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CaribSea Eco-Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate, Red, 20-lb bag

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$35.99 Chewy Price
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About This Item

Details

  • Ready-to-use with volcanic basalt rich in minerals and essential elements to support plant growth and health.
  • Bi-modal grading separates into a fine bottom layer for root development, and a coarse top layer to enhance root oxygen uptake.
  • Dual-biotic formula contains heterotrophic bacteria to convert fish waste into plant food, and mycorrhizal symbionts for strong root development.
  • Biologically complete with beneficial microorganisms that help cycle new aquariums faster; it comes packed in Liquid Amazon™ water conditioner.
  • Natural deep black color encourages vibrant fish colors and reduces stress, with no artificial dyes, paints or chemicals.

Ingredients

Instructions

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Questions & Answers

30 Customer Questions

Is there a difference between the red and black version? I don't want to harm my fish by choosing the wrong one.

Answer by Chewy • Aug 05, 2019
The only difference is the color. Please note, this may elevate pH above neutral and may not be suitable for Discus sp., P. alta and sensitive freshwater shrimp.

how long can I store in original bags I am not planning on setting up my tank until spring but this is to good a price to pass up also how much will I need for a least a 2" bed in a 55 gal tank

Answer by Chewy • Nov 10, 2018
Eco complete has no shelf date on the product itself because it is good for many months into years if stored at room temperature. The bacteria in it are spored and do not become active unless they are exposed to a food source. To fill a tank 1 inch thick with substrate, it is roughly equivalent to 1 pound of substrate per gallon. To fill a tank 2 inches thick with substrate, it is roughly equivalent to 2 pounds of substrate per gallon.

Is this used as a base layer with other substrate layered on top of it?

Answer by Chewy • Dec 20, 2018
This substrate is biologically complete, with beneficial microorganisms that help cycle new aquariums faster. However, it may also serve as a bottom layer with your choice of non-carbonate substrate.

I have a 180 gallon tank. I plan to use tap water and treat it with a water conditioner to remove chlorine and heavy metals. Should I put the substrate in after the water has been treated?

Answer by Chewy • Feb 05, 2019
For new aquarium setups it's recommended to pour in the substrate and then fill the aquarium with de-chlorinated tap water.
Reviews
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4.4
Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars
141 Ratings
Terms & Conditions

79 Customer Reviews

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Carolyn on Mar 23, 2019

Fabulous for fish and plants!

I redid my 75 gallon tank of tropical fish (mostly varieties of tetras) and live plants with this substrate. Amazing!!!! The plants I’d just bought have nearly

I redid my 75 gallon tank of tropical fish (mostly varieties of tetras) and live plants with this substrate. Amazing!!!! The plants I’d just bought have nearly doubled in size in less than two weeks and the fish are doing great. Happy and healthy. Love look of the black on the bottom that really makes the fish and plants pop. I used 6 bags (120 lb) in my 75 gallon. Super big bonus that you don’t have to (and shouldn’t!) rinse before putting it in your tank.

By Carolyn on Mar 23, 2019
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Patricia on Aug 1, 2018
Top 100 Contributor

Great product

After reading online reviews I was a little concerned that this product would not work for me. It actually worked perfect for what I was wanting. The black color

After reading online reviews I was a little concerned that this product would not work for me. It actually worked perfect for what I was wanting. The black color is perfect with my tank. Some of the negative reviews stated that the product needed to be washed off or it would cause the water to be cloudy. This was untrue with my experience. I had zero clouding. The water was clear from day one. Even after moving some of the substrate around after adding the water. I love how it looks in my tank.

By Patricia on Aug 1, 2018
Top 100 Contributor
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Samantha on Jul 10, 2024

Good substrate

I don’t have anything to compare this to. The live plants I’ve added seem like they’re doing well in this substrate. The packages were not leaking upon arrival

I don’t have anything to compare this to. The live plants I’ve added seem like they’re doing well in this substrate. The packages were not leaking upon arrival. Although this says it will separate into two layers, I haven’t noticed that that happened, but it still seems good.

By Samantha on Jul 10, 2024
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Jen on Jul 15, 2023

WorksFine for me

We dumped it Into a 55 we were changing the substrate on, clouded up pretty bad but after adding clarifier overnight with pump Off and just air stones then running

We dumped it Into a 55 we were changing the substrate on, clouded up pretty bad but after adding clarifier overnight with pump Off and just air stones then running filter next Morning it’s clear within an hour. It sure if it’s working we haven’t had it long enough and I haven’t planted anything yet, fish are out of the tank until I know it’s Fully cycled again, will say shipping was terrible. Don’t order more than one bag at a time or they will throw it all together in kne box and well. I’m sure you can figure out how bad that was. Cust service Immediately shipped out replacements in all separate orders and arrived in perfect condition. Excited to see how the tank does now with this

By Jen on Jul 15, 2023
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By ProactiveAgony on Apr 14, 2022

A Must For Planted Tanks!

This substrate is heavy enough to root plants and is a vast improvement over others of its kind. Just make sure you get enough. I recommend two 20 pound bags for

This substrate is heavy enough to root plants and is a vast improvement over others of its kind. Just make sure you get enough. I recommend two 20 pound bags for a 30 to 40 gallon aquarium if you intend to cover the entire bottom. My plants were visibly healthier with new growth after just one week. Some half-dead plants from a lesser tank came back to life! I will definitely be using this as I convert other tanks to planted. For scaping ideas, look up Serpa Designs if you find black substrate unappealing. I did a white sand "beach front" in my main planted tank and sloped it back to blend with the Eco-Complete substrate. Amazing stuff, and it has a minimal effect on the PH if you do everything correctly.

By ProactiveAgony on Apr 14, 2022
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
By Mazzy on Jan 28, 2022

Good but not perfect

This substrate claims to be cycle free but i know better. About a week and a half in i had high nitrate and nitrite. So make sure you cycle you tank. It looks good

This substrate claims to be cycle free but i know better. About a week and a half in i had high nitrate and nitrite. So make sure you cycle you tank. It looks good though and I'm finally seeing plant growth about 3 weeks in

By Mazzy on Jan 28, 2022
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Shyla on Apr 14, 2019

Eco-complete Black

I was a little skeptical about a substrate you don’t have to rinse but it really left my water crystals clear. I mean the rocks themselves look pretty cool being

I was a little skeptical about a substrate you don’t have to rinse but it really left my water crystals clear. I mean the rocks themselves look pretty cool being lava rock and all and it does exactly what it’s supposed to. What more could you ask for?

By Shyla on Apr 14, 2019
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Angela on Sep 7, 2025

Highly recommended

Plants are thriving ! This substrate has made it easy to clean and less frequently !!! Have it in 3 of my tanks

Plants are thriving ! This substrate has made it easy to clean and less frequently !!! Have it in 3 of my tanks

By Angela on Sep 7, 2025
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
By ViciousVidal on Jul 14, 2018

Better Substrate

I added the CaribSea Eco-Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate, 20-lb bag (red) to my already established aquarium. I pushed aside some white gravel I had to one side

I added the CaribSea Eco-Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate, 20-lb bag (red) to my already established aquarium. I pushed aside some white gravel I had to one side and added the CaribSea on the other side. Thankfully, I rinsed out the CaribSea before adding it to my tank, because it looked like muddy cola swishing all around inside of the bag. It is more of a mixed reddish brown / brick / burgundy / maroon color than an apple red. So many opinions on the web, but mostly all claim the same thing, that any additional goodness of nutrients is next to nil. That being said, I didn't want to risk killing my fish! The fish tend to stay on the "Dark" side CaribeSea than the white light side. That's what it's all about; the fish! They love it so I love it! I decided to give a 4 star rating instead of 5 stars because I wish it really DID have the added nutrients for either the fish or plants, but that wasn't what I purchased this gravel for. I will definitely buy CaribSea again and I highly recommend it!!!!

By ViciousVidal on Jul 14, 2018
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
By Wendy on Oct 22, 2022

Be patient it's worth it

I had sand before and started to hate it. It was great for holding plants but drifted too much. This has the best of both worlds. It has the bottom layer for the

I had sand before and started to hate it. It was great for holding plants but drifted too much. This has the best of both worlds. It has the bottom layer for the roots and the gravel top does not shift. Use a shallow bowl or plate to add water slowly just like you would with sand. I filled the tank halfway, then let it settle. In about 2 days it was clearing up. I carefully added the rest of the water and started the filter (with the old filter pad). Next say it was clear enough to put the fish back. I cleaned the filter and put in new media. They really should put this info on the bag. It looks great. I couldn't be happier with it.

By Wendy on Oct 22, 2022