# Fluorite, Eco-Complete, Aqueon or plain old gravel/sand??



## malihini (10 mo ago)

I plan on rinsing the Eco-Complete if I use it, and it seems to be cheaper than Fluorite?

I get it's inert, but I read it's better for plants because of the surface area or something?

Was also looking at Aqueon. 

May add some other gravel/sand on top to get a specific look.

I'm looking for something that I won't have to root tab as often as plain old gravel, but also isn't terribly messy.

My only issue with sand is I think I would be afraid to vacuum it if need be,


----------



## Goodwood (May 5, 2021)

If you want a specific look just use that instead of a layer of flourite or eco-complete. If you move plants around, both substrates will eventually mix and throw off the look. 

If you want a good substrate for plant growth I would use aquasoil or fluval stratum. Then put a cap over that. Might be more cost but will benefit plants more.

Also, I would not vacuum the substrate at all. Maybe a light skim of the surface to suck up any detritus on the surface. The mulm that collects there is good for plants


----------



## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

Eco complete has no real advantage for plant growth and some disadvantages. It's a pretty big particle size for one and tends to tear up stems during planting. Personally I hate the stuff and will never use it again. Some people like the look it provides. So if you like how it looks then go for it. 

I like pool filter sand. Natural looking, and extremely good for planting and root development. You just need to use a good complete fertilizer which you will want regardless of what substrate you use.


----------



## malihini (10 mo ago)

Hmm, Any downsides to sand? I guess I won't really be vacuuming the tank anyway.

I like the look of lighter colored stuff, but not totally white.

HTH Pool Filter Sand 50 lb - Ace Hardware 

Is this good?


----------



## jtammerman (Sep 14, 2021)

I actually tried a comparison using three of the substrates mentioned in this post. Fluval Stratum (top left), Eco-Complete (top right), and Seachem Flourite (bottom right). The lighting is the same, but the distances are slightly different, so this isn’t scientific. My observations:
Fluval Stratum
+best root growth
+fastest growth
+easy to plant in
+nice, dark color
+no rinsing needed
-expensive 
-does break down (mine seems to get dusty after a few years)
-not as natural looking as Eco-Complete

Eco-Complete
+Most natural looking
+cheapest of the three
+easiest to plant in
+heavy enough to gravel vac without too much trouble
+plant growth was reasonable 
+no rinse on setup, no cloudy water
-carpet plants and grasses seem to grow better on Stratum

Seachem Flourite
+Red color looks nice
+Easy to plant in
-messy
-dusty
-seems like you can’t rinse it enough
-dust never seems to go away
-it’s super, super messy
-I hate it
The top picture is after three weeks. The bottom is after initial planting.


----------



## malihini (10 mo ago)

I like the way the red looks on the Flourite. I was thinking originally of going with Eco-Complete Red. Does it look very similar to the Flourite Red?

I prefer lighter colors, but a light red could be interesting.


----------



## jtammerman (Sep 14, 2021)

I’ve never seen Eco-complete red, but I agree, the color looks good. It’s just not worth the mess with the Seachem substrate.


----------



## Goodwood (May 5, 2021)

malihini said:


> Hmm, Any downsides to sand? I guess I won't really be vacuuming the tank anyway.
> 
> I like the look of lighter colored stuff, but not totally white.
> 
> ...


The only downside I can think of is, in a HIGH current situation it can be blown around. 

That looks good, seems a bit pricey. I am not sure what the availability of something like that is in Hawaii.


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

I LOVE my Flourite sand. That color is just so beautiful. Like crushed brick. (Which it basically is). Yes, rinsing it makes you wish you were dead. But once rinsed and in the tank... wouldn’t trade it for anything.


----------



## TheWoo (Oct 13, 2011)

I have used two different colors of Turface, one black, one red. Similar lighting similar results. Osmocote was used, no CO2 but did use Thrive three times a week. I split the recommended dose into three. So instead of the tank getting it all at once, I split it into three equal doses. Seems to be working quite nicely.

Definitely interested in learning what other people think!


----------



## malihini (10 mo ago)

Goodwood said:


> The only downside I can think of is, in a HIGH current situation it can be blown around.
> 
> That looks good, seems a bit pricey. I am not sure what the availability of something like that is in Hawaii.


$20 for 50 lb is the cheapest I can find here. And yeah not many options. I found an older thread where someone said this brand works great too.



LidijaPN said:


> I LOVE my Flourite sand. That color is just so beautiful. Like crushed brick. (Which it basically is). Yes, rinsing it makes you wish you were dead. But once rinsed and in the tank... wouldn’t trade it for anything.


I would have to see it at the local pet store if they would let me even open a bag. The black stuff does remind me of all of the volcanic rock around here.


----------



## ak7v (Jan 9, 2022)

I use the gro-pro substrate from aquarium plants.com. Seems to work fine for me!


----------



## Goodwood (May 5, 2021)

malihini said:


> $20 for 50 lb is the cheapest I can find here. And yeah not many options. I found an older thread where someone said this brand works great too.


That particular brand does look a tad darker than what I have used. Looking forward to see what you put down.

Congrats on the 40 Breeder!


----------



## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

malihini said:


> $20 for 50 lb is the cheapest I can find here. And yeah not many options. I found an older thread where someone said this brand works great too.
> 
> 
> 
> I would have to see it at the local pet store if they would let me even open a bag. The black stuff does remind me of all of the volcanic rock around here.


In the bag it looks like coffee grinds. Then you wash and wash snd wash until you want to die. Then it looks like this.


----------



## Mr.Submarine (10 mo ago)

If you want a natural/brownish look, consider ADA Colorado sand or CaribSea SuoerNaturals Sunset Gold. The ADA sand is expensive but has a nice color and medium to large grain size. The sunset gold has a much smaller grain size, but KG Tropicals on YouTube recommends it and says it doesn’t get disturbed when vacuuming the tank (which I find surprising given how fine the grain is). 

JBL Sansibar Red would be in the discussion too but as far as I can tell it is literally impossible to buy in the US.

I bought one bag each of ADA, Sunset Gold, and Flourite Black _Sand_ (not to be confused with Flourite black, which is not sand) and plan to do a post comparing them sometime in the next week or so.


----------



## malihini (10 mo ago)

Mr.Submarine said:


> If you want a natural/brownish look, consider ADA Colorado sand or CaribSea SuoerNaturals Sunset Gold. The ADA sand is expensive but has a nice color and medium to large grain size. The sunset gold has a much smaller grain size, but KG Tropicals on YouTube recommends it and says it doesn’t get disturbed when vacuuming the tank (which I find surprising given how fine the grain is).
> 
> JBL Sansibar Red would be in the discussion too but as far as I can tell it is literally impossible to buy in the US.
> 
> I bought one bag each of ADA, Sunset Gold, and Flourite Black _Sand_ (not to be confused with Flourite black, which is not sand) and plan to do a post comparing them sometime in the next week or so.



Sounds great. I like the way the ADA looks in the pictures I found, but the pictures of the Sunset Gold aren't good enough for me to tell. I think that brand of pool sand is more tannish too. I will check it out sometime. If you remember link that thread here when you do post it please.


----------



## Jaguar (Oct 13, 2011)

Mr.Submarine said:


> KG Tropicals on YouTube recommends it and says it doesn’t get disturbed when vacuuming the tank (which I find surprising given how fine the grain is).


LIES. I have a Sunset Gold sand accent in one of my tanks and it is the first thing to go up the siphon. It is pretty though...

Most of my tanks are Quikrete pool filter sand. Looks nice, good grain size, 10 bucks for 50 pounds.


----------



## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

malihini said:


> Hmm, Any downsides to sand? I guess I won't really be vacuuming the tank anyway.
> 
> I like the look of lighter colored stuff, but not totally white.
> 
> ...


This is the brand I use. I sometimes add a handful of smaller pebbles on the surface for aesthetic purposes.


----------



## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Your will get pretty much the same results from all of the inert substrates. So I would never use one that needs extensive rinsing. Been there done that, let the newbies do it. 

Sand is much easier to plant in. Good grain sizes as mentioned are pool filter sand and if you want a dark sand look at the imaginarium sand sold at Petco and other places.


----------



## Virtus (11 mo ago)

I'll add another recommendation for HTH pool filter sand.


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

jtammerman said:


> Seachem Flourite
> +Red color looks nice
> +Easy to plant in
> -messy
> ...


Because it's calcined clay and really shouldn't be rinsed much at all, despite manufacturer claims. It's often best when treated like an enriched active substrate in terms of tank prep.



malihini said:


> I plan on rinsing the Eco-Complete if I use it, and it seems to be cheaper than Fluorite?
> 
> I get it's inert, but I read it's better for plants because of the surface area or something?


Where did you originally get the idea to consider Eco-Complete? From a forum? Social media? YouTube? Asking this of forum newcomers who mention it to try to get a better understanding of why there's been a sudden onslaught of recommendations to use it.

Eco Complete is basalt - crushed lava rock. As others have suggested, it's all hype. Only buy it if it's super-cheap.

Not sure I'd waste my time with Aqueon or Fluval Stratum, as neither are very nutrient-rich and are obscenely overpriced.

Pretty much any sand you can get will be more enjoyable overall, as others have suggested. Natural play sand (not the homogenous kind that compacts but the kind that has small pebbles and such mixed in), pool filter sand, CaribSea Peace River, generic black sand from a big box store, Flourite Sand (much smaller than what's pictured above - I think LidijaPN received a mislabeled package or something) are all great options. Really depends upon the aesthetic you prefer.

Though, I can't imagine spending $22.99 on a 50lb bag of pool filter sand. It's $7 at my local pool supply center ($5/bag if you buy at least 4 bags) and $9 or so per bag for the expensive stuff at Home Depot near me. If you have a pool supply center, you may be able to check out different brands in-person to help you pick out a color you like. Sometimes coloration varies by region.


----------



## malihini (10 mo ago)

Lots of people on Youtube seem to like it, and even on this forum you see a lot of people using it a long time ago when I searched.

As for the expensive pool sand. It's Hawaii. Also, not a whole lot of pools here. (At least not on this island). I would prefer more tannish/gold sand and Home Depot doesn't seem to carry any here when I search. The Lowes on the other side of the island doesn't have it either.

$19.84 for 50 lb of pool sand is cheapest I found when doing a quick search. Plus, the color looks about what I would like too. Still cheaper than other only option I found searching online.

There are a few pool supply places, that don't list their prices on their websites. I could call them, but if the Ace close to me has what I need and it's the color I want.

You don't even want to know what I paid for that 40 gallon breeder I bought yesterday. $150. They overcharge for the test kits also. That's why I order what I can online and then only get the specific stuff I have to pick up local here because I can't get it shipped. I can't get the nitrate test kit shipped here for example, and Petco won't ship aquariums here either. They don't abide by the normal $1 a gallon sales here either.

Most people are either pretty well off or barely making it here. Big Island is a pretty weird place. Although I'm somewhere in between. It's the only place in Hawaii remotely affordable though if you don't mind living a ways from civilization and in a lava zone. There are some incredible deals here. Not as much as there were a year ago though.

I just moved here a year and some months ago.


----------



## Father Fish (10 mo ago)

Asteroid said:


> Your will get pretty much the same results from all of the inert substrates. So I would never use one that needs extensive rinsing. Been there done that, let the newbies do it.
> 
> Sand is much easier to plant in. Good grain sizes as mentioned are pool filter sand and if you want a dark sand look at the imaginarium sand sold at Petco and other places.


Agreed. Tractor Supply sells a black blasting sand that is excellent in the aquarium. Without a dirt layer 3" of sand seems to be more effective. With a 1" dirt layer 2" of sand prevents dirt migration into the water column.


----------



## Virtus (11 mo ago)

Father Fish said:


> Agreed. Tractor Supply sells a black blasting sand that is excellent in the aquarium. Without a dirt layer 3" of sand seems to be more effective. With a 1" dirt layer 2" of sand prevents dirt migration into the water column.


I've used and also like the Black Diamond Blasting Sand from Tractor Supply. You just want to make sure to get the medium and not fine grain version; it's not expressly stated on the label but you want the black bag, not the orange.

I would also recommend rinsing BDBS before use. The HTH pool filter sand does not require rinsing in my experience.


----------



## Father Fish (10 mo ago)

Virtus said:


> I've used and also like the Black Diamond Blasting Sand from Tractor Supply. You just want to make sure to get the medium and not fine grain version; it's not expressly stated on the label but you want the black bag, not the orange.
> 
> I would also recommend rinsing BDBS before use. The HTH pool filter sand does not require rinsing in my experience.


Rinsing is a function of the method you use to set up the tank. I out 1" of soil in an empty tank and cap with 2" of sand before adding water. This does not require rinsing and keeps the fine particles that are beneficial in the process of developing bacteria in the substrate. Carefully adding water to prevent stirring the sand is critical..


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Father Fish said:


> Rinsing is a function of the method you use to set up the tank. I out 1" of soil in an empty tank and cap with 2" of sand before adding water. This does not require rinsing and keeps the fine particles that are beneficial in the process of developing bacteria in the substrate. Carefully adding water to prevent stirring the sand is critical..


The OP did not ask about a dirted tank but about specific substrates. Which is why everyone else focused on the specific substrates they asked about. Dirted tanks aren't for everyone and constantly pushing them on newcomers in every thread you happen upon is doing a disservice. Unfortunately - you've been repeatedly asked to stop self-promotion and you've ignored our requests. Your links have been removed.


----------



## waterxnge (Aug 20, 2005)

I happen to be an Eco-Complete fan; it's the only substrate I'll use in my tanks (smaller, low tech planted tanks). I've only tried sand once in a tank and decided I didn't like sand as a substrate, at least not sand as fine as that ADA sand; it's too compact for my liking.


----------



## Saxtonhill (Dec 28, 2012)

Put down your soil or plant supporting substrate of choice and then cap it.


----------



## Aquascaper1 (Jan 17, 2020)

malihini said:


> I plan on rinsing the Eco-Complete if I use it, and it seems to be cheaper than Fluorite?
> 
> I get it's inert, but I read it's better for plants because of the surface area or something?
> 
> ...


----------------


I recently upgraded from a 30 gallon tank to a 38 gallon tank. I did the following:
1. placed Egg Crate Lt panel on the bottom layer
2. placed CaribSea Eco-Planted substrate on top of Egg Crate
3. placed a flat piece of Slate with Lava Stones epoxyed to create a wall to segregate (2) types of substrate on top of CaribSea Eco-Planted substrate
4. on left side of Lava Stone wall added Seachem Black Sand on top of CaribSea layer
5. on right side of Lava Stone wall added Seachem Flourite Red substrate

I plan to leave the sand area plant free and mainly give an area for my Corydoras and Clown Pleco which I might add seem to really love the sand. Anytime they feel the need to go into hiding or exploring, they have the Flourite Red section with Driftwood and heavily planted. There is no question the Corys love it; 11 days ago only a few days after migrating all fish from another temporary tank, my female Albino Corydora layed probably 200 eggs. I had moved about 50 opf them of which so far about 20 hatched and I have been taking care of them and so far so good.

Bottom line: if you can't make up your mind on which type of substrate you want to go with, improvise. Think about being different. I thought it would be cool to have 2 different sections walled off with different substrates for some visual variety for myself as well as for giving choices to the fish.


----------

