Excel melting plants?

Someone said that the bottle started to stink, even though they kept it in the refrigerator. So far, I've only found the one reference to the smell, so I think it was probably not a reliable source.
 
I don't keep mine in the fridge... am I supposed to? I'll have to check the label. I wonder if the smell was BECAUSE he kept it in the fridge- although I can't imagine why since colder temperatures reduce the rate of chemical reactions.

If you do switch over- it'll be interesting to hear your thoughts since you have used excel in the past and may be able to provide some sort of comparative analysis.


What DOES stink is my bottle of prime... that stuff smells wretched.
 
Honestly, I've just started using excel - mainly to combat beard algae delevoping on my swords. (On the swords, and some on the pennywort. NONE on the anubias. Is that wierd, or what?) I would have started using it a while ago, if it had less risk associated with it. That is why I'm looking at the Florin-Axis now. I figure by the time the bottle is up (1 month), I will have *some* experience with it....
 
okay... you guys know what excel is?

It's a dangerous chemical compound similar to nitrate or nitrite. It can cause chemical burns on exposed skin or even fish if not dosed properly.

IMHO, don't use excel. BAD idea to dump corrosive compounds into your tank.

Where are you getting this info?
 
I don't keep mine in the fridge... am I supposed to? I'll have to check the label. I wonder if the smell was BECAUSE he kept it in the fridge- although I can't imagine why since colder temperatures reduce the rate of chemical reactions.

If you do switch over- it'll be interesting to hear your thoughts since you have used excel in the past and may be able to provide some sort of comparative analysis.


What DOES stink is my bottle of prime... that stuff smells wretched.

:iagree: Prime smells terrible. I hope my fish love the sulfur stench.
 
Especially since seachem (for obvious reasons) does not release a specific forumla for excel...

According to their website:

The reason plants need CO2 is to produce longer chain carbon compounds also known as photosynthetic intermediates. Photosynthetic intermediates includes compounds such as ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate, and 2-carboxy-3-keto-D-arabinitol 1,5 bisphosphate. Although the names are complicated, the structures are quite simple (5 carbon chains). Flourish Excel™ does not contain these specific compounds per se, but one that is quite similar. By dosing with Flourish Excel™ you bypass the involvement of CO2 and introduce the already finished, structurally similar compounds. It is in its structural similarity that Flourish Excel™ is able to be utilized in the carbon chain building process of photosynthesis. Simple chemical or enzymatic steps can easily convert it to any one to any one of the above named compounds (or a variety of others).

I have no idea where you would get "corrosive chemical" out of that description...
 
I've heard that polycycloglutaracetal is the active ingredient of Excel.
 
Just FYI, someone on plantedtank.net says they've used glutaracetal and Florin-Axis (at different times) and that the glutaracetal had a much more noticeable positive effect on flora growth.
 
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