# Is CO2 necessary if you use Flourish Excel?



## CAM6467 (Feb 11, 2009)

Flourish Excel is another source of carbon for your plants. Most sites, even Seachem's, advice this as a supplement to CO2 injection. I would imagine that you could get away with using Excel as the primary carbon source in a smaller tank, but I don't think that it would suffice in your situation for long. It looks like you're running less than 2 WPG, so you might not really need the CO2 injection AS MUCH as others. Carbon deficiency becomes more of a concern in a high light tank. This is due to the increase in photosynthetic metabolism brought on by higher levels of light. If you keep your lighting lower, then you may get away with lower levels of available carbon for your plants.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

What lights do you use? If they are T5HO lights, you have high light. If they are screw-in CFL lights, you have low light. All lights aren't created equal.


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## Natty (Apr 2, 2008)

Zodiac007 said:


> - java ferns *(If you can see the light, it can probably survive, I've had java ferns in barely any light and they still survive. Of course they will grow a tad faster in higher lighted tanks with CO2, but they aren't fast growing to begin with)*
> 
> - java moss *(Same for java ferns applies here, however, they will start to grow exponentially once you reach a nice mass of them)*
> 
> ...


As long as you stay around 1 to 1.5 wpg, then it should be okay. What type of lighting do you use? CF, T5s, ? If you use T5s then that's a different thing :hihi:, they're very efficient lighting, especially with good reflectors.

You can add flourish if you want but in all honesty, they probably won't need it. Just don't overdose, which is very important. I'd do half the amount recommended, it might help them a little but water surface aggitation would be sufficient...and CO2 coming from any tank inhabitant. I've written notes next to each of those plants that I've had experience with. Look up and you'll see it in bold roud:


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## Zodiac007 (Jan 18, 2009)

thank natty, your answer helped A LOT.


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Don't try to evaluate all lights by "watts per gallon". It simply doesn't work that way. T5HO lights at 1 watt per gallon vs. screw-in CFL lights at 1 watt per gallon are the same just as a Yugo is the same as a Mercedes Benz.


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