I think excel is a safer version of glut. Something about it being polymerised for safer handling etc but don’t quote me on this.
I’ve been using easy carbo for good reason and good effect. Personally I would never use metricide or full strength glut. If I’m being stitched up by the companies on this one I’ll take it for slight piece of mind.
I’m sure Fresh2O uses glut and he has tons of snails.
It has now been proven apparently the glut or proponents thereof actually remove the periphyton membrane coating leaf surfaces. The periphyton (just like the boundary layer) add another layer of complexity for gas transfer in and out of the leaves so removing this layer maximises nutrient (including co2) uptake. With good flow you can actually decrease the thickness of the boundary layer further increasing gas transfer efficiency.
I don’t know how glut effects the other microorganisms within the tank but I do know that the differences of using it in a co2 and non co2 injected tank are night and day. Anything that improves the health of plants improves the health of the system so T.Maier if you have excel on hand you could start using it at manufacturer dosing instructions.
I’ve been using easycarbo with nerite snails and shrimp. It’s the gas they don’t like, that becomes clear when there is too much.
As for phosphate to control GSA (not potassium [emoji846]) I read an article recently that suggested it was the over eutrophication of water ways that made green algae and other types disappear. They look ‘clean’ because the are clear when in actual fact they are highly polluted. I wonder if this is why GSA disappears when adding lots of phosphate.
Again if the plants are growing....
Here you can see the differences in my Anubis leaves when I had the 180. Fully injected, easycarbo with EI macros.
I was using 2 x T5HO bulbs both with reflectors at about 20 inch
If you go off this chart
You will see that I was running about 150 PAR. What some would call very highlight. Anubis grew better than ever. As did everything. Soil substrate mind....