Flourish Excel

[Welsh]

The lighting over my 17litre is 27watts and I dose with flourish comprehensive, every so often. I was wondering whether Flourish Excel, would make a difference to my tank? I don't want to fuss with co2 but I want my plants to look healthy

Thanks

 

[aqua_chem]

With 27w over a fairly small tank, you probably have fairly good light. You would very likely have a noticeable benefit from adding excel.

 

[BBradbury]

The lighting over my 17litre is 27watts and I dose with flourish comprehensive, every so often. I was wondering whether Flourish Excel, would make a difference to my tank? I don't want to fuss with co2 but I want my plants to look healthy

Thanks

Hello Welsh...

I'm part Welsh, part English. Will have to get to the UK one of these days. Anyway, Flourish Excel is pricey and contains a trace of "Gluteraldehyde". It's an industrial form of carbon that sometimes isn't good for ferns, mosses and whatever other primitive aquatic plants you have. Algae doesn't tolerate it, that's why some use it in concentrated doses to kill it.

Having healthy plants isn't hard. You need three things: The right lighting, pure water conditions and nutrients. Research the light requirements of your plants and get the right bulbs. 6500 K bulbs are probably best. Feed your fish a balanced diet and they'll provide the best fertilizer and buy a good fert for the micro nutrients or what some call "trace elements". I use a liquid once a week and dose according to the instructions, but there are dry kinds and granules too. Your plants need water high in minerals, so just change half the water in your tank every week.

That's it, really pretty simple.

B

 

[misterc007]

I just started using excell a week ago. I'm just dosing it according to the instructions.. So far I have noticed that the Algae (farm) I have has started to diminish I would also say that some of the plants crypts in paticular started to put out some more leaves or at least at a faster pace anyway. It hasn't been the miracle that i read about so far but its only ben a week and I'm going to give it some more time before I pass my own judgement on it. I'll keep you posted!!

 

[misterc007]

One other thing, I'm using flourish Comp. as well once a week as directed

 

[aqua_chem]

I just started using excell a week ago. I'm just dosing it according to the instructions.. So far I have noticed that the Algae (farm) I have has started to diminish I would also say that some of the plants crypts in paticular started to put out some more leaves or at least at a faster pace anyway. It hasn't been the miracle that i read about so far but its only ben a week and I'm going to give it some more time before I pass my own judgement on it. I'll keep you posted!!

CO2 is the miracle worker. Excel is a distant second.

 

[Ceej]

I was going to start a thread about Excel. I'm glad I searched before hand. I don't want to fuss with CO2 either. Update periodically and let us know what you're doing to keep your plants healthy. I'm really wanting to go ''planted'' soon!

 

[Maltimomma]

I have Excel coming from Drs Foster and Smith. I can't get it at my lfs so had to go elsewhere. I just got some new plants, anacharis, jave ferns and I'm hoping the excel will keep my plants healthy.

 

[Maltimomma]

I have Excel coming from Drs Foster and Smith. I can't get it at my lfs so had to go elsewhere. I just got some new plants, anacharis, jave ferns and I'm hoping the excel will keep my plants healthy.

Received the Excel yesterday and now I'm ready to hopefully make my plants grow beautifully. Lets see how well it works

 

[blert]

I have Excel coming from Drs Foster and Smith. I can't get it at my lfs so had to go elsewhere. I just got some new plants, anacharis, jave ferns and I'm hoping the excel will keep my plants healthy.

Anacharis and Java Fern don't get along so well with Excel, it can tend to melt them. Likely the best thing to do is to start slow with half doses and see how they do. After a week or two start upping the dosage. Do not dose directly onto those plants or directly into their personal flow. Dilute the Excel first in a cup of tank water and then pour it into the tank. Good luck.

 

[Welsh]

Well, I didn't expect such a response lol.

Basically, the plants that I have are mostly low light

Anacharis
Java Fern windelov
Christmas moss
Java moss
Anubia's barteri. var. nana
Pygmy Chain Sword
Alternanthera Rosaefolia mini
Hygrophila Difformis
Anubia's Coffeefolia.
Crypt wendtii green, tropica and brown
Red tiger lotus
Staurogyne repens

I noticed some of the plants have small holes in them, mainly the staurogyne and rosaefolia.

I also add a root tab every so often, can't remember the name but they are by tetra and have iron in them too.

Aside from excel, is there anything else I can use along with the flourish comp?

Thank you all for the replies

 

[Maltimomma]

Anacharis and Java Fern don't get along so well with Excel, it can tend to melt them. Likely the best thing to do is to start slow with half doses and see how they do. After a week or two start upping the dosage. Do not dose directly onto those plants or directly into their personal flow. Dilute the Excel first in a cup of tank water and then pour it into the tank. Good luck.

OOPS I already added the Excel to my tanks. Guess I'd better do a pwc like 1/2. Hope that will help. Don't want to lose my new plants. Thanks for the info.

 

[blert]

OOPS I already added the Excel to my tanks. Guess I'd better do a pwc like 1/2. Hope that will help. Don't want to lose my new plants. Thanks for the info.

Many people have had success with these plants and Excel, many others have experienced melting. It may be that they need an acclimation period to it. Keep a close watch on them and if you start to see them melting then discontinue or lower the dosage. If they seem to be doing fine then start upping the dosage. The Anacharis may start to melt anyway as it acclimates to your tank, with or without Excel, but then you just trim off the melty pieces and keep the new growth, the stuff will usually grow like a weed without any supplementation anyway.
FYI, Excel has a half-life of about 24 hours or so. That means, with no plants to use any of it, half of what you dose is gone in 24 hours.

 

[Maltimomma]

Many people have had success with these plants and Excel, many others have experienced melting. It may be that they need an acclimation period to it. Keep a close watch on them and if you start to see them melting then discontinue or lower the dosage. If they seem to be doing fine then start upping the dosage. The Anacharis may start to melt anyway as it acclimates to your tank, with or without Excel, but then you just trim off the melty pieces and keep the new growth, the stuff will usually grow like a weed without any supplementation anyway.
FYI, Excel has a half-life of about 24 hours or so. That means, with no plants to use any of it, half of what you dose is gone in 24 hours.

The plants have only been in the tanks 5 days. Some of the windlov java ferns are melting and the anacharis seem to be melting at the bottom of the plants. I bought 100 anacharis on ebay and they are divided up between two 55g and one 29g tank. Anyway, I did about a 55% pwc yesterday. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Welsh]

Well, I received this on Monday and have dosed according to instructions, however, there isn't a noticeable difference with the plants just yet. The Hygrophila polysperma, however, has changed a lovely pink on top. I've heard that excel helps get rid of algae, but mine hasn't gone anywhere. I was just wondering how long it usually takes for algae to completely disappear with doses, as I have this hideous brown, furry algae growing over my christmas moss, which can't be removed manually.

Thanks

 

[blert]

Well, I received this on Monday and have dosed according to instructions, however, there isn't a noticeable difference with the plants just yet. The Hygrophila polysperma, however, has changed a lovely pink on top. I've heard that excel helps get rid of algae, but mine hasn't gone anywhere. I was just wondering how long it usually takes for algae to completely disappear with doses, as I have this hideous brown, furry algae growing over my christmas moss, which can't be removed manually.

Thanks

Give it some more time and dose consistently. It does have algaecidal (sp?) properties but really only in higher dosage, again, give it some time. You can spot treat the problem algae but be careful as most mosses can be sensitive to Excel. Slowly increase your dosage and if you start to see melt then discontinue for a couple days and cut back the dosage.

 

[Gish]

want to start excel too

hi. i want to start excel as well after my new lighting arrives. it should be 48 watts t5ho over a 29 gallon tank.

i am worried about my java ferns. bu i also have too much black beard algae on my driftwood and some on the ferns attached to it.

what other seachem products should i use to complement the excel? i too have good planted substrate and some root tabs.

welsh - do your barbs nip at your gourami? i've heard that rosy barbs eat black beard algae and have thought about getting some.