Flourish Excel users

Shocker6966

Shocker6966

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Nov 5, 2006
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Peterborough, Ontario
Just a lesson I learned the hard way that I wanted to share with everyone else.

I've been running a low tech planted setup with flourish excel in place of gaseous CO2 and recently have run into algae problems as the growth level of my tank advances and it's no longer economical to continue increasing the Flourish Excel dosage. I found my answer in reducing the fertilizer dosage. Actually, I haven't dosed it in 2 weeks and the algae is losing the battle with no ill effect to the plants. Once the algae is gone completely, I'll be resuming the addition of ferts, but at a lower dosage until I get switched to compressed CO2.
 
But once your plants use up their reserves of nutrients, then algae will be back. Light should be your limiting factor before CO2 or ferts are.
 
Shocker6966 said:
Just a lesson I learned the hard way that I wanted to share with everyone else.

I've been running a low tech planted setup with flourish excel in place of gaseous CO2 and recently have run into algae problems as the growth level of my tank advances and it's no longer economical to continue increasing the Flourish Excel dosage. I found my answer in reducing the fertilizer dosage. Actually, I haven't dosed it in 2 weeks and the algae is losing the battle with no ill effect to the plants. Once the algae is gone completely, I'll be resuming the addition of ferts, but at a lower dosage until I get switched to compressed CO2.
Click to expand...

How low tech are we talking here? The addition of ferts/Co2 is useless if there is not enough light as Riiz said. The plants aren't able to make us of what you are dosing and so the algae capitalizes on the excess nutrients and goes nuts.
 
I have just over 2w/gallon on 150G of mixed T12 and compact fluorescents. Spectrums range from 3000k high red plant bulbs to 6500k daylight bulbs. I'll be switching to straight compact fluorescents soonish and the sky is the limit in terms of wattage per gallon. I was counting on a couple 250W metal halide fixtures from a LFS that was renovating recently, but it seems they've reconsidered selling them and have just relocated them within the store.
 
how much are you "increasing" the dosage by?

it's not there as a suggestion, its there as a maximum. any overdosing you do is at the risk of your plants and fish.
 
What does that take, a bottle a day? ;)

Seriously, CO2 will be much much cheaper and more effective.
 
I agree that pressurized is way cheaper then excel on that large of a tank. For a tank that sized thats getting up there in terms of lighting. You will likely see the algae returning soon if you keep the ferts to low. What kind of plants do you have anyways? Are they all heavy root feeders?
 
Wow, yeah three capfuls or more a day on a 150g of excel would get pricey.
I am switching to pressurized co2 as soon as I can for that reason, and mines only 75g. Stuff does work though!!
 
I added about 120watts of compact fluorescents not too long ago to compensate for the dead zones left by overlapping 2 4 foot fixtures. As for what I have for plants, wysteria, vals, hygros, java ferns and moss rooted on mopani, anubias on mopani, some bacopa that has just started taking off, roseafolia, amazon swords and a dwarf lily pad that just came back to life suddenly after a long dormancy. As for doasage, it's not as bad as you would think. It's about a bottle every 10 days or so. I agree that compressed is the way to go, I just don't have the time to put it all together at the moment. One of my kids is 3, the other is almost 2, I commute 3 hours round trip a day, and work 10 hour shifts. It's not always like this, but it's been a busy year. Right now, the extent of my fishkeeping time stops at upkeep and maintenance.

As for the update on the condition of the tank, most of the algae is gone now, I'll be resuming the ferts soon. As for growing conditions in the tank, my sword sprouts new leaves at a rate of 2ish a week, my vals need a trimming of up to 2 feet every other week and have sprouted 3 runners in 2 weeks and my hygros are about 12" around and 18" tall and bushy.
 
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