# dirted tank + eco complete



## gorlokmat (Aug 1, 2011)

Hey everyone. new to posting on this forum (actually been reading posts for quite sometime just never made an account until now.) So here is my question, before learning about this whole dirted tank business i was going to do 100lbs of eco complete in a 75 gal tank..but now i decided i want to use dirt (it sound fun and the results I've seen are amazing). I was just curious if the cap layer of gravel was to be eco complete if that would be too much nutrients and cause all sorts of algae problems. I ordered Diana's book and I'm still waiting for its arrival. any input would be appreciated.

thank you.


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## Reef2plants (Jan 24, 2011)

Eco Complete does not really contain nutrients for say, but it can hold them very well. Eco Complete should be a fine cap for soil. I hear it adds quite a bit of GH to the water though.


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## frroK (May 9, 2011)

I'm about to do the same exact thing. I'm planning doing a few 90-100% water changes after I re-do my tank with dirt and Eco. Hopefully that will help keep things stable.


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## gorlokmat (Aug 1, 2011)

Thanks reef2plants. Sound like what I wanted to hear

and Frrok good luck to you, I guess we will both see how it all goes eh?

happy planting


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## frroK (May 9, 2011)

So far so good. I re did this tank last weekend. I did see some bubbles come up through the Eco complete. Water started to get cloudy after 3 or 4 days. Probably time for a water change. Couldn't find much info online about using Eco as a cap in soil tanks. Hoping I don't have major issues. The plants are melting a little but I guess that's normal
In the beginning. It happened with my small tank but the plants are doing really well now. Anyway, here is a shot of my setup with dirt and Eco complete cap.


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Just to correct the record, Eco-Complete does in fact contain nutrients, lots of them, plus some bacteria. Read this. http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=

There is no need for Eco in a NPT, and the nutrients it adds could also add problems.

Bill


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

I think this is the link Bill meant to post.

http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9087


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## aquabillpers (Apr 13, 2006)

Tex Gal said:


> I think this is the link Bill meant to post.
> 
> http://www.fosterandsmithaquatics.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=9087


Yes, thanks.

Bill


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Very interesting. I notice that Eco-Complete has lots of micronutrients and some macronutrients (potasium) but lacks nitrate. Does this mean that it has little nitrogen at all, or is the nitrogen in another form?


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## gorlokmat (Aug 1, 2011)

interesting indeed. i have to wait until my next paycheck to set up my tank, probably another 2 weeks. but I'm eager to see what this eco-complete and dirt can do together. thanks for all the info.

Michael i think nitrogen comes from fish waste if i'm not mistaken. no need for it to be in the substrate otherwise.

let me know how it goes frrok.

ill be posting pictures as soon as I set my tank up

thanks


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## Reef2plants (Jan 24, 2011)

Interesting, I thought it may have been made of the elements they advertised, but wasnt aware they were in a form usable by the plants.


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## frroK (May 9, 2011)

I understand that Eco has nutrients. I did a lot of research before settling on it. My problem was that I could not find the correct grain size in black 2-3 mm, that was natural for the cap. I really didn't want that epoxy coated stuff from petco that will just fade away. I also looked at coal slag but I wasn't sure about the sharpness of it. To help with the excess nutrients I soaked and drain the dirt. And I also drained the liquid that comes with Eco complete and dried it out. My water is cloudy at the moment but my parameters are stable. I will give it a few weeks to see how the plants are affected once roots settle in.


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## kendrid (May 17, 2010)

I put organic Miracle Gro and Eco in a 20g and it's been doing really well. I add a few root tabs with it and sort of dose EI (only 2x a week) and the growth without CO2 is insane and I have almost no algae. I wish I would have gone this way two years ago when I got into this hobby.


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## frroK (May 9, 2011)

kendrid said:


> I put organic Miracle Gro and Eco in a 20g and it's been doing really well. I add a few root tabs with it and sort of dose EI (only 2x a week) and the growth without CO2 is insane and I have almost no algae. I wish I would have gone this way two years ago when I got into this hobby.


Well that's good to hear!  thanks for your input. Did your tank start out cloudy?


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## gorlokmat (Aug 1, 2011)

I just finally set my tank up. its a 75 gal. got more than an inch of dirt...about 2 actually and half and inch to an inch of eco on top. so far so good. water is a little cloudy, nothing to bad. got fish in there and tons of plants. 

I will upload some pictures tonight or tomorrow.


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## cojack22 (Nov 20, 2009)

I have a 30 gal caped with eco complete. Tank is about a year old now. I had a pretty bad black slime algae out break that almost killed everything. Algaes gone now and I've added a lot more plants and some more fish. When I first planted it, my plants grew very fast and well. I'm hoping the same results can be had this time around.


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## gorlokmat (Aug 1, 2011)

Hmm. Cojack, did you keep floating plants the first time around?

btw sorry ive been busy latley so i have had time to get pics up.  hopefully soon

but so far so good, water is cloudy from the bio cycle and some tanins from the wood. got a ton of plants, plan on adding more tomorrow and so far i have 5 fish and 2 snails in the tank, all 7 doing fine.


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## frroK (May 9, 2011)

Since setting up my tank I've done one water change. It's been a few weeks. Plants are slow to settle
In. But hopefully once they do , they'll take off. Fish are fine. So far all I've really tested is ph since the first week. It was pretty neutral. I've heard Eco can raise your ph. I'll test again this weekend and see where it's at.


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## gorlokmat (Aug 1, 2011)

So finally im posting pictures. sorry for the wait, the tank is just getting over an algae issue. i didnt have enough floating plants, and i didnt want duckweed but i eventually succumbed. oh well  other wise so far so good, getting new growth on all the swords and crypts. the rotalla is doing pretty good, just got the comboma in the tank today. Madagascar lace plant is doing great! also added an airstone today just for extra air. but over all pleased with the results, except the algae.


well nevermind, for some reason anything i try and upload is "an invalid image file" i tried converting it to BMP and made it small. ill try back later.


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## dmmeyer (Sep 22, 2011)

I've got a three year old NPT with flourite as a gravel cap and haven't seen any problems from it...


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