# Eco Complete Hardens water!



## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

A while ago i reported that eco complete hardens up water. Well everyone reckoned this was a temporary thing, but its not. My tap water is extremely soft at GH 2 or Less And KH 1 or Less i'm using a hagen test kit that doesn't go anymore accurate than that. The tank measures out at GH 10 and KH 12, there is nothing in there but eco complete and a bit of mopani. i dose Seachem ferts. I use CO2 with a controller to get a PH of 6.7. The test kit is brand new btw. What is going on?


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

That's strange. I also have extremely soft water. I have a 20 gallon tank set up that has Eco-Complete in it and I have not noticed any change in the water chemistry.


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## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

People think i am going mad! There is definitely something amiss here. It doesn't bother me that much but i wish it didnt happen. Having soft tap water is a blessing and this spoils it! Still the fish and plants are happy.


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## sn8k (May 24, 2004)

One question - did you minimize the amount of water in the EcoComplete bag from going into the tank?

I've experienced no noticable increase in hardness with the EcoComplete... and I have 160lbs of it in my 90 gallon.


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

I haven't notice any increased hardness in my aquariums with Eco-Complete in use either.

Do you have any decorations or rocks in the aquarium?

Mike


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## pufferfreak (Oct 19, 2003)

I think its the ferts


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Mine has never buffered my water at all. Im wondering if it is possible that something was mixed in with that batch of Eco when it was bagged. I cant see any other possibilty if you have ruled out every other possibility.

Definately strange, I have bought it from different sources over a period of a year and a half and have never seen any differences between bags, maybe a 'disgruntled' employee at CaribSea ? LOL

Try taking a bowl and filling it with 'tested' tap water and then remove a handful or two of your Eco and throw it in there for a day and then test it again... that should eliminate the need to look further for the source. :wink: 

I still just cant believe its the Eco...you will be the first ever to have this happen.


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## Gomer (Aug 14, 2003)

umm.....might be a stupid question...but it might not be.

Do you have the Eco complete for planted tanks (black)? Or the Eco Complete for Cichlids (white and black)?

This would explain it if you have mixed them up.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

> umm.....might be a stupid question...


 At this point Gomer I dont think there is such a thing as a stupid question. This one is baffling ...


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## John P. (Apr 10, 2004)

When I first set up my 26-G (with Eco-Complete), my kh was intiially 5 . . . about 4 days later it was 7 & held there for <2 weeks and began falling back to 5 (where it's been ever since). Water changes 2x/week, ~25% each. No ferts or other additives other than dehlorinator.

Could've been the granite in the tank, I suppose.


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## enchanted (Sep 23, 2004)

For those wondering what the deal is someone posted on another forum that Carib Sea has admitted that occasionaly dust particles from some of their other products make it into eco-complete and this is the cause. It goes away after some water changes normally.


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## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

The stuff i have got is the all black stuff. I wasn't aware that there was another variety. I only started dosing ferts last week and this tank has been running for 6-7 weeks and in that time i have probably changed around 500% of the water getting rid of diatoms etc. it must be the eco!!


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## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

There is only a piece of mopani in there and that has only been there for a week or so. Ill try testing it away from the tank.


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## Aquabobo (Sep 24, 2004)

Definately no change in mine. No more, no less.


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## thegirlundertherainbow (Aug 12, 2004)

*I dunno*

I use Eco Complete in 2 of my 3 tanks..my 125 gal and my20 gal..although we already have hard water. 
Then, my son's 12 gal has river pebbles and no live plants..and it's as hard as the 2 with Eco complete..


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## ksand (Oct 19, 2004)

*Eco-Complete Raises pH?*

I just tried Eco-Complete in a 10-gallon. After two weeks the GH went from 5 to 7. There's nothing else in the tank to raise the hardness. (10 gal grow-out), no ferts, no additives. Looks like EC was a bad choice for my first attempt at Glosso.


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## Rupey (Nov 16, 2002)

Ksand, why do you say its not good for glosso? Because it raised the kh to 7? I dont think you'll have any problems with that, I have glosso growing like a weed in kh18-gh20 water. Glosso does not need low KH just alot of light and nutrients!


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## fishwife (Apr 11, 2004)

You're not crazy. 

I had the same experience, and the Eco Complete was mixed with regular gravel at slightly less than a 1/1 ratio. My kh, which is about 2-3 out of the tap spiked to 7 when I set up my planted tank. The ph also shot up to 8 and stayed there until I added co2 and a ph controller. I don't remember the affect on gh.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

So Gemleggat... how did the test work out ?


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## ksand (Oct 19, 2004)

Rupey said:


> Ksand, why do you say its not good for glosso? Because it raised the kh to 7? I dont think you'll have any problems with that, I have glosso growing like a weed in kh18-gh20 water. Glosso does not need low KH just alot of light and nutrients!


'cuz I'm a newbie who doesn't know what he's talkin' about! :icon_conf  Seriously, I've read that Glossostigma elatinoides likes softer water. Your success with glosso gives me encouragement.

....but sticking to the subject of this thread, although I'm new to planted tanks, I've been measuring water parameters for over a year now, and I'm convinced that the bag of EC in my 10 gallon raised the GH, not that that's such a disaster, I just wanted to corroborate Gemleggat's experience.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

A gH of 7° in many places is considered soft water.


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## ksand (Oct 19, 2004)

Rex Grigg said:


> A gH of 7° in many places is considered soft water.


yup, right you are, Gregg. I forgot that 4-8GH is considered soft.


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## ksand (Oct 19, 2004)

ksand said:


> yup, right you are, Gregg. I forgot that 4-8GH is considered soft.



oops... Rex, I mean :icon_redf (I need more coffee)


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## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

Yip i tested out the eco in a large pickle jar , i left it for 2 days and it raised the 
GH by 3 and the KH by 4. I had a little sift through it (the Eco) and i found what looked like little bits of white stuff. So i think there must of been some Calcium carbonate mixed in by mistake at the factory. Great huh?


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Same thing I saw, as well. Don't know if the hardness was affected. I have some I can do the jar trick on.


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## Buck (Oct 13, 2002)

Thats interesting, I guess not all Eco's are created equal ? I have seen some white particles in my mix as well in the past, particularly the last bag a couple months ago that I was given in exchange for some plants at my LFS. When I poured the bag into the 10 gallon the white fleks caught my eye but it was very small in size, almost dusty...
It was the first time I ever saw anything white colored in Eco but like I say , it was so small you couldnt even see it after a couple days. I never tested my KH/gh when I set that tank up because I 'assumed' all values were the same...my water and that substrate. 
However I did just test the same tank this weekend while I had the kits out and it measures out the same as my other tanks so there is no effect from that bag. However , maybe there is more and bigger peices of that same stuff in yours that is buffering the water... :icon_eek:

When you think about it , it would be very easy for a crushing machine in the CaribSea factory to "err" shall we say, and add a bit to much of Calcium like there other products have... :wink:


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Yeah, you gotta figure they can't be buying a new crusher for every product. Some contamination is always possible. I was surprised to see some white chunks in my eco. A little isn't going to affect much anyway, esp. if it is not on the surface.


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## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

hopefully over time it will all disolve and i can have my soft water again!


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Just a matter of time-
how much time.

Wait and see, and save a few pennies on Equilibrium, or Epsom salts and Turbo Calcium, or whatever it is you use to harden up the water. Very few plants like extremely soft water.


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## Ebang (Feb 6, 2005)

You aren't crazy. I have much the same issue. pH and hardness through the roof with eco. I did experiments with glasses of plain water and eco too.


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## briandmiles (Feb 23, 2005)

Maybe I'm mistaken but isn't KH a function of GH? meaning if the KH went up 3 the GH would have to go up at least that much if not more? if so there may be a problem with your test kit.

Or I could be way off.

Brian


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## Laith (Jul 7, 2004)

No, GH and KH are not directly linked like that. KH is a measure of the carbonates in the water while GH is mostly a measure of Calcium and Magnesium in the water.

GH is what is used when referring to "soft" or "hard" water. KH is more linked to the buffering (pH) capacity of the water.


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## Rex Grigg (Dec 10, 2002)

Someone posted that CaribSea had told them that dust from the other packaging operations is what is causing the problem.


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## Opiesilver (Nov 3, 2003)

It does go away with water changes, but if you are still experiencing this issue contact Caribsea at 1-888-461-1113. They really care about their customers and will do what ever is necessary to take care of you.


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