# Eco Complete in canister filter?



## JunkFood (Jul 17, 2018)

Hi, I'm starting a new 15 gallon and don't want to go with plant substrate. It's probably not going to be a full blown plant tank setup. I wanted to know, if I put Eco Complete in the canister filter, instead of Matrix, would it add any nutrients to the water? I've heard the nutrients listed on the bag won't necessarily show up in the water at the listed amounts. Is it worth doing? Thanks!


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Welcome to APC! Eco Complete is not a nutrient rich substrate. It supplies very little of the needed nutrients when used as a substrate. If you put it in your canister filter it will probably work as a biological filter, allowing bacteria to colonize it. But, it will also restrict the water flow through the filter.

What kind of plants are you expecting to have in your tank, and how will you grow them without a substrate?


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## DutchMuch (Apr 12, 2017)

hoppycalif said:


> Welcome to APC! Eco Complete is not a nutrient rich substrate. It supplies very little of the needed nutrients when used as a substrate. If you put it in your canister filter it will probably work as a biological filter, allowing bacteria to colonize it. But, it will also restrict the water flow through the filter.
> 
> What kind of plants are you expecting to have in your tank, and how will you grow them without a substrate?


he said plant substrate, not substrate. Most likely talking about ADA for example. And prefers PFS, BDBS, etc


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## JunkFood (Jul 17, 2018)

Hi, thanks for the welcome!

Up to last year, I was low tech. Earlier this year I got C02 injection. I haven't added any plants that needed it yet. Just experimenting right now. I have anubias, java fern and moss using Excel, Flourish and Flourish Trace. But for the new setup I was thinking non root feeders such as bunched plants in inert sand or going root tabs with root feeders. 

So with inert sand I was thinking about trying to add something to the canister filter that could add extra nutrients. I thought Eco Complete might do that. The other plant substrates would disintegrate in a canister filter.

So with Flourish, Flourish Trace and possibly root tabs, could I add anything else to grow most medium light, easy to grow plants? I'd have to drop Excel, because it's harmed my shrimp before. 

Thanks!


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Flourish and Flourish Trace are effectively the same thing. Nothing you are dosing is supplying the (N) nitrogen, (P)phosphorous and (K)potassium the plants need. You can buy potassium nitrate and monopotassium phosphate, and dose those to get the NPK the plants need, and use up the Flourish, then the Flourish trace, to supply the trace elements.

Excel is a substitute for CO2 - not a very effective substitute, but better than nothing. It is also an algaecide. I dose it even though I also use CO2, to help avoid the algae blooms that sometime result from not maintaining the same amount of CO2 in the water every single photoperiod. It works well for that.

Don't plant the stem plants as a bunch. They need to be planted as individual stems, about an inch apart, so they all get the light they need.


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## JunkFood (Jul 17, 2018)

Thanks! I didn't know Flourish and Flourish Trace were the same. I was going to try to mix my own nutrients a few years ago, but I thought I'd have to source the dry chemicals locally, so I never got around to it. Since then I've learned I could buy them over the Internet. So I'll get potassium nitrate and monopotassium phosphate and use up the Flourish and then Flourish Trace as suggested. 

Thanks so much! This is a very friendly and helpful forum. I'm glad I joined here.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

JunkFood said:


> .............. I didn't know Flourish and Flourish Trace were the same. ..................


They aren't the same at all. Trace is just about like water from your local source. Flourish is a comprehensive mix of beneficial nutrients and minerals. Attached is a spreadsheet of each product's respective ingredients.


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Flourish and Flourish Trace are both trace element mixes, with F. Trace being a very weak mix, compared to Flourish. NPK are not in either of those in big enough quantities to be of any help in any tank, other than perhaps low light tanks.


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Evidently you didn't look at the spreadsheet. No Fe in Trace. Neither is meant to replace NPK. Its for need trace elements which are always in minute amounts; thus the word trace. Flourish has always worked for me; YMMV.


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