Planterjonas
Aquarium Advice Regular
Which is better for planted tanks? I've heard several things about both. thanks
Seachem Flourish Excel vs. Metricide 14
- Thread starter Planterjonas
- Start date
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Billbug68
Aquarium Advice Addict
They're essentially the same thing. Same active ingredient. The metricide is much cheaper, as you buy a large jug then mix it with RO or distilled water.
Niccobacci11
Aquarium Advice Freak
That is what they call glut
Where do you get metricide?
Niccobacci11
Aquarium Advice Freak
Amazon eBay lots of places but if you mean a place to drive to I can't name a store but it is normally used to sterilize or disinfectant so maybe some type of medical store.
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
I doubt you will be able to find it locally at a store but if you live in a very large city it's a possibility. It is used as a sterilizing solution for medical uses so a medical supply store is your best bet. Shipping can usually be found for free or very cheap so ebay would probably be your best bet.
Billbug68
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yeah, eBay or amazon.
bud29
Aquarium Advice Addict
Yup - same active ingredient, glutaraldehyde. Metricide just has a higher concentration and is quite a bit cheaper. I got 1 gallon off ebay for $20.99 shipped. You dilute the metricide and then use excel's dosing instructions, or just dose the undiluted metricide in smaller quantities.
A couple things you need to know if you get the Metricide 14 Day Solution. First is you have to store it in opaque, completely light blocking containers as light breaks down the Glut and renders it useless. Secondly it comes with a small activator bottle which you want to throw away and never use.
Just mix the Metricide 14 at a 1:1 ratio with RO or Distilled water. The amount you use in your tank depends on how high lighting is, how many plants and especially how many fast growing plants there are, and how high your bio-load is. Normal dosing is 1ml Glut per every 10g of water. Honestly 1ml of Glut per every 5g of water works very well for most tanks. If you have a high light tank or lots of plants, especially fast growing ones then usually 1ml of Glut for every 2 gallons of water is needed. The highest light tanks need 1ml Glut to every 1 gallon. Even the directions on the Excel bottle states more may be needed in high production tanks. I've done a lot of testing with Glut and the above amounts is what I've found to work. Another thing is if you ever truly overdose Glut or Excel your tank water will cloud up shortly after adding the Glut or Excel but will be clear by the next day since liquid carbon only stays in solution 12-24 hours.
Just mix the Metricide 14 at a 1:1 ratio with RO or Distilled water. The amount you use in your tank depends on how high lighting is, how many plants and especially how many fast growing plants there are, and how high your bio-load is. Normal dosing is 1ml Glut per every 10g of water. Honestly 1ml of Glut per every 5g of water works very well for most tanks. If you have a high light tank or lots of plants, especially fast growing ones then usually 1ml of Glut for every 2 gallons of water is needed. The highest light tanks need 1ml Glut to every 1 gallon. Even the directions on the Excel bottle states more may be needed in high production tanks. I've done a lot of testing with Glut and the above amounts is what I've found to work. Another thing is if you ever truly overdose Glut or Excel your tank water will cloud up shortly after adding the Glut or Excel but will be clear by the next day since liquid carbon only stays in solution 12-24 hours.
Awesome info! Thank you.
I've read that I shouldn't use excel cuz I have jungle Val. But I've also read that I can at low doses. Which is accurate? I have a low light system with lots if fish and other plants lol. I'm new to this so not quite sure what info to give you.
Niccobacci11
Aquarium Advice Freak
So you ahould start at half the recommended dose amount and if the jungle Val's are doing ok after a week or so I would bump it up alittle. And if they start to melt or not look as good dial it back to where they were doing fine.
That's what I was thinking. Using half a dose or even a quarter and slowly increase the dose over a month or so.
Sillyfishies
Aquarium Advice Addict
Instead of mixing the metricide with RO, can't you just half the dose?
Niccobacci11
Aquarium Advice Freak
Yes I guess you could do that
Yes you can. I just like to mix it since I've used liquid carbon so many years I'm used to it being the same strength as Excel and would probably forget and overdose if I used it straight.
Jungle Val is very sensitive to liquid carbons and you would be best starting with a 1/4 dose everyday for 2-3 weeks. If the Vals are fine then up it to 1/2 dose everyday for 2-3 weeks. Just keep building your level up to full strength or stop and back down if you see any melting.
Sillyfishies
Aquarium Advice Addict
And I don't understand why anyone would buy excel instead of metricide. Excel is 15$ metricide is 20$. Excel is 500ml and metricide is 2 gallons.
Mebbid
Aquarium Advice Addict
Lack of knowledge and ease of access.
So what do you use? And for how long have you been using it?
