# Flourish excel??



## Ricker (Nov 23, 2007)

Is Flourish excel good? Guy at LFS told me he uses it instead of C02 and gets good results. So my question is it just has good as using C02 or even better. Right now I have a 6g Fluval edge with a moss ball and two unidentified plants on my driftwood. Plan on getting java moss. I know I have so low light plants right now but I want my plants to take off and flourish. Here is a picture of my tank please try and help ID the plants.


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## Stefler (Jun 12, 2010)

Those kinda look like java ferns?? i have one and it looks just like that. But i also have flourish excel anddd i use c02 my plants exploded haha they started off realllly bad but have just taken off i have a 10 gallon and i use flourish excel, flourish potassium, DIY c02 and bought some little plant tabs that you place in the substrate just under or near the plant. anyway i would recommend using the flourish excel! it seemed to save my plants its also mentioned in a sticky in the plant section called "so you want a planted tank" should give it a read was quite helpful with lots of plant stuff


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Excel supplies the same nutrient as Co2, the carbon. So a tank that would benefit from Co2 will likely also benefit from excel. Its more money than DIY Co2, but IMO a bit safer and easier. I don't think it would adequately substitute for CO2 at the high light, demanding plants, but is an option for low & low-medium light set-ups. In the long run, tank Co2 is cheaper than excel, but the start-up cost (regulator, tank, etc.) is high and there is a lot of learning involved. Excel is simple. 

Use it to kill hair algae by spraying it directly on the stuff when the tank is low for a water change. But it is known to "melt" crypts and bother some other plants. 

If you have some live plants and want to try something, Excel is worth a shot. I see a progression of people who do excel first, then DIY (yeast in bottle CO2) and then end up with pressurize CO2 in the end. Thats when the tank is stuffed with plant and you need shades to look at their tank light.


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## Ricker (Nov 23, 2007)

thanks says i should add some every other day should i or like once a wseek


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I would plan on using as directed, but start with once a week and get more frequent as time passes. Its supposed to be safe, even up twice a day (double the label dose). But I believe in starting anything new slowly and watching for ill effects. I think the signs of too much excel are similar to too much Co2, a falloff of pH and fish acting like they need oxygen (gasping at surface). Excel is supposed to be the one "fert" that will grow plants preferentially to algae, but watch for algae bloom also.


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## Ricker (Nov 23, 2007)

ya i had a neon tetra die today but i dont know what got him think it could of been filter he was little


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