I was wondering if anyone have experience with this Seachem Flourish Excel. I have a 5 gallon nano tank with lots of shrimp, 3 cpd, and 2 oto cats. I don't use any CO2 and have anubias, java moss, hornwort that are doing well. I am trying to grow my Japanese Hydrocotyle and Red Ludwigia Mini. I want to know if anyone has success with this and will it kill the shrimps. Also I have these green hair moss algae growing on my driftwood that I like and want to keep. I read somewhere that this might kill algae? I read about making sure to not overdose.
CPDTimmy
Excel is an excellent product and you will not have problems with algae if you won't leave the light 24/7. Is shrimp safe, I have a shrimp tank without CO2 only with Excel every morning when I turn the light on.
My only problem with Excel is that work so well that I can't stop using it and the price. I get 2 500ml every time trying to save some money. I know exist a cleaning product that can be used too. I forgot the name. Metri-something.
My only problem with Excel is that work so well that I can't stop using it and the price. I get 2 500ml every time trying to save some money. I know exist a cleaning product that can be used too. I forgot the name. Metri-something.
Some think of it as 'liquid carbon', but it's not!
Excel is a form of gluteraldehyde, which is a sterilizer and in a more concentrated form is used to sterilize heat sensitive medical and dental equipment.
It will kill algae and is an effective remediation for black beard algae which can be a bear to eradicate. Some plants are also sensitive and will wilt/melt when it's used.
But some love it and use it regularly. I used it once in desperation to get rid of BBA, but wouldn't recommend it's routine use.
Excel is a form of gluteraldehyde, which is a sterilizer and in a more concentrated form is used to sterilize heat sensitive medical and dental equipment.
It will kill algae and is an effective remediation for black beard algae which can be a bear to eradicate. Some plants are also sensitive and will wilt/melt when it's used.
But some love it and use it regularly. I used it once in desperation to get rid of BBA, but wouldn't recommend it's routine use.
I just order this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019HZR2N6/
Metrex 10-2800 MetriCide 28 High-Level Disinfectant/Sterilant, 1 gal Capacity
Is this the same thing than Excel right?
In amazon someone wrote:
"I use this as a replacement for Excel in my aquarium. works great. 2 parts of water to 3 parts of metricide 28 makes exact dose as excel. I use 2 empty 500ML Excel bottles. I mix 400ML water with 600ML of this Metricide, and refill the bottles. easy peasy."
Is this true ?
Metrex 10-2800 MetriCide 28 High-Level Disinfectant/Sterilant, 1 gal Capacity
Is this the same thing than Excel right?
In amazon someone wrote:
"I use this as a replacement for Excel in my aquarium. works great. 2 parts of water to 3 parts of metricide 28 makes exact dose as excel. I use 2 empty 500ML Excel bottles. I mix 400ML water with 600ML of this Metricide, and refill the bottles. easy peasy."
Is this true ?
MetriCide is a common brand name for the key ingredient used in excell. Note in excell it is diluted somewhat with water. I don't know the dosage conversion from excell to MetriCide. Technically the chemical is called Glutaraldehyde:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutaraldehyde
It is an organic acid that strongly reacts to proteins. This property make it very useful for sterilizing medical equipment. Plants and animals are somewhat resistant to low levels of it but algae is more susceptible. While it is not CO2 it will break it down to CO2. I have also read it is chemically similar to a chemical plants use to collect CO2. So plants can consume it directly to get the carbon they need to grow. Mixed in with a fertilizer solution it can extend the shelf life and help prevent bacteria and fungal growth in the bottle.
Gluconic acid is used to make some salts such as iron gluconate and calcium gluconate (used to treat acid burns) . Gluconic acid is a acidic form of sugar and is rapidly consumed by bacteria which will convert it to CO2. Plants maybe able to also use it directly as a carbon source.
Since all of the above are acids or are available as salts, there are limits as to how much you can add to a tank. So it may not be possible to get enough in a tank to fully elimination the need for CO2. But it can be helpful to an aquarium.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutaraldehyde
It is an organic acid that strongly reacts to proteins. This property make it very useful for sterilizing medical equipment. Plants and animals are somewhat resistant to low levels of it but algae is more susceptible. While it is not CO2 it will break it down to CO2. I have also read it is chemically similar to a chemical plants use to collect CO2. So plants can consume it directly to get the carbon they need to grow. Mixed in with a fertilizer solution it can extend the shelf life and help prevent bacteria and fungal growth in the bottle.
Gluconic acid is used to make some salts such as iron gluconate and calcium gluconate (used to treat acid burns) . Gluconic acid is a acidic form of sugar and is rapidly consumed by bacteria which will convert it to CO2. Plants maybe able to also use it directly as a carbon source.
Since all of the above are acids or are available as salts, there are limits as to how much you can add to a tank. So it may not be possible to get enough in a tank to fully elimination the need for CO2. But it can be helpful to an aquarium.
I'm I correct, metricide is just dilute glutaraldehyde. Excel is not glut, it's polycycloglutaracetal, which according to Seachem is an isomeric form of glutaraldehyde. So they are not the same. Same composition, but the atoms are arranged differently. Apparently the isomeric form is safer and less reactive.
In my personal experience I haven't found excel to be effective as a carbon booster. Maybe a little bit for fast growing non-CO2 plants, but for more demanding plants it's essentially useless. It is much better at killing algae, which makes sense because it's another form of glut, a biocide.
The regular dose applied directly to algae is most effective. I use a pipette to apply it to affected areas during a water change, when the plants are exposed. That way the excel won't immediately get swept away by water. I don't leave it on for too long, to avoid hurting the plant.
In my personal experience I haven't found excel to be effective as a carbon booster. Maybe a little bit for fast growing non-CO2 plants, but for more demanding plants it's essentially useless. It is much better at killing algae, which makes sense because it's another form of glut, a biocide.
The regular dose applied directly to algae is most effective. I use a pipette to apply it to affected areas during a water change, when the plants are exposed. That way the excel won't immediately get swept away by water. I don't leave it on for too long, to avoid hurting the plant.
BBA is especially stubborn. I treated the entire tank at 1.5 to 2x the recommended dose. HOWEVER, I stopped as soon as the BBA was no longer in control.
Base on what I research online,
polycycloglutaracetal = glutaraldehyde diluted in Water, that's why Seachem claim is not glutaraldehyde and is an easier form to be utilized by the plants. I will try to find the link from who explain this.
You can do the same thing at home.
polycycloglutaracetal = glutaraldehyde diluted in Water, that's why Seachem claim is not glutaraldehyde and is an easier form to be utilized by the plants. I will try to find the link from who explain this.
You can do the same thing at home.
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