Max safe wattage with only flourish excel?

[exodus]

Just picked up a bottle of flourish excel today, hoping to fend off some of the algae I'm farming. Right now I'm running my lighting so I have the equivalent of 2.5wpg over my 55, and I'm hoping that with daily excel dosing that I can see more plant and less algae growth.

Can I bump the lighting up any more?

At some point I want to throw a 175 metal halide I have over the tank, but is it crucial that I wait until I get pressurized CO2 to do that? It would put me at ~5.5wpg.

TIA

 

[LindaC]

I think that would be too much light for a non-CO2 injected tank, that will really cause you some algea problems. Are you running a DIY CO2 on this tank or just depending on the Flourish Excel? If not, why not considering putting a couple of 2-liter bottles on the tank until you can get pressurized, just a thought.

 

[Zezmo]

You could use the excel to replace or suplement the CO2 at any light level. The issue becomes one of cost. 2-3 tsp per day (or more) can get old real quick. Also, there has to be some consideration fo the effects of this chemical building up in your tank. Are you doing large weekly water changes? That would prevent any excess build up. After all there is no way to truly know if you are adding too little or too much excel for you carbon plants needs.

DIY CO2 is cheap and easy even on a 55, now that used with Excel as a supplement...then you have a winning combo.

 

[hashbaz]

I would estimate 2.5 wpg would be the cap for Excel only. But there is no way to know for sure - every tank is different. Try it and find out.

 

[Hara]

I have right at 4 wpg of T-5 HO lighting. I dose one capful of excel every other day. Mine could do better I am sure, but I am content with this setup and dosing routine. I do not do other fertilizers.

 

[malkore]

Hara,

that tank looks GREAT! whatever you're doing, its correct

 

[Hara]

Thanks..it is all beginners luck and guidance from friends. I admit that all my money and time, gets poured (no pun intended) into my salt tanks. I sometimes wonder what this would look like if I used the products that everyone here raves about.

 

[7Enigma]

Hara,

Could I ask how frequently and how many water changes you do per week, and what your tap water parameters are? Your tank looks amazing and I'm having a hard time figuring out how this is possible when only adding Excel.

It seems to be very lightly stocked from the picture, so my assumption is that you have relatively hard water, probably a good amount of iron in the water, and probably a perfect level of phosphate as well (0.5-1ppm). Do you happen to have test kits for those chemicals? (GH, KH, and phosphate?)

Thanks.

justin

 

[Hara]

Hi Justin,

This thread, http://www.fantasyreef.com/viewtopic.php?t=413 shows the progression of the tank since the week I set it up. The bioload consists of a mixed school of neon and glolight tetra (8 total), 3 german rams, 2 cory cats, a cae and a betta. I do a 5 gallon water change each weekend, so that is a 25% volume change. I live in the country and use well water, and yes, it is high in mineral content. I do not check chemical parameters very often. Jchillin asks now and then and I will run some tests to make him happy . I really can't remember what the numbers were..

 

[7Enigma]

The well water makes sense then. Otherwise I would have asked you to send me whatever secret chemical you've been holding out on us here on the forum!

I'll still be interested in those test results as well though....only to make Jchillin happy of course.

 

[Hara]

ok, If I have time tonight, I will do some water testing when I get home from work..

 

[Jchillin]

Jchillin asks now and then and I will run some tests to make him happy

If I recall, the only issue at the onset of the tank was low nitrates. I suggested bumping up the stocking level to get more (Hara added the rams) and a level of +10ppm has been maintained.

I cannot recall what the other parameters were but since they weren't ever an issue, I would think they were fine then and fine now.