How to use Eco-complete

M

Martin_G

AC Members
Feb 14, 2011
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Glen Burnie,Md
Back in the late 60's (68-69) when I first became aquainted with tropicals, I wasn't aware of the different substrates that we have today. I usually used medium grain sand with very good results and the plants grew like mad.

I plan on using Eco-complete in a 10 gallon tank with plants compatible with the temp & pH of the fish I would like to use. Does the Eco need additional fertilizing from time to time.

The temp will be about 78 F, and the pH should be about 6.5 to 6.8.

Two plants I'm considering are Anacharis and the Corkscrew Valisneria. I do want to get a plant that resembles grass and grows about 1" to 1-1/2" but I don't know its name.

The type of plants I'll use is still in the planning stage, but I do have a tentative list of fish. I know that I can't keep all of the fish in a small tank (obviously), so I'll have to choose from the list.

1) Neon Blue Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) (2 ea.)
2) Cardinal Tetras (Paracheirodon axelrodi) (4-5)
3) Celestial Pearl Danio (Celestichthys margaritatus) (4-5)
4) Maethae Silver Hatchet (Carnegiella marthae) (2-3)
5) Zebra Danio (Danio rerio) (?)
6) Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata) (?)

I really like the Dwarf Gourami's, so they are probably a definite first choice. The temp & pH of all of these are close too.

For the filter, I plan on using an Aqueon 20 rated at 125 Gph instead of their #10 rated @100 Gph and the heater will be a 100 watt Jager or Visi-therm. The lighting is still questionable. I'll be getting a tank soon but it comes with an incandesant light & hood.


If anyone has any suggestions or advice I'm ALL EARS! I still remember how I set my tanks up before but its been 27 years since I had them and I'm positive that ALOT has changed! I guess I'm a "Semi-Newbie" !

It seems like the only things consistent between then & now is that some of the tanks still use glass, and we still use water to keep our finned friends in!



Thanks,

Martin
 
Eco complete is good for root heavy feeders. So you will indeed need ferts. I'm using eco complete on my 55g and my amazonian swords are doing fine without root tabs.
 
You can use eco alone liquid & all. What lighting are you planning?

As for your fish, I'd skip the zebra danios, they're too active for a 10g. Only 1 gourami, they'll fight. I haven't kept hatchets but they jump so make sure you have the tank well covered. Also not sure if the gourami will have issues with another top dwelling species. Personally I'd go with a few more of either cardinals or CPDs, 1 gourami & shrimp.
 
Ecocomplete is very user-friendly, just dump it and go. It will be cloudy at first, but theres a packet of biomagnet clarifier. It's a flocculant that binds the small floating particles together so they sink, or are filtered out.

Definitely think about getting some root tabs and or dry dosing for best result.
 
Once the tank is together an past "fishless cycling" , I understand about using fert tabs as they are self explanatory. Using other ferts not in tab form IMO is less so.

Should ferts be used from day one or after the tanks is ready for fish? And how often should they be used (each month,every other month,etc).

The fish list has changed too. I want to have Cardinal Tetras, CPD's and some shrimp. I had wanted a Dwarf Gourami but I don't know. Originally, I was going to use a M/F combination since I realize that having 2 males with many species only ends up with one or both injured or dead.

About the lighting......the tank & stand I have came with a incandescent hood and I was planning on getting a flourescent hood. Then some members say to use the other hood with 2 CFL bulbs. The new hood can use a T12 tube. I found a place that has 20watt T12's with color temps from 4000K to 10000K and one in the 9000K range.

I am looking for a light thats good for plants and gives a bluish tint light. I don't care for a yellowish tint.


Thanks,

Martin
 
Bluish (actinic?) isn't good for plants. I have 15w spiral CFLs over a 10g & can grow up to med light plants. Might be worth a pkg of bulbs, 6500k, to see if you don't mind the color...or maybe there are 10000k CFLs, it's whiter.
 
Come to think of it, I never considered "white" light. If I understood the article I read about tubes, 10000K was a bluish tint light but it was not the "actinic" variety.

This article was about standard flourescent tubes (T8,T12), the temp ratings and what type of light to expect. I don't recall the exact number (4000K,5000K,etc) but one of them had a yellowish tint while one of the higher number tubes changed to a light blue.

I would like to use medium light plants in my tank. I think 6500 to 6700 should be ok, and the other option is to use a 50/50 light.

Would 2 watts per gallon be ok?
 
It will depend partly on what size bulbs can fit your fixture housing. 15w has the largest diameter that works for me, others less. Also the wpg "rule" doesn't work with spiral bulbs, there's a lot of restrike. I'd guess 2-3w would be fine over a 10g. Skip the 50/50, even white actinics are not what you want.
 
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