# eco complete cloudiness



## jhussus (Feb 5, 2009)

I put in 120lbs of eco complete red and it became very cloudy - I couldn't see my filter or other equipment. I let it stand for a day and it was still very cloudy. I have done 2-3 100% water changes and it is still cloudy, if I drag my finger along the top it kicks up red clouds and my equipment and tank wall are coated with a red film. Is all of this normal? Will the eco settle out if I let it sit? How long does it need to sit? I haven't turned on my filter because I'm worried that all the sediment could damage it - should I turn it on anyway? Thanks for your help - 

Jason


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## h2osanity (Sep 19, 2008)

I think it will clear faster with some water movement and filtration. The particulate matter from the substrate is pretty fine and shouldn't harm your filter. EC has a bio additive which is supposed to help stabilize your water parameters quickly so it will need some water movement to disperse through your tank ....and most filters do have some tolerance level for detritus built in. If you have an HOB filter, just fill it with floss for 24 hours or so...swap out the floss after the tank clears. Same with a canister, don't set up your final filtration yet just get in some fine floss or filter pads to clear this issue up.


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## Florida_Larry (Jan 19, 2009)

dont know for sure about the Eco Complete red, but the Eco Complete Black came with a flocculant, put it in fired up the flter and tank was clear with in hours


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## imeridian (Jan 19, 2007)

Wow, really, Eco comes with a flocculant now? They must have really changed it since I bought mine years ago.


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## tominator (Dec 3, 2008)

Just put some new eco in my tank and it came with the flocculant, the one I bought 2 years ago didn't. It's weird though it says it's safe for all types of aquaria but has the warning to not open with mouth or get it near your eyes and flus them if you do so, and I'm supposed to put that with my fish? I just waited and with the filter on it settled in around 2 days.


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## inkslinger (Dec 28, 2003)

I clean my 80lbs of SMS with a strainer a year ago for my 110g tank and it's still gets cloudy when i clean my gravel or pull plants out so I got tired of it.
I am going to replace it with 6 boxes of ECO

Tominator what is a flocculant??


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## fshfanatic (Apr 20, 2006)

It helps to settle suspended particulate matter.


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## jus1time (Jan 27, 2009)

Ive been using eco- black for several years with no problems at all.


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## tominator (Dec 3, 2008)

fshfanatic said:


> It helps to settle suspended particulate matter.


Exactly, it's a chemical agent that promotes the small particles, those that are suspended, to clump together and form larger particles that will then settle.


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## jhussus (Feb 5, 2009)

My bags didn't come with flocculent. I called carib-sea (makers of eco-complete) and they said that I must have recieved some older bags. They overnigted me the flocculent and the aquarium became clear within a few hours of adding it (with filters running). I later saw at the pet store that you can buy flocculent - it just has a name like "aquarium clear" or something similar. The person from eco-complete also said that the red eco produces more cloudiness then the black - FYI


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## Florida_Larry (Jan 19, 2009)

yeah the newer bags are easy to spot, they have a yellow sticker on them indicating the presence of the flocculant inside the bag, i got 6 bags, only one did not have it,


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## monkeyruler90 (Apr 13, 2008)

how do you like the red color of the eco, is it consistent or does it have different grain sizes and colors? is it similar to flourite?


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## jhussus (Feb 5, 2009)

So far, I like the look. I really don't have a frame of reference to compare it to though. I would believe it has a more "natural" look then the black. It is very consistent in color. The grain sizes vary, which I believe it is designed to. From what I have seen in the pet store, it looks very similar to the flourite.


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## inkslinger (Dec 28, 2003)

I just added my ECO 6 boxes to my 110g tank it was real cloudy the frist couple of water changes than it went away, I did notice some stones mix with the ECO they look like number 5 size stones over all I do like the look.
I haven't add the flocculent yet I wait until I do my final water change tomorrow.


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