Seachem Flourish Excel for Hair Algae?

M

Mooch1

AC Members
Dec 19, 2004
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Hello all,

First off, im new around here and this is my first post. Im acutally a huge hockey fan, but with the lock-out and all this year, i decided too take on a new hobby. So i purchased a 72 gallon Oceanic Bow front tank 2 months ago, and filled it with live plants after about a week of setup without fish. Well, ive just recently had a major out break of hair Algae.

Well anyways, i did some research on the net, and found that Seachem Flourish Excel (liquid C02) is a great source for getting rid of this stuff in your tank if used on a regulat basis (every day or every other). What id like to know is, is there any truth to this. Has any one ever used this product and had good results. Also, what other benefits may i gain from using this liquid C02?

Im sure this has been answered many times around here, but id deeply appreciate some help or opinions on this matter!

Thank you. :)

PS: Any Hab fans here :D
 
Hiya :D
Welcome to AC and the hobby!
I'm going to take a wild stab at this one - I could be way off here, just my thoughts.
Good plant growth tends to hold algae in check. Many people, myself included, who've had an outbreak of any algae, have found that upping fertilizers and CO2 along with providing good lighting have caused plant growth to improve so the plants can outcompete the algae.
Based on that, I'd say that adding the Flourish Excel may supply plants with the carbon they need to start outcompeting the algae. If this is the reason it helps, I'd say inject CO2 instead.

My husband is a HUGE Habs fan btw ;)
 
Last edited:
Blinky said:
Hiya :D
Welcome to AC and the hobby!
I'm going to take a wild stab at this one - I could be way off here, just my thoughts.
Good plant growth tends to hold algae in check. Many people, myself included, who've had an outbreak of any algae, have found that upping fertilizers and CO2 along with providing good lighting have caused plant growth to improve so the plants can outcompete the algae.
Based on that, I'd say that adding the Flourish Excel may supply plants with the carbon they need to start outcompeting the algae. If this is the reason it helps, I'd say inject CO2 instead.

My husband is a HUGE Habs fan btw ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks Blinky, ive heard simular things about C02. However the product im using is acutally also a algaecide, but not advertised as one according to the FAQ on the web site of the product. I actually just added it today, and already over around 10 hours my hair Algae has gone white and seems to be dieing off.......

Heres the website for anyone whos interested: http://www.seachem.com/support/FAQs/FlourishExcel_faq.html

Isnt it ironic though that this form of Algae is a sign of a very healthy tank :p

Anyways, im glad to here that your married to a Hab fan! does he ever goto a sight called HFBoards.com? It the biggest and best hockey website around. Ive been posting there for over a year now under the same name......Mooch

And yeah.......nice to meat you too :D
 
Interesting concept, I used Excell for a while, and can honestly say I didn't have any hair algea at the time I was using it. But then I don't have a lot now without excell, It wouldn't be difficult at all to seperate the use of
CO2, and excell and see if Excell really does kill hair algea. Or if the simple addition of plant available carbon in any form will have the same results.
While I don't totally beleive the manufacturers claims yet, this would be a good subject for further testing IMHO.
Dave
 
I've got little useful to add, except for this:
Flourish folks said:
However CO2 by itself will give you quantitatively more growth than Excel by itself...
Click to expand...
This page seemed refreshingly honest for info. offered by a company trying to sell a product. I also liked their statement that the user should not overdose, even though doing so would sell more of their product.

On a side note, I lived in Mtl for 6 years, so I'm a bit of Habs fan by default. Although my father in law is a TML fan...
 
happychem said:
I've got little useful to add, except for this:

This page seemed refreshingly honest for info. offered by a company trying to sell a product. I also liked their statement that the user should not overdose, even though doing so would sell more of their product.

On a side note, I lived in Mtl for 6 years, so I'm a bit of Habs fan by default. Although my father in law is a TML fan...
Click to expand...

Yes, the web site did seem honest. Ill try to find other links for people who have posted their personal experiences with the excel....

And its great to see so many Hab fans here!!
 
Just in case anyone mis-construed my skepticism, I by no means meant to imply that I thought they were fabricating information. Only that it would be a good thing to test further. I already ordered some Excell from Big Al's this morning, and will be searching for a good source of hair algea today (Wow I wonder if those words have ever been said before)
Dave
 
I don't think that your words were mis-construed. I remain skeptical about the direct benefits of Excel vs. hair algae. I suspect that the elimitation of hair algae was from an increase to plant growth, and not some chemical property of Excel.

That said, I don't know and it would be tricky to test. You'd need 4 tanks with about the same amount of hair algae:
1 - do nothing but regular maintenance, identical to the other 3
2 - use CO2 and proper nutrient dosing to increase plant growth
3 - use Excel and proper nutrient dosing to increase plant growth
4 - No plants except hair algae, dose Excel same as tank #3

Actually, a 5th tank with both Excel and CO2 may be good as well to see if perhaps it's both together that are boosting growth sufficiently.

There are porbably some other variables I've forgotten, I suppose there should probably be 2 control tanks, one planted and one not. Anyway, not an easy experiment, but living systems never are, too many variables to isolate, and often it's not one variable but a certain combination of several that produces the desired/undesired results...
 
I guess I was thinking in the opposite direction. Disproving it's effectiveness against hair algea would be easier, of course once that was accomplished, If its effectiveness was not disproved, one would still need to prove it's effectiveness in the manner you describe. I should have 5 tanks available within a couple of months, but will have to work on the hair alge growth. I did use excell in all of my tanks for some time, even after I started the DIY Co2, I used up what remained of the excell in conjunction with the Co2. I now have some hair algea on one plant, but you could probably put my entire crop of the stuff in a 1 sq inch area and it did not show up immediatly upon the depletion of my excell supply.
I am now debating removal of the algea, as the experimental bug in me is going bonkers. I may also wait until I get the other three utility tanks set, I had intended to start them with plants from my current tanks, and the reduction in plant mass may be what creates the algea base needed.
I feel like I'm strongly considering shooting myself in the foot for something R.T.R. or T.B. probably already know lot about.
Dave
 
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