Eco Complete question

[Its Hutch]

I am thinking of using Eco Complete for the first time. Would I still need a liquid fertilizer for the water column?

[Mmiller2001]

On 8/14/2022 at 9:20 PM, Its Hutch said:

I am thinking of using Eco Complete for the first time. Would I still need a liquid fertilizer for the water column?

You will need a liquid fertilizer regardless of the substrate you use 

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/14/2022 at 8:20 PM, Its Hutch said:

I am thinking of using Eco Complete for the first time. Would I still need a liquid fertilizer for the water column?

From what I saw and looked into.  Eco Complete is just lava rocks.
 

Quote

Eco‑Complete’s™ secret lies in rich basaltic volcanic soil which contains iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur plus over 25 other elements to nourish your aquatic plants. Floraspore™ symbionts activate the root-substrate interface to facilitate the uptake of minerals which make for a healthier root and healthier plant. Iron rich Eco‑Complete™ eliminates the need for laterite. No artificial dyes, paints, or chemical coatings. Eco-Complete™ has highly porous spherical grains for optimum diffusion performance and contains live Heterotrophic bacteria to rapidly convert fish waste into natural food for your aquatic plants. It establishes a natural biological balance which makes cycling a new aquarium faster and safer.

It's likely a mix of a few things, but just keep that in mind.  It has these things in it, but they might not actually be readily available to the plants.  I would imagine, no matter what you're using, if it's not soil itself (or soil balls like stratum and the others) then you're going to end up just using root tabs anyways.  A lot of the planted substrates are advertised for the high ability to retain nutrients and not necessarily the ability to start with nutrients available to the plants.  It's a rabbit hole, but just something to look into when you decide which one you use.

[Its Hutch]

Thanks for the info and direct answers. Exactly why I asked. Much appreciated.

Sticking with good old black gravel.

[Kevin F.]

I used Eco Complete in my 125.  It's been running for just over a year now, and I really like it.  It dosent have any added fertilizer to it like some of the others.  So you will have to use root tabs with it.  The thing I really like about it is since it is lava rock it has all kinds of surface area.  This makes it a lot easier for the plants to dig there roots into it.  As for the fertilizer in the water column, you will have to do that no mater what you use.