# EXCEL WORKS! All algae killed in 2 days!



## cott (May 26, 2007)

I dosed for a week at recommended dosage. I was too afraid for my fish to overdose but the algae is gone. I did a bit of trimming, as well.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Does this really work? Are you simply using the recommended dosage on the bottle? Did it melt any of your plants? Do I need to modify anything else, like CO2?


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## snail_chen (Jul 13, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> Does this really work? Are you simply using the recommended dosage on the bottle? Do I need to modify anything else, like CO2?


 It does kill the staghorn algae within 2 days. Nothing is changed and I added only once, a cap for every 10 gallon. I didn't turn on the filter though.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

snail_chen said:


> It does kill the staghorn algae within 2 days. Nothing is changed and I added only once, a cap for every 10 gallon. I didn't turn on the filter though.


So how long did you leave the filter off?


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

If you are still getting algae you should work on your co2 dosing. Excel might fix the symptom but it will come back if your co2 isn't where it needs to be. UP it!


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

over_stocked said:


> If you are still getting algae you should work on your co2 dosing. Excel might fix the symptom but it will come back if your co2 isn't where it needs to be. UP it!


OS, it's light green now. How far should I go? Better yet, I just got a pH controller, which I know is a "luxury item", but it should keep the tank more stable. Do you think that'll help? If so, where should I set my pH?


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## MarkMc (Apr 27, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> OS, it's light green now. How far should I go? Better yet, I just got a pH controller, which I know is a "luxury item", but it should keep the tank more stable. Do you think that'll help? If so, where should I set my pH?


If you shut off your CO2 via a timer shortly before lights out and on about an hour before lights on you'll want to see a .5 to 1.0 pH swing from your pH in the morning before CO2 comes on and after it's been on 3-4 hours. I have my CO2 solenoid on a timer and my controller is on 24/7. No point in injecting CO2 during lights off-you're wasting it. Stability is important in regards to TDS, kH and gH but a CO2 induced pH swing is not in that category of stability.


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## xJaypex (Jul 4, 2009)

im guessing dosing excel will kill my toninas and erio?


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## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

xJaypex said:


> im guessing dosing excel will kill my toninas and erio?


No, where'd you hear that?

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## xJaypex (Jul 4, 2009)

Arent those more delicate plants then HC?


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## snail_chen (Jul 13, 2007)

I now am using Metricide 14 for another tank. But I don't see much effect this time, the black bear algae is still alive after several days. Isn't Metricide proven to be the same as Excel? 

Or is it because my filter is still running? I don't want to turn it off because my CO2 is injected through the filter.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

snail_chen said:


> I now am using Metricide 14 for another tank. But I don't see much effect this time, the black bear algae is still alive after several days. Isn't Metricide proven to be the same as Excel?
> 
> Or is it because my filter is still running? I don't want to turn it off because my CO2 is injected through the filter.


I have the same issue, when I've used excel like that, I turned the filter off for a minute.


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## snail_chen (Jul 13, 2007)

kid creole said:


> I have the same issue, when I've used excel like that,I turned the filter off for a minute.


Is that the reason? 
Can anyone explain why the filter has to be turned off? And is one minute long enough to activate Metricide?


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## houstonhobby (Dec 12, 2008)

What is it about filtration that keeps Excel from working? Anybody have an idea? I could see carbon blocks filtering it out but I never run carbon. Purigen might have the same effect as carbon I guess?

Besides Purigen my filters would have only sponges and biological growth media. I don't see how those things would affect the Excel.

Or is it flow?


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## farmhand (Jun 25, 2009)

On the Seachem support site I asked the following question;
"Does surface agitation deplete Flourish Excel?
Tech Support Answerer; No, since it is an organic carbon chain, surface agitation will not interfere with Flourish Excel."


I have found the folks at Seachem's Tech support Forum to be very knowledgeable and helpful.


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## kid creole (Dec 25, 2008)

I was using it to spot treat algae. I used a syringe to deposit it where I wanted it. If I was just doing general dosing, I pour it in with the filter on. Sorry if I misunderstood the post.


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## houstonhobby (Dec 12, 2008)

If it is a carbon chain then Purigen will remove it, and carbon blocks probably remove it as well.


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## snail_chen (Jul 13, 2007)

Does Metricide/Excel kill the algae only during the photosynthesis process? If I add it in the dark time(that is when I turn off the filter), will it work?


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## arn24 (Jan 31, 2009)

houstonhobby said:


> If it is a carbon chain then Purigen will remove it, and carbon blocks probably remove it as well.


Is this confirmed? If so, I've been wasting alot of Excell! Time to take out the Purigen I guess.

Aaron


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## Cento (Apr 7, 2010)

kcrossley said:


> So how long did you leave the filter off?


 
I just got this reply from a moderator from the Seachem forum:

Thank you so much for your questions and also for trying out some of our planted supplements! This is a great question. We certainly understand that it would not be feasible to spend money on supplements, only to have them be removed by your filter. It is not, however, necessary to turn off your filter while dosing the products in the Flourish line, and there are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, the products in the Flourish line were designed in such a way that the plant cells recognize them and take them in almost immediately upon dosing. Therefore, they really don't linger in the water column for an extended period of time after being added to the water. 
Purigen is a great substitute for carbon in a planted system. While carbons are generally indiscriminate in what they remove from the water, Purigen is very specific. Purigen is a very unique scavenging resin, meaning it has a particular affinity for and actively seeks out organic nitrogenous waste, thus leaving behind trace elements and other supplements in the water. A non-porous biological media, your bio-balls will not absorb or remove any of the supplements from the water, either. Therefore, it is really not necessary to turn off your filter while dosing any of the planted supplements. Please let us know if you have any further questions, and have a great evening!
***************
​I thought that would be of interest to some in this thread...:icon_smil


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## captain_bu (Oct 20, 2007)

You only turn the filter off temporarily if you are spot treating the algae with Excel not if you are dosing the water column daily with it at the recommended rate.

To spot treat turn off your filter and any powerheads. Once the current has stopped you can squirt Excel directly on the algae using a plastic syringe or dosing eye-dropper (get these at your local drug store). Leave the filter off for 15-20 minutes so the Excel stays in contact with the algae before starting it up again. Don't spot treat with more than 3x the recommended daily dose for your tank size (1 ml per gallon is the daily dose). If you have a lot of algae you will need to treat a different section of the tank every 24 hours. After spot treating you should see the algae turn white or red which means it is dying. This seems to work best on BBA or staghorn. 

As OS has pointed out killing the algae with Excel is only step one. You then need to fix the conditions that are favoring the algae or it will come back.

Excel won't effect your filter but you should know that it is only active in the tank for about 24 hours, the bacteria in the tank break it down (according to Seachem). As pointed out in the post above Purigen will not remove it from the water column.


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