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So being in the dorm I can't really have a
pressurized tank of CO2 in my room. and I also cant
go about letting yeast ferment alcohol in my room.
Also it is no longer within my budget to purchase
pressurized gas.

So after watching my tank slowly fall apart over the
past 6 months I have decided that I am going to have
to supplmenet C in some form. And I realized hey
Excel is carbon. I know, As long as I have been in
the hobby how did it take me so long after realizing
I couldn't do CO2 to think of excel. it was one of
my duller moments

So I have ordered 2L of Flourish Excel. I'll be
using this thread to update on it's usage and see if
it's trully succesful as a CO2 replacement.

Megil

Megil,

Excellent idea

Just for completion purposes, why don't you list some details about your tank, like light, substrate, plants, ferts, filter, maintenance routine, and what ever you can think of

Are you plannning to add Excel every day?

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Aye good idea
20G tall

• Lighting: 130W Coral Life CF light fixture 6700K.
  Substrate:Eco-complete 40lbs. 2-3" substrate
  Filtration: Eheim 2213

Plants:
Ludwigia Repens
Cryptocoryne Wendtii
Cryptocoryne Retrospiralis
Mini moss(sry don't know Sci. name)
Micranthenum umbrosum
Nymphea sp.
Eleocharis sp.(dwarf hairgrass)

Maintenance: 50% weekly WC
Ferts: KNO3 every other day. (not sure on th actual size of the dosage use the small spoon that comes with seachem test kits)
Enema for phophates. 2 drops every other day.
1/2 teaspoon of Iodine once a month for the shrimp.

Yeah either every day or ever other day. hence the 2L instead of teh 250ml size.

Wow, that's a lot of light on a 20G tank. I'm surprised it hasn't turned into algae city!

But excellent idea to put this process into log form, you're already adding all the other necessary ingredients along with plenty of light, this should give everyone a good idea of how well excel can work for a setup like yours

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Back in the saddle!

The Excel will also help to avoid some types of algae before the can settle in.

Megil, as you might know, I use Excel to kill off some BBA that had settled in my big tank twice.

In am also curious as to how your Cryptocoryne Retrospiralis will turn out. Mine has leaves that are 30" long .

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hi Alex !

Definately interested to see how usage of Excel improves things in your tank. With 2L you're not playing around !

I picked up a 250ml bottle last weekend as an algae preventative and to hopefully increase photosynthesis
in my 'Mosstainers'


ps - and the password is....... Bryophyte

The Amazon Nut...

Wow, that's a lot of light on a 20G tank. I'm surprised it hasn't turned into algae city!

Yeah I know. I haven't had any problems with algea
really. got a bit of staghorn recently but overall I
haven't had any issues watsoever with the stuff.

The Excel will also help to avoid some types of algae before the can settle in.

That's an added bonus that I look forwards to. might clean
up my dwarf hairgrass.

In am also curious as to how your Cryptocoryne Retrospiralis will turn out. Mine has leaves that are 30" long

Yeah It's can get big. but mine has never produced leaves
over 20" long in the tank. I usually trim any leaves that
get to large. my crypts love sending out runners

Excel has arrived. after 50% WC I have now started the dosing.

I have so far seen some algae turn pinkish/red. which is a good sign

Shopping is fun



The Amazon Nut...

I have not started the dosing

That is a spelling error, right Megil? You mean to say "I have now started".

I derive this from the statement that follows this quoted line, the fact that some algae turns red. Yes, this is a good sign, but usualy doesn't happen right after you dose for the first time. Or did it turn red all by itself (and you really haven't started dosing)? Then I would almost say that there is a problem, otherwise it wouldn't die on its own (without you making other major changes to your fertilizer routine).

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

yeah sry lol I'm the worst typer ever . Edited and fixed Typos.

Yeah I started dosing. and within 24hours have seen portion of the algea turn a pinkish color on the tips. The algae has not had enough exposure to have en masse die off yet, but there has been damage done to the algae already.

I am dosing as follows:
2 teasppons (10mL) after every 50% waterchange.
then 1/4 teaspoon (1.25mL) every morning.

Effect on plants yet to be seen, as it's only day 3 of dosing.