[NWA-Planted]

is there any disadvantage or advantage one has over the other?,, which is more recommended? Looked at the mineralized soil, which looks like a great idea, but involves more time then I have. Going to be planting a 125 gallon tank.

 

[herns]

I had been using Red Flourite for few years. It was just too coarse for some plants. You need to have planting tweezor.

Last year I decided to top it off with Eco Complete. It was more better when I plant trimmings like Bacopa sp, Ammania.

 

[hbosman]

I had been using Red Flourite for few years. It was just too coarse for some plants. You need to have planting tweezor.

Last year I decided to top it off with Eco Complete. It was more better when I plant trimmings like Bacopa sp, Ammania.

You didn't find the Eco Complete to light to hold plants down sometimes?

 

[Ziggy]

Cant say I have any first hand with Eco Complete, but I agree that regular Flourite (red) was a little big and hard to plant in. Once you do though and the roots grow, they cling very well to it (uproot a plant and you'll uproot a ton of Flourite stuck to every inch of root). I capped mine with very fine black gavel (<2mm, but not sand) and that worked a lot better...until over time and re-scaping the Flourite just mixed its way up and looked crappy (so I ended up sifting it out and am right now using just the fine black gravel with root tabs).

In retrospect I'm skeptical as to how much it really imparted to the plants in that its more of a nutrient cache as oppose to source (and from what I understand ditto for Eco Complete).

 

[wkndracer]

Eco Complete and Flourite both have a good CEC, EcoComp is slightly lighter weight in the tank. EC doesn't require rinsing. Both will provide about the same results in the tank so personal choice on what looks good to you crushed brick or volcanic rock.

 

[herns]

You didn't find the Eco Complete to light to hold plants down sometimes?

Yes, I experienced that on most on my soft stems. IMO, this type of substrate must be at least 4" thick to bury stems down real good.

 

[londonloco]

I have used both, I prefer Flourite Black. I found Eco was too light, plants kept floating up, Flourite Red was too big, Flourite Black is the closest I found to 3M Colorquartz, which they stopped making or I'd still be using it.

 

[NWA-Planted]

Just have to make sure I rinse the flourite good, I want fairly small gravel size, but not sand