# Recycle Eco-Complete



## Bronx19 (Dec 29, 2003)

Shame you cant transplant it straight away. Would help cycle.


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## soko (Dec 31, 2003)

Yes, but that is not my concern right now. Are there any disinfection methods for storing used substrate?


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## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

Why would you want to do that?! You would be killing all the beneficial bacteria, and by disinfecting it you might ruin the substrate...it might not preform as it once did


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## soko (Dec 31, 2003)

I don't WANT to, I HAVE to. Is there anything I can do?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

If I were in that situation... To remove most of the yuckie muck, I would rinse it with lukewarm water. Then put it in buckets with tank water, and just keep it there. Then before using it, again rinse it with temperate water.


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## soko (Dec 31, 2003)

should i add a little bleach or something to keep the water from going bad?


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I would not. That would surely kill all living stuff. Just rinse it enough so there isn't too much mud left, just whatever biofilm is stuck to it.

I have never done that, so there might be a better solution... Substrate and water together = awfully heavy. Not sure if keeping it on the dry side would be easier. Hopefully someone with more experience can jump in.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

otherwise said:


> When it's time to set up the tank, you can activate the substrate by putting a THIN layer of peat on the bottom.


Please note OW said thin, I'd like to emphasize that and say Very thin please. 

The problem with Eco-Complete is that they don't want you to let it dry out. However, you might consider letting your substrate dry out, then when you go to set up the new tank buy, and add to the tank, a new bag of Eco-Complete to "re-seed" the substrate the way the manufacturer developed it. Get the old substrate wet then put the new bag in, fill up the tank and run a filter for a bit. Do you have a friend that would be able to give you some used filter media the day you set the tank back up, preferably one that uses Eco-Complete? 

As an aside I don't use Eco-Complete but I don't have any qualms about recommending it to people who are setting up their first planted tank. It does have a nice "instant" success factor to it.


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

otherwise said:


> > The problem with Eco-Complete is that they don't want you to let it dry out.
> 
> 
> There's nothing special about the "black water" that Eco-Complete comes packaged in. It has the bacteria and probably some flocculant that polish the water. All the nutrients are bound in the individual grains. In fact, the manufacturer recommends discarding the "black water" if you plan on adding the substrate to established tanks.


 :| 

I didn't say they want you to put the water it is packaged with in the tank. I said they don't want you to let it dry out before you use it. By all means discard the water it is packaged with.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

I will venture a guess that the reason you do not want to add Eco juice to an established tank would be the nitrite boost you would most likely introduce to it.
Lets face it, even straight tap water left to stand , unless chlorinated , will have micro bodies deteriorating creating ill effected conditions. The standing water in these bags cannot by any means be healthy for fish in high doses.
A large tank I imagine could take a bag or two no problem but adding that juice to a smaller tank might cause stress.
They know what the product is so I am sure there is a reason for saying it. :wink:


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## SCMurphy (Oct 21, 2003)

otherwise said:


> SCMurphy, can you tell me where CaribSea states that it doesn't want the substrate to dry out? This is the first time that I've heard it and I don't understand its logic. From all the previous posts, I just assumed people wanted to store the substrate wet to preserve the bacteria and mulm, which I thought was unnecessary. Am I missing some other point?
> 
> I for one ignored the "discard liquid content if adding Eco-Complete to established tanks" because I am a total cheapskate. I paid good money for that water, and I will use it.  I don't understand why I shouldn't add the water to established tanks. I e-mailed CaribSea about it a while back but never got a response.


I might be as much of a total cheapskate as yourself since I won't buy Eco-Complete, Flourite, or any of these commercial "for planted tanks" substrates. I use a personal mix of top soil (40 pound for $1.09) and clay (5 pounds for $8.00) and chick grit (50 pounds for $5) to seal it (*warning *don't use this as a proportion recipe). I did buy some Moon Sand to do an aquascape like Luis Navarro only with a black foreground so I am not completely avoiding the commercial realm, just the Shultz Aquatic Soil and whatever group. 

The warning about letting the Eco-Complete dry out is something that members of my local club who use Eco-Complete were discussing, I may be wrong but they usually know what they are talking about. For all I know it is something they were told while we were at the AGA convention in Dallas.


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