Flourish Excel in a low tech tank.

[Patr1ck]

What does Flourish excel do in a low tech tank?

Thanks,
Pat

[TankWatcher]

It provides C02 for your plants in liquid form. In a low tech tank, you probably only need to add it once or twice a week, but it does help.

[KDodds]

Or, you may not need it at all, I don't dose CO2 in any form and everything is growing well, although maybe too slowly for some. Be aware that dosing CO2, if your lighting is on the lower end, may encourage algae, not plant, growth.

[geleen]

Like it a lot, makes a big difference. I dose 3-4 times per week.
John

[ltgoof]

Or, you may not need it at all, I don't dose CO2 in any form and everything is growing well, although maybe too slowly for some. Be aware that dosing CO2, if your lighting is on the lower end, may encourage algae, not plant, growth.


KDoodds is bang on. If you have a "not so heavily" planted tank you don't need to dose anything, I'm speaking on my own experience. However after I added so much plants, I noticed that plants are not that happy and algae are starting to show up.

Just a correction though, Excel is a liquid form of Carbon not CO2, as CO2 is gas which is already present on you water. Plants utilize the Carbon content of CO2 as their food.

[KDodds]

Woops, nice catch, thanks!

[cmich]

I have found that Excel is a great carbon source, and can be used with or without Co2 injection. IME my planted tank (no Co2 injection) does much better when I dose excel. I believe Kdodds and itgoof are right though, without proper lighting excel can lead to unwanted algae.

Blake

[waters10]

KDoodds is bang on. If you have a "not so heavily" planted tank you don't need to dose anything, I'm speaking on my own experience. However after I added so much plants, I noticed that plants are not that happy and algae are starting to show up.

Could you give a bit more details on what you noticed on the the plants?

I don't have co2 or dose excel at the moment, but I added more plants recently and I'm trying to pay more attention to how the plants are doing, so any hints on what to look for exactly, would be helpful.

Thanks!

[ltgoof]

Could you give a bit more details on what you noticed on the the plants?

I don't have co2 or dose excel at the moment, but I added more plants recently and I'm trying to pay more attention to how the plants are doing, so any hints on what to look for exactly, would be helpful.

Thanks!

I noticed that my limnophila rotundifolia stopped growing and turning brown. No green shoots showing up. Brown Algae starts showing on my anubias. Red Tiger Lotus are turning brown instead of it's redish leaves.

The most sensitive plant that I have on my tank is the L. Aromatica. It is very evident on this plant when there is something wrong, it's either brown algae is forming and their leaves starts to melt.

You'll noticed it, as they're appearance are not the same as before.

There is one instance, after I dosed excel then the lights was turned on, I noticed pearling on the Amazon sword leaves. I said to my self, this can't be real... :confused: After that I started dosing 2 caps a day and the rest is history. My Amazon sword have grown like crazy.

[bs6749]

Also note that Excel will most likely melt any vals and anacharis. I've tried it with both plants and they melted away just as others said they would.

[eaglejako]

it seems to work well for my tank, watch for algae though