Whichever one you can find for cheaper. And/or whichever looks better to you. Flourite is baked clay, Eco is volcanic rock, and both have similar CEC (nutrient absorption rates). Neither has any inherent nutrients, despite what the packaging may suggest. Cheaper high-CEC alternatives are Turface, Diamond Pro, and other baked clay alternatives used in farming and for baseball infields.
You can cap dirt with either one, and, if not, fert tabs will always help.
eco looks more natural to me. but they are lil sharp. or if u on that poverty time. might wanna try safe-t-sorb. cheap, about $9-11 for a bag. which is a lot in a bag. and is very high in cec
I prefer Eco-complete but really, they are both equivalent as far as absorbing nutrients. They do lack fertilizers so you will need to add those separately. It's all up to which one you prefer the look of, really.
I have used both in my tanks. I prefer the Eco Complete, but only because the rinsing and rinsing and rinsing needed for the clay flourite. Perhaps I'm just lazy, but with the Eco Complete you can just put in your tank and add water without making your tank super cloudy. I think either would be fine for your plants and fish.
Some people mention Safe-T-Zorb, I found it at Tractor Supply. Its 4.99 for a 40 pound bag. I havne't use it yet still trying to gather info. But from the pictures I've seen its looks like Flourite but I don't no how heavy it is, or if the granuals are small enough to grow a carpet of HC/Glosso. It also absorbs KH and makes the ph go down. It has to be charged with nutrients before hand.
I've used both and personally I've had better luck with Eco-complete. It's a little more expensive but it's worth every penny. You get more, it looks more natural in the tank, and my plants developed a beautiful root system in the Eco-Complete. My amazon swords loved it and stemmed new leaves. It's always my go-to substrate. I definitely recommend it!
That being said, you ARE going to have to add CO2 at the very least. I never really needed to use the Liquid Iron supplement after using eco-complete. Maybe twice a month at maximum. But without CO2 the plants will eventually die
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