - perhaps 'Manaus', but I'm not sure.

I really didn't know if these would do well since they have a reputation for being difficult and requiring an acidic substrate. They went in the 180g tank with eco complete and to my surprise, they have all done amazingly well. The substrate gets vacuumed maybe once every 6 months.

In two months, three stems of 'Belem' have become a dozen or more. Three stems of fluviatilis are now 6 or 7 and the other plant is healthy and growing slowly.

The tank gets a 20% WC three times a week with 3-stage RO water. I reconstitue with a DIY reciepe of CaSO4, MgSO4, CaCl2, NaHCO3, K2SO4, KNO3, and KH2PO4. GH is 5 and KH is 3.5. The Ca/Mg ratio was 3:1 on today's check. NO3 is about 5 ppm and PO4 is about 1 ppm. These values are all from Lamotte kits. Lighting is MH 150Wx3 for 4 hrs/day plus T-5 39Wx4 for 11 hrs/day. CO2 is via pH controller ranging between 5.95 and 6.15.

The substrate is certainly mature and has been in place for almost 2 years at this point. New Eco might not produce the same success, but it would be interesting to try.


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## mrkookm (Oct 25, 2006)

Good water params, fert routine and CO2 is key IMO. I use SMS in all my tanks and I grow these plus other acidic loving plants fairly well.

This a friend's tank who also uses Eco:


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

most toninas are faily undemanding when it comes to substrates they tend to get most of their nutrients through the water column i noticed this when most of my plants produced a fairly small root system. I use tonias in my CRS tank when i do not dose any ferts whats so ever for the sake of my CRS health and they are doing amazingly well. high light and good CO2 are honestly all tonias need for good robust growth, at least from what I have experienced in my tanks


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I assume you two feel that the "very difficult" label assigned in the PlantFinder is unjustified.....

I've certianly had bigger issues with seemingly "easier" plants than these.


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## Wö£fëñxXx1 (Feb 10, 2005)

Low KH-4 or less for best results,lots of C02, decent light
NPK,TE, not much to it.

The only real difficultys are hard water and being a novice.

Eco Complete is good stuff.


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## JeremyAZ (Feb 16, 2007)

Most the plants labeled difficult-very difficult have to do with soft water, high light, ferts, and co2. Not difficult for someone that is a high tech tank, but certainly not something for a beginner with a low tech tank.


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## Avalon (Mar 7, 2005)

Agreed with everyone above. I grew Tonina's easily. The secret is low KH water, moderate light, and good nutrients (inc. CO2). There are some differences with a soil-based substrate like Aquasoil--namely larger, more durable stems; the lower leaves seemed to be a bit healthier and larger as well. Belem and Manaus are among my favorite plants!


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## Edward (May 25, 2004)

Tonina grows like a weed here in inert silica quartz substrate, moderate light, moderate to high CO2, regular fertilizing levels and zero to very low dKH. The most important is KH, anything around 3 degree and up kills it.


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## prBrianpr (Nov 18, 2007)

I want to try that


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

I thought the more recent run of Eco complete, for the past year, has been very high in calcium carbonate. Has it changed?


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## cah925 (Jun 23, 2007)

I have a bunch of Tonina fluviatilis growing in Turface. I have about 4 wpg over the tank and CO2 injection and my kh is around 4 degrees. I only dose ferts about once a week and they have been growing very well. I don't find these to be hard at all.


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