Excel

[orangepunkins]

Hello I have a few questions about using excel.
I have a 75 gal planted tank. It does not look like any of the beautiful planted tanks I see. The lighting is where it should be. If I were to use excel do I HAVE to do it regularly on a daily or weekly basis. What happens if I forget to use excel for awhile, will my plants begin to die? I am not using any kind of co2. I do use fertilizer in the root tabs and sometimes a liquid fertilizer.


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[Brookster123]

Lots of what's and if's here... i could give you much better Advice if you provide far more details about your setup.. like everyyyyythinggggggg

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[BBradbury]

Using Fertilizers

Hello I have a few questions about using excel.
I have a 75 gal planted tank. It does not look like any of the beautiful planted tanks I see. The lighting is where it should be. If I were to use excel do I HAVE to do it regularly on a daily or weekly basis. What happens if I forget to use excel for awhile, will my plants begin to die? I am not using any kind of co2. I do use fertilizer in the root tabs and sometimes a liquid fertilizer.


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Hello orange...

If you use liquids to fertilize those plants that don't require planting in the bottom material, you dose according to the instructions and when you perform a water change.

The dark green plants are typically easy to grow and don't require strong light or supplements, they grow fine with the fertilizer the fish produce. Lighter green aquatic plants will need stronger light and steady source of CO2.

B

 

[Brookster123]

Hello orange...

If you use liquids to fertilize those plants that don't require planting in the bottom material, you dose according to the instructions and when you perform a water change.

The dark green plants are typically easy to grow and don't require strong light or supplements, they grow fine with the fertilizer the fish produce. Lighter green aquatic plants will need stronger light and steady source of CO2.

B

Thanks for that insightful post B!

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[orangepunkins]

I have 1 large Amazon sword
Some jungle Val
Hornwort ( this grows crazy to the point where it can be irritating)
Some wendt's crypts
Corkscrew vallisneria
Java fern
Micro sword
And 2 other plants I'm not sure the names
They all are looking good and some have even multiplied
I want a faster growth
That is why I want to know about excel
I have a sand (pool sand) bottom
I run my lights about 8hrs a day
Canister filter
Weekly water changes 25-50% of water


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[Brookster123]

What kind of light? Root tabs? If your lighting is not very strong than I'd skip the excel, it will probably melt a few of those plants. Crypts and swords will benefit greatly from quality root tabs. The rest will appreciate a few hits of micro and macro fertilizers each week. Flourish comprehensive combined with api leaf zone will get you there..

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[Mebbid]

We need to know the light fixture for some suggestions

 

[orangepunkins]

I have made my own lighting
I took 2 rain gutters and lined them with led lights
Each gutter had 1 red strip
And 2 white strips
So the tank in all has 2 red strips and 4 white strips
I do not know the size of the length of them
What I do know is they run from one end of the tank to the other length wize



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[Mebbid]

Interesting. Do you have a link to the light strip that you used?

 

[orangepunkins]

No I'm sorry I do not have it.


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[Timber Wolf]

How long has your tank been setup?

The only red flag I have seen so far is that you used playground sand. That type of sand is too fine for most plants. It compacts too easily making it difficult for roots to get nutrients. If there is no movement of water there is no movement of nutrients. I used playground sand and I have issues with mildew growing in the substrate. To counter this I regularly need to inject the substrate with a diluted h2o2 solution. You can get syringes and needles at tractor supply. I have switched to pool sand.

 

[Gillie]

How long has your tank been setup?

The only red flag I have seen so far is that you used playground sand. That type of sand is too fine for most plants. It compacts too easily making it difficult for roots to get nutrients. If there is no movement of water there is no movement of nutrients. I used playground sand and I have issues with mildew growing in the substrate. To counter this I regularly need to inject the substrate with a diluted h2o2 solution. You can get syringes and needles at tractor supply. I have switched to pool sand.

A colony of trumpet snails fixes this problem nicely.

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[Brookster123]

A colony of trumpet snails fixes this problem nicely.

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Boom, it's true, I have fine sand and the mts are like little farmers.

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[Timber Wolf]

Very true. I forget about those little guys. I have ramshorn and mystery snails.

And this is what makes aquarium advice such a great platform.

 

[orangepunkins]

I use pool sand. I learned a lesson on playground sand it is to fine and clouded up the tank.


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[ScotJudd]

Back to Excel.
I believe it degrades in around 24 hrs so should be used daily if that's your choice for a carbon source.
Missing even a week will not kill your plants they might just be a little less vigorous, but I doubt you could tell.
If your set up is a little off balance (lighting/temp/ferts etc) then missing a week could allow algae to establish but renewed use of Excel should knock that on the head as it contains a mild algaecide.



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