Flourish Excel questions...

[Planterjonas]

Hi I am thinking of getting a bottle of flourish excel to help me plants. My plants are doing great, I recently added a new light (Finnex ray 2) to my 5 gallon planted tank. I have researched and came upon some threads and comments saying that flourish excel can melt crypts and java moss. I want to add this fert so my plants will pearl. However, crypts and java moss make up most of my tank. I want my plants to pearl, but at the same time want my plants to not melt and thrive.

Any comments would be appreciated. thanks you

 

[Mebbid]

If you want your plants to pearl then excel won't work for that. You will need to add pressurized co2 to the tank to get pearling.

As for the melting plants I use a huge dose of excel in my tanks daily and my crypts are doing fine. My java moss did die off however.

 

[Rivercats]

I've used very high doses of liquid carbon over extended periods and my crypts did fine. My java fern did die but did slow down in growth. But my Fissidens Fontanus, Phoenix Moss grows better and faster the more liquid carbon I use.

Also be sure to be giving you crypts root tabs periodically.

 

[Planterjonas]

That's the thing. People are getting different results. I don't know if I should use it. I've heard that flourish excel can be a substitute for co2. If I add a lower dose than the recommended dose, shoould I be fine?

 

[Rivercats]

The reason people get different results is every tank's chemistry is different. Plus there is no one set dosage that works for all tanks. If you want to use it start by using a 1/2 dose daily for 2-3 weeks. If the moss is doing fine, then increase you dose to 3/4 the normal dose for another 2-3 weeks. You can build up to the full amount or if you notice moss changes you can dose down to where the moss did fine. I use 6 ounces of liquid carbon daily in my 220g with CO2 also and Java Moss grows like a weed.

 

[Planterjonas]

Alright I start out with 1/2 dose and see how it goes on from there. Thank you

 

[aqua_chem]

Mossy and crypts generally don't have a problem with Excel. Vals, anacharis, and some primitive plants have difficulty with it though. With a Ray II on on a 5g, you definitely need either Excel or CO2 though.

 

[sodbuster95]

Mossy and crypts generally don't have a problem with Excel. Vals, anacharis, and some primitive plants have difficulty with it though. With a Ray II on on a 5g, you definitely need either Excel or CO2 though.

+1 on this. My crypts have no issues with Excel, but, back when I had them, anacharis let loose a torrent in my tank overnight like needles from a Christmas tree. It was an absolute mess, so I don't have anacharis anymore.

 

[Planterjonas]

+1 on this. My crypts have no issues with Excel, but, back when I had them, anacharis let loose a torrent in my tank overnight like needles from a Christmas tree. It was an absolute mess, so I don't have anacharis anymore.

I don't have anachris, but did they just melt or acutally die?

 

[Rivercats]

Excel or any liquid carbon will actually kill anacharis. On rare occasion you'll hear someone say theirs didn't die but that's not very common.