Flourish Excel Dose for 5.5G

[Aries]

How much Flourish Excel should I do for a planted tank that contains Asian Ambulia(Limnophila sesiliflora), Tiger Lotus ,Red(Nymphaea zenkeri), Vals, Italian(Vallisneria spiralis) and Ciliata(Cryptocoryne ciliata)?

The bottle states to use:

DIRECTIONS: On initial use or after a major (> 40%) water change, use 1 capful (5 mL) for every 40 L (10 gallons*). Thereafter use 1 capful for every 200 L (50 gallons*) daily or every other day. Dosing may be slowly increased in high-growth aquariums. For smaller dosing please note that each cap thread is approximately 1 mL. DO NOT OVERDOSE

The "DO NOT OVERDOSE" is what has me. Therefore according to instructions I should add 2.75mL after a water change and 0.55 mL daily.

Problem - plants do not seem not to be pearling at all. The crypts are melting but according to my research that is because of transplanting and they should be fine once the get used to the water.

I just fixed my light so the Asian Ambulia(Limnophila sesiliflora) should be getting more light and thus looking less "brown".

The Tiger Lotus ,Red(Nymphaea zenkeri) is still out to lunch - could be good - could be bad - not known yet.

Vals, Italian(Vallisneria spiralis) dont seem to do well either.


Question 1 - Does Excel allow plants to pearl????
Question 2 - If I increase my dosing - how detrimental will it be to fish?

Spec
5.5G Puffer tank
AC 20 filter
2 13W Twisty (corkscrew output) CF Daylight lights (on each side of tank)
1 14W Tube NO light along the back.
90% Flourite mix
Dose full nutrient regiment using Excel as CO2.

Fish
2 Dwarf Puffers
2 Ottos

Thanks

Aries

 

[jeep8rus]

Oxygen saturation in the water is what causes plants to pearl. It's when the o2 isn't absorbed in the water and builds up under leaves.

-Russ

 

[TKOS]

You won't get pearling with excell flourish as it is a liquid carbon source and not CO2.

 

[Aries]

Now then...

Ok, I just bought 500mL of Excel specifically for two 5.5G tanks. I am presuming the plants will grow - or else why would I have bought this - yes? I know that sounds like dumb question but I know nothing about it and I am used to the "greatness" of presurized CO2 (I just can not afford to split off from my existing tank which will cost ~$100 for the two 5.5G tanks).

Should I continue with the Excel or just swallow the cost and write it off somehow to get pressurized CO2?

I want these tanks to look great but still keep costs down. If Excel will make the plants look great (but not pearl) that is fine by me - I have gas exchange via my AC 20.

Thoughts......


Thanks

Aries

 

[TKOS]

I have been using Excel with great results in small 5 and 10 gallon tanks. With light at 2.5 to 3 wpg and minimal algae growth.

 

[Stefanie]

Excel has negative impact on some plants... on of them are vals, then there is hornwart and some others I do not recall. If you want to make sure your plants are compatible, you should take a look at seachems FAQ site...

 

[stcyrwm]

Excel will help your plants even though they don't pearl, not as much as CO2 but still helpful and of course simpler.

As for overdosing, my tiger nerite snails go to the top first when my dosing gets high and if I really push it the fish go to the top. As an example in my 37 gallon tank (about 30g water) snails go up at 2 capfuls/day and fish go up at any higher than that. I keep it a little lower and everyone seems happy.

Hope that helps.........

PS
I'm using cap from 500 ml bottle. I noticed Seachem has same instructions on different size bottles so I'm not positive of size of this cap.

 

[djlen]

If your CO2 tank is close by, you can add your two 5.5's to it very simply, by using a couple of brass(I use plastic) 'T's to split off and a $6 needle valve for each tank.
I've been running a 10 and a 5.5 off the same 20# tank for close to two years now using this method. Works great.
Here is what I dose (Excel, in conjunction with pressurized CO2): 1ml after water change and .5 - 1ml daily. I have gone higher than that when I've seen the occasional BBA sprigs show up. Never had any adverse reaction to fish.
I can't imagine Excel having a negative affect on any plants unless it's been dramatically over-dosed, which is hard to do if common sense is used.
As stated above, plants will pearl with o2 saturation. Get the plants growing well(takes time) and they will eventually start to pearl when they start to push more o2 than is being used.

Len

 

[Stefanie]

Sorry Len, but I have to disagree... here is a quote from the web page:

Q: I've been using Flourish Excel for the 4 days, and I've noticed that my Anacharis seems to be dying, while my other plants are doing fine. Why is this?
A: Anacharis is a particularly sensitive species (known to be sensitive to high temperature, trace copper, formaldehyde etc.). It is also sensitive to Flourish Excel. If you have Anacharis in an aquarium in which you are dosing Flourish Excel we recommend using Flourish Excel every other day rathter than daily.

Also, on the plantgeek forums there have been reported problems with several species (vals, hornwart), and I have experienced the same with those plants. Cutting back on the dosage seems to be recommended for certain species.
Other than that it is really great, though.

 

[djlen]

I'm surprised to hear that.
I make my observations based on my personal experiences and have not had the same results as you have.
I don't keep anacharis but my Valisneria is thriving with a combination of CO2 and Excel. I do not use the Excel at bottle recommendations for the most part however.
Just to give the carbon content a boost.

Len