[zender05472]

I currently have a Spec V tank that I was thinking of starting excel as the Dwarf Hair Grass while not dieing is not really thriving either and with a 20" finnex stingray, I don't think the light is a problem. So the question I have on dosing is the directions say to dose daily and right now I'm not at my house ever single day (staying a night or two at the girl friends house but I do swing by for clothes either that night or the next morning) because of this I wont be able to dose daily. Can I just dose when I'm there or will that not work.

 

[roostertech]

From what I read, excel only last a few hours after dosing so it is best to be dosed every day before photoperiod. You can always buy an automatic dosing pump

 

[Hoppy]

Excel lasts in effective amounts about 24 hours in the aquarium. You need to dose it daily if you want it to be a carbon source for the plants. If you just want to kill off some algae it doesn't matter if you do it a few days apart.

 

[The Coffee]

Missing a day here and there with excel doesn't really make a big difference IME, as long as it's not a long term thing.

If your light is strong enough that you NEED co2 then excel won't make a big difference. In the lower medium to low light it does improve growth but not dosing ocassionally won't hurt anything because the plants won't have no source of carbon to begin with anyway, just not as good as when there is excel present.

 

[Hoppy]

Missing a day here and there with excel doesn't really make a big difference IME, as long as it's not a long term thing.

If your light is strong enough that you NEED co2 then excel won't make a big difference. In the lower medium to low light it does improve growth but not dosing ocassionally won't hurt anything because the plants won't have no source of carbon to begin with anyway, just not as good as when there is excel present.

Excel does make a very noticeable difference even with low light tanks. I also found that missing doses of Excel did lead to some small BBA algae attacks. Nothing like when you miss having CO2 at consistent levels, but small BBA attacks. I believe in being consistent with what you dose, even though I can't prove it is essential.

Oddly enough, and on a slightly different subject, I'm finding that my 2 ml per 10 gallon dosage of Metricide 14 day is affecting my vals. For a year I had no problem, but lately the vals are shedding leaves. I'm near the bottom of the jug of Metricide, so it may be that the concentration of glut is a little stronger now.