CaribSea ECO Complete Planted Substrate

This is the best substrate I’ve ever had before. The plants love, grow big and thicker. It helps the nitrogen cycle so that in a 10 gallon aquarium, I have 4 plants with this substrate. The water stays clear without using a filter. It’s a guppy tank. They’re so happy, now if only I can stop them from reproducing, I wouldn’t have to set up my 30 gallon tank!!!!!

This is a great product but be aware this for the 10 pound bag not the 20 pound bag that other listings are selling.

great substrate

Substrate for planted aquarium with small leaf cover. It's working out greatly.

This looks good at first but quickly becomes consumed by algae in all the little pits and crevices in the stones. Cleaning the tank multiple times a week and adding algae control solution didn't make one bit of difference. I ended up throwing it out and going with normal substrate. This stuff is complete trash and outrageously expensive, don't waste your time or money.

I bought 20lbs from petsmrt for $23.99. I needed two more but they were out so I had to get two more from somewhere. Found this. I didn’t read the description bc it looked same. I was ver disappointed when I received 10lbs. Bc I paid 23.99 for 20lbs. Now paid same money for 10lbs.Don’t buy it from here, it’s overpriced. Check your local stores first. I really like this product, recommended to everyone

I have tried using this substrate on 3 separate occasions, and each one resulted in the same product you see after just a week of setting up the tank. The first time I tried in a heavily planted tank. I added the entire contents of the bag as per the instructions, within a a few days I had the first sign of a biofilm on the substrate. After another few days it spread to the water column and as the bacteria be an to die it made the tank filthy and stink. My 30 gallon filter would fill up within 2 days. I eventually had to completely scrap the whole tank because the smell was unbearable in my room. It smelled like sulfur, rotten eggs, diarrhea, and wet dog. After doing a full bleach down of my tank, and boiled decorations added new filter media. I tried again with a new bag. This time straining and rinsing it. Same exact thing, biofilm within a few days, cloudy water within a week horrible smell and sludge everywhere. I decided to try again and eliminate all other possibilities. I got a brand new bag, strained and lightly rinsed it again. Filled it up with water and added a brand new filter. Well sure enough even with all decorations removed, clean tank and new filter, the same exact thing happened. This time I decided to bear with the horrible smell for a MONTH. Hoping that it would clear up. I let it sit for a week without doing anything, then I decided to to 25% water changes once a week, and strain all the sludge out of the filter media every few days. I did this for a month and it never cleared. This final time I finally emptied the tank, I nearly threw up while dumping out the substrate. Once the substrate was disturbed it released all of the smell. It stunk up the whole house just from me walking it from my room to the front door. It appears the substrate held all of the decay and bacteria. It’s a shame because I absolutely love the way this substrate looks. It is natural with different sized pieces. Unlike fluval stratum which has a good color but is artificial perfect spheres. Now I am on the lookout for a substrate that looks like this one but without all of the minerals or whatever is added to this.Some things to add I have a 10 gallon tank with a tidal 30 filter. Filtration is overkill if anything.I added nothing to the water besides api dechlorinator for tap water.There were no fish or other things in my tank at any point, so no food or food waste.I’ve seen many people use this product and have great results. Crystal clear water after the initial setup settles, and thriving plants. But for me my plants all melted away probably from getting covered in sludge and slime. And my tank was absolutely infested with slime, biofilm, bacteria, and sludge.

I was a little confused when I saw the size of the box as this is only a 10lb bag. It is advertised on here as a 10lb bag which I did not think to check until after as everywhere else sells the 20lb bag for the same price.