Flourish Excel wiped out the hair algae!

so it kills shrimp... but not snails.... interesting.... I wanted some shrimp too :(
 
Quartermain said:
Sorry, this is certifiably false. I can prove it because I have grow tanks that have no fish (and thus no ammonium) but still have algae. Algae, like most plants, probably prefers hydrogen bound (NH4) over oxygen bound nitrogen (NO2, NO3) because it is generally easier to metabolize. I know for a fact that it does not require it.



Terrestrial fertilizers contain a cornucopia of highly concentrated mineral nutrients. The algae probably isn't consuming the ammonium so much as taking advantage of the excess nitrates that the plants, most of which also prefer ammonium, are now ignoring, in addition to the excess nutrients in the water column.
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Fish waste is only one source of ammonium, decaying plant matter and some bacterial byproducts also generate ammonium. One thing is for sure, high levels of nitrates, phosphates, and trace minerals do not lead to algae problems alone. I've tripled the recommended amount of ferts before making sure I'm at excessive levels with no algae growth.
 
DarkSoul said:
so it kills shrimp... but not snails.... interesting.... I wanted some shrimp too :(
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I have used Excel with both shrimp and snails with no adverse effects. I think that the key is not to 'shock' the water parameters here - the first thing to do when you first get a chemical is to put full dose (or even more) of it - and in a depleted water column, that can be a drastic change. Invertebrates traditionally are more sensitive to parameter changes.

From my experience (and only mine!), I'd say that it is more than possible to use Flourish with snails and/or shrimp - but I would slowly increase the amount that you are using.

I'm actually experimenting with NPK - I finally found a local supplier of it. Watch this have adverse effects ;).
 
Excel does not kill snails, ghost shrimp, or cherry shrimp. I'm using 3 times the recommended dosage with no casualties.

Her ghost shrimp (she stated some ghost shrimp deaths) could have died for any number of reasons, including the fact they naturally have short life spans.
 
I'd be interested to hear if other people have lost shrimp after using Excel. The day after I added my first dose I woke up to piles of dead ghost shrimp in both tanks. I don't think this was a result of their naturally short life span.
 
Vals = Jungle Valisneria? (sp?) If so, mine aren't doing so hot with the Excel either, but I don't care much for them anyway. Probably going to ditch them soon.
 
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