# eco complete and lack of plant growth



## redturk (Apr 17, 2006)

I recently broke down my 55 gallon tank due to algae problems. I treated all my plants with h202 and confined the substrate to Eco complete. I have AH hobbist 6700 flourescent lights.
I thought that keeping fertilizer out of the water column and that would keep algae down.
Now I have found that my plant growth has stopped and even regressed. Lights are on 10 hrs a day.Algae has stayed off of the glass for the most part but has taken over the plants.
I am thinging of using rain water, to see if my tap water is high in phosphates. yes I know about the general thoughts about rainwater but I live in a rural area. 
Any suggestions
Red Turk


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## TheBohunk (Oct 20, 2010)

It's not your substrate, it's the lack/imbalance of nutrients in the water column.
All plants need Phosphate, it's one of the major (macro) nutrients required for plant growth.

Most algae problems can be attributed to nutrient imbalances (including lack of CO2) in the presence of (often too much) light. Your plants can't outcompete the algae in your current environment, since your current arrangement favors algae over plants.


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## redturk (Apr 17, 2006)

Please be more thoughtful
The purpose of eco complete is to avoid adding nutrients to the water column.
This is similiar to the Diana Walsted philosophy . I have had success using her system ,however it does get messy when moving plants. 
I am hopiing the eco complete would give me the same results. Since I am using well water I am thinking that I have to dilute the water in the tank with rain water to dilute the chemicals in the well water.
any other suggestions would be appreciated 
red turk


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

The purpose of any aquarium substrate "made for planted tanks" is to convince you that they will make your plants grow in ways that you cannot achieve without this very magical substrate.

Truth is that all substrates are fine. AquaSoil being the best choice, but not something you cannot live without. If you want a substrate that will actually suck things from the water and make them available to the roots look for AquaSoil. And that's not the only good thing that it does for plants either. It is truly the only planted tank aquarium substrate that makes sense if you expect active help from the substrate from Day 1.

Your tank with EcoComplete - check the pH and the GH of your water. You will find interesting things. Look how much Magnesium you have too. Eco has 2 good things going about it - it is black (looks good) + it is porous (roots attach good to it). Other than that there is nothing else that inert gravel will not make happen.

TheBohunk was right pointing you to looking at the nutrients. I'd add - if you have algae also look at the organics you are recirculating in your tank.

--Nikolay


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## redturk (Apr 17, 2006)

Niko
thanks for your reply. I was under the misguided impression that eco complete was exactly that. Similar to mineraized soil or good topsoil. 
I will go back to adding dry fertilizer such as kno3. 
thanks again and I hope it works
red turk


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

You can add fertilizer tablets deep into the substrate. This will minimize the ferts in the water column.


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## sdm (Sep 12, 2010)

niko said:


> The purpose of any aquarium substrate "made for planted tanks" is to convince you that they will make your plants grow in ways that you cannot achieve without this very magical substrate.
> 
> Truth is that all substrates are fine. AquaSoil being the best choice, but not something you cannot live without. If you want a substrate that will actually suck things from the water and make them available to the roots look for AquaSoil. And that's not the only good thing that it does for plants either. It is truly the only planted tank aquarium substrate that makes sense if you expect active help from the substrate from Day 1.
> 
> ...


Does Eco complete not have some CEC?


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## davemonkey (Mar 29, 2008)

sdm said:


> Does Eco complete not have some CEC?


Sure, it's got some Cation Exchange Capacity. But that doens't mean anything unless there are nutrients for it grab ahold of. The nutrients have to be added from somewhere (fertilizing, fish food/waste, micronutrients in the water, etc... ). CEC can't make nutrients available if the nutrients aren't there to begin with (and in Eco-Complete, the only thing that might be there is some iron and maybe some random traces of other nutrients in negligible amounts).


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