Well, I'm a dummy. Waaaay overdosing Excel

[Barliman]

Talk about feeling stupid.

After dosing my 20-long tank tonight, I glanced at the instructions and read "one cap full for every 50 gallons." Er... I'd been dosing a cap full in the 20 everyday for weeks, now...

It's a wonder I haven't killed anything. Then again, perhaps this explains why my Marsilea, which had started off so great, suddenly and almost wholly died.

On the other hand, no wonder I've had no problem with algae.

Note to self: Self, always read the directions -- and then read them again!

 

[Delapool]

From memory I was at 4x dosing. I buy it at 10% concentration so the maths gets a bit easier. This was giving 2ppm dosing and I've read old posts speculating 2 to 4ppm is safe limit.

I don't think anyone really knows. My plants are completely used to it now but I've reduced dosing as have new fish. I'd love to see some fish toxicity studies.

I've never managed to get down to the 1ml per gallon that some have done. Pretty much chickened out and I'm not sure if it causes problems for tetras (although could be something else).

 

[ritesh]

what is dosing ?

 

[Brookster123]

Edit
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[Delapool]

what is dosing ?

Hi, for myself dosing is following the liquid co2 instructions and then gradually increasing (links below). Depends on which product you get as they have different concentrations of glut.

Liquid carbon is meant to provide a carbon source for plants (like injected co2), so the theory is that increasing the dose will help more. However it's also a bactericide and algaecide so care needed.

http://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?id=617#.VyYT9cjCanM

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f24/api-co2-booster-v-flourish-excel-183712.html

Some information:

http://www.seachem.com/flourish-excel.php

 

[Barliman]

what is dosing ?

For me it's just "follow the instructions," which... umm... I'd been getting wrong.

 

[Mebbid]

Excel is super safe. I dosed 10x the recommended dosage for the better part of a year without issues. Theres nothing to worry about.

 

[Delapool]

Excel is super safe. I dosed 10x the recommended dosage for the better part of a year without issues. Theres nothing to worry about.

Just out of interest what did you have in the tank fish-wise?

 

[Mebbid]

Just out of interest what did you have in the tank fish-wise?

SAE, Harlequin rasbora, Wild type RCS, Dwarf gourami, Praecox Rainbows, Angels, and plecos. Probably something else that I'm forgetting.

 

[Delapool]

SAE, Harlequin rasbora, Wild type RCS, Dwarf gourami, Praecox Rainbows, Angels, and plecos. Probably something else that I'm forgetting.

Thanks, that's great - was just out of curiosity.

 

[Barliman]

Excel is super safe. I dosed 10x the recommended dosage for the better part of a year without issues. Theres nothing to worry about.

Wow. 10x?

(Imagines putting 22ml into my aquarium every day... )

I'd always heard it could be hard on invertebrates. Your shrimp must've been tough guys.

But I bet you didn't have any algae problems.