I really like Eco complete. I don't think it should be packed in water, but that's another issue. It's come a bit in price and is a little more than Flourite these days.
Over all for the new person, I think this is better since you do not have to rinse it.
Having set up tanks with 600lbs of flourite, I'll tell you this is a good thing
I like the color, I like shape.
I thought is might be too light, but it's pretty good.
I think it's recommendable certainly as much if not more than flourite.
But does it grow plants better?
No. Not that I can tell.
I do not like mixed layer of substrates. I may enrich the substrate with soil, peat, mulm, fert's, but I do not mix two different products.
I can always rinse away the soil, the peat, the mulm/ferts etc, BUT, I cannot rinse or separate the two colors etc of two different substrates.
Turface is good and cheap but light so adding sand there is an exception.
But I think that, Flora base, Eco complete and Flourite onyx sand are all very good and we are much more fortunate today than in the bad old days with laterite/sand mixes.
Regards,
Tom Barr