# Algae and Seachem Excel



## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

It is really starting to irk me hearing everyone recommend Excel to get rid of algae. I want to see where this is proven because on a logical standpoint, excel is a plant supplement and algae is a plant meaning it will grow algae not control it. So where can I read up on this and find out different?


----------



## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Flint said:


> It is really starting to irk me hearing everyone recommend Excel to get rid of algae. I want to see where this is proven because on a logical standpoint, excel is a plant supplement and algae is a plant meaning it will grow algae not control it. So where can I read up on this and find out different?


I think you are mistaking Flourish Excel with Flourish Comprehensive.

Excel is liquid carbon so like CO2 systems, it kills algae. (Or at least that's the reasoning).


----------



## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

I am a member on another forum for aquarium plants and even their high tech, high light, CO2 injected tanks have algae issues. More so than normal tanks it seems. If CO2 kills algae then why is this the case? I am not mistaken, I am referring to Excel.


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

CO2 doesn't kill algae. If you want to combat algae (speaking generally, not just to you Flint) then you have to have the perfect balance. Excel (or CO2) is only one part of the puzzle, you also need to have adequate aeration (not to be confused with filtration) and the right plant selection.

There are reasons why plenty of low-tech tanks without CO2 injection don't have algal issues, they also have a balance; it's different balance to high tech tanks but it's all about the balancing.

So no, Excel does not get rid of algae unless you have the perfect balance. It helped in my tank but I also have high lighting situation, I dose Excel every day before my lights come on (best time to dose, you don't want CO2 high all day, it needs to have a natural fluctuation), I have medium-high light plants, and I dose Flourish Comprehensive twice a week with root tabs. I also have enough aeration to disperse the CO2 through the tank without killing my fish from too much CO2 and not enough oxygen.


----------



## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Flint said:


> I am a member on another forum for aquarium plants and even their high tech, high light, CO2 injected tanks have algae issues. More so than normal tanks it seems. If CO2 kills algae then why is this the case? I am not mistaken, I am referring to Excel.


Yes, CO2 injected tanks also have issues  No one is saying that they don't lol but that's why a lot of planted tank members blast CO2 the first few weeks of their planting to help reduce it.

If you are using high light, then people always say you HAVE to be using some sort of CO2 because you will run into more algae problems otherwise.

I think CO2 is recommended for battling algae because it makes the plants grow faster, therefore, they can compete better with algae and therefore eventually starve them out.

Excel is not the same as the fertilizer, which is what I thought you were getting confused with  Excel is liquid carbon -- a substitute for CO2.

Let me see if I can find a better written article on the planted tank forum I frequent


----------



## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

Excel is basically iron, which is a fert. :dunno:

I just cannot stand posts about algae eaters and someone comes along and says "just throw some Excel in there!" like it will magically kill off algae. In reality, this advice is way more likely to kill of fish. :-?

It sounds like the forum - even myself - needs some education on using Excel to combat algae rather than it being a fix-all solution.


----------



## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Here I found something else regarding Excel -- apparently it contains glutaraldehyde which is toxic to certain types of algae.

Not sure if it's true, but I have seen people recommend Excel to help battle algae, and I have seen it work so 
http://www.aquariumslife.com/featured/algae-control-with-flourish-excel/


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Also let it be noted that Excel is not the same thing as dosing a real CO2 system, even DIY. It's a supplement but not the real deal technically.

EDIT: also if there is algae, it's there for a reason whether it's too much ferts, not enough potash or phosphorous. Instead of covering it with Excel, they should be doing research to find out what the imbalance is in their tanks to correct it. Granted, I know plenty of people who have planted tanks and don't want to bother with this which is all fine but recommending Excel to kill off algae is not going to help anything. CO2 changes your pH and if it's constantly fluctuating like that, it's going to kill the fish too if improperly used.


----------



## taquitos (Jun 27, 2013)

Flint said:


> Excel is basically iron, which is a fert. :dunno:
> 
> I just cannot stand posts about algae eaters and someone comes along and says "just throw some Excel in there!" like it will magically kill off algae. In reality, this advice is way more likely to kill of fish. :-?



Hahaha okay yeah it definitely would not just magically kill off algae  I am definitely not saying it will XD I have just seen it help when people were trying to get rid of algae, but that was with the help of blackouts, reduced light periods, etc. etc.

And I didn't know Excel was just iron?? Why is there another Seachem product called Flourish Iron then?!?! :-?


----------



## tankman12 (Nov 13, 2012)

Also with gas co2 injections. It can range quite a bit. Which will start an algae bloom. If you have the constant same co2 forever. Than you shouldnt get algae. Or at least i have never heard of that happening.

Usually it only kills fish if you have low o2 and you really over dose.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

It can kill fish if you don't have aeration and such in place to disperse it properly, the proper plants or dose incorrectly and inconsistently is what I gathered from the above. So a tank with algae and some java fern, moss and anubias, isn't going to just magically be rid of algae if Excel is dosed where a tank with predominately stems may rid the algae?


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

You are correct. Different plants take in different doses of CO2, some take less than others and if you dose a tank with slow growing plants like Java Fern and Anubias, you are feeding the algae more than you are feeding the plants. There are easier ways to get rid of algae depending on the type. If you have a high tech tank then I say sure, go for it, but if it's your average Betta tank then I would certainly not recommend Excel as a temporary fix; too much risk in it. Even dosing with H2O2 is better with most cases of algae.

With all things in fish keeping, it's better to find the source of the issue and fix the source than to try to cover it up with some other chemical.


----------



## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

I just want to see more of that around BF/TFK. It has been suggested as an algae fix a lot recently and I was starting to get really frustrated. I'll keep this thread saved so I can link to it when I need to. I hope this is seen and it won't be necessary to refer back to but we can only hope for so much. :roll: 

Thanks everyone!


----------



## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

Excel is not Iron. It is a carbon product. In high doses Excel itself will kill algae. In low doses with proper lighting and fertilizer use it controls algae. I have noticed a huge difference in using it. 

There is excellent information available about it's composition and proper use on the Seachem website.


----------



## Flint (Oct 22, 2013)

I could have sworn I read somewhere it is mainly composed of Iron.


----------



## Tony2632 (Aug 30, 2013)

It's not iron it's a other form of carbon source. Have I ever killed algae with excel before, yes I have. Mainly spot check excel on black beard algae with a syringe and filtration off. I don't really recommend controlling algae with excel. For me, I all ways find the reason why the algae happens and fix the source of the problem. Every tank is different in balance. My tank is high light and pressurize CO2. I dose dry ferts K2SO4, KNO3, KH2PO4, MGSO4, and CSM+B every day. Do I ever get algae now? Nothing serious, the only form of algae I get now is green spot on glass. This coming from someone who got every form of algae it feels like when I first started out in planted tanks.


----------



## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Thanks for the input Tony! 

I actually read the bottle of Excel this morning and the end is where I think you got messed up with the iron bit Flint. This might help, just copied from the SeaChem website but it's basically the same thing that is on the bottle too of course.

"Flourish Excel™ is a source of bioavailable organic carbon. All plants require a source of carbon. This is typically obtained from CO2, but, may also be derived from simple organic compounds (such as photosynthetic intermediates). The use of either CO2 injection or Flourish Excel™ does not necessarily negate the use of the other. Because the processes of producing photosynthetic intermediates and building onto them occur simultaneously, one can derive a substantial benefit with the use of Flourish Excel™ either alone or in conjunction with CO2 . The combination is particularly ideal for situations when continuing to add CO2 could result in dangerously low pH levels. Flourish Excel™ also has iron reducing properties which promote the ferrous state of iron (Fe+2), which is more easily utilized by plants than ferric iron (Fe+3)."


----------

