Importance of CO2 while using Excel?

[Quartermain]

Keeping the optimimum level of CO2 in my 10 gal tank is difficult. I have been dosing Excel 1ml/day. What is the word on the importance of CO2 when using Excel? Can you use one without the other or should you *always* have adequate KH/pH balance for optimal CO2 concentrations?

The tank is 10gal, 2.8W/gal, well planted. I have allowed KH to slowly dip over the last week or so. Current params KH = 2.8dk, pH = 7.4 and holding meaning CO2 is at 'ambient' concentration right now.

Thanks for any info.

[aquabillpers]

Excel is not a source of CO2; it is "liquid carbon", something quite different than CO2. The Ph-KH relationship doesn't work for Excel. You probabably have more carbon available than "ambient."

How are your plants doing? If they are growing well and you don't have an algae problem, don't worry about carbon availability. If you are having problems, there is a good chance that they are caused by nutrient inbalances rather than by insufficient carbon. Check your NO3 and your PO4.

Good luck.

Bill

[Blinky]

Excel and CO2 can be used independently, or together, but as Bill said they're different sources of carbon; you can't use pH as a measure of the amount of carbon available from Excel as you can with CO2.
If you're injecting CO2 I'd suggest making sure your KH is at least 3 to avoid a pH crash.

[Swimfins]

You can't measure excel carbon like you do injected co2.
Forget the kh, ph and gh if your using excel only.
Its a source of carbon. It is not carbon dioxide. As said above, it has no effect on ph or kh, and will not lower your kh by itself.
If your kh is 2.8dh before without co2 added, you might need to add crushed coral to your filter for awhile before you start up co2. Otherwise just continue with excel.

[Quartermain]

Hi... yeah there seems to be some confusion as to my question. I never thought that Excel was a source of CO2. I'm wondering how you even got that from my post. :)

But anyway I think Swimfins hit on the answer. So it's okay not to worry about CO2 if you're dosing Excel as the sole source of carbon. I assume then that plants assimilate both sources of carbon in the same way.

Some plants are doing fine. Others not. I don't know if it has to do with Excel or what. My Tinfoil Sword is melting and an anubias nana is turring dark bluish-green on one edge of one leaf. These plants were healthy before.

(edit) I'm sorry it's not turning bluish-green, it only looked like it from the top. The leaf has a large clear spot on it.

Maybe I should go back to a high KH? This is so frustrating. :)