question about substrate...

[frank_zappa]

i have decided that i need to change out my gravel. when i started the tank i had no idea what i really wanted/needed. i now realize i need something finer, as i initially went with large gravel.

i think i am going to go with the eco complete, as i have a few plants and would like more eventually.

my question is, should i remove all 90-lbs of gravel currently in the tank, or could i get away with taking out, say, half and topping it with the eco complete?

[Sharon]

I think if you change just half, the finer substrate will eventually just settle to the bottom. I'd remove all....

[frank_zappa]

i think you are probably right. i wonder then if i will be able to sell the large gravel to somebody....90lbs is alot. i wish i had thought about it more when i had first started.

how much eco complete do you think i should use... the person at the store had told me to use 2 lbs for each gallon....it would be very pricey. are there cheaper alternatives to eco complete? i think i read in a previous post that fluorite brown was a good choice.

[Z Fish Man]

I wouldn't go with eco complete right now. There product is having some problems. I bought some a few weeks ago and it had some large white gravel pieces in it as well as some very fine white whist dust almost. It sticks to all the plants and is very hard to get rid of. I emailed CaribSea and the guy basically said yeah sorry you can siphon some of it off but basically you need to wait to it settle down. Most of it end up on top of the gravel creating a white film almost I would go with another plant substrate alternative.

[Lady Hobbs]

You can mix it as long as you have more eco complete than gravel and save yourself a bit of money. It's a shame to have to spend another $100 but ........been there/done that. Flourite Dark is also not too bad looking. If your gravel is blue, pink, green or one of those colored gravels, you'd be best to remove all of it. I gave about 60 pounds of blue stuff away and took the rest to the cemetary and spread around graves. LOL Good place for it, I thought.

[frank_zappa]

the gravel i have is natural stone; i do like it...but the plants do not root well in it. i think what i will do is remove 2/3 of the gravel and add the same amount of fluorite dark. i will avoid the eco complete for now. i am glad to have heard the heads up. i am excited for a better substrate though; im really looking forward to adding more live plants. how much does the fluorite dark go for, lady hobbs?