# Does Flourish Excel Really cause melting?



## Patriot (Dec 22, 2010)

I've read reports of melting of Jungle val and other plants while others say that it doesn't. Do anyone know the actual truth behind it? I have pretty good Jungle Val growth and don't won't to kill them.


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## petroica (Feb 23, 2011)

Vals are one of the most sensitive plants to Excel, but Jungle Val is the most resilient of all the Vals. Most people report success if you start off with small doses and slowly build up to a full dose and make sure to dose every day (instead of the ups and downs of every other day, or less often).


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## BBradbury (Nov 8, 2010)

*Flourish Excel*

Good morning Pat...

The carbon fert "Gluteraldehyde" can cause damage to the more primitive plants like varieties of Vallisneria, and some ferns and mosses. In high doses, many use it to kill algae. I used it briefly quite a while ago and my Corkscrew Vals died within a couple of weeks. My Java ferns were damaged, but recoverd and my Singapore moss was uneffected. The rest of my low light plants did pretty well with it.

For my tanks, I've found several, good hydroponics liquid ferts that work as well as the SeaChem product, without the "Glut" and are a lot less expensive.

B


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## Eviltwist (Jun 15, 2011)

It will also melt Egeria Densa (Anarchis).


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## petroica (Feb 23, 2011)

BBradbury said:


> For my tanks, I've found several, good hydroponics liquid ferts that work as well as the SeaChem product, without the "Glut" and are a lot less expensive.
> 
> B


Excel is a carbon supplement, not a fertilizer. The two provide entirely different things. And anyone can easily buy Metricide and make 1.5 gallons of an Excel equivalent for $23.


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

petroica said:


> Excel is a carbon supplement, not a fertilizer. The two provide entirely different things.


What's the difference? We're supplementing elements needed for plant development beyond those naturally available, no?


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## Patriot (Dec 22, 2010)

What effect does it have on anubias? I know this plant doesn't need it but I also have it in the tank.


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## JasonG75 (Mar 1, 2011)

Rainer said:


> What's the difference? We're supplementing elements needed for plant development beyond those naturally available, no?


 
NO..Excel is ONLY a Carbon source. In order to supplment elements you also need to dose Micro and Macro Nutrients. Excel is not a Fert.

"What effect does it have on anubias? I know this plant doesn't need it but I also have it in the tank." No negitive effect..Anubias is such a slow grower, I only use excel for spot treatment of algae.


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## Rainer (Jan 30, 2011)

JasonG75 said:


> NO..Excel is ONLY a Carbon source. In order to supplment elements you also need to dose Micro and Macro Nutrients. Excel is not a Fert.


Other than the way it's delivered into the tank - via CO2, liquid Excel, or just calcium carbonate through a WC - how is carbon not functioning as a fertilizer? I'm not saying it's a broad spectrum fertilizer; it's a single element but it's easy enough to dose others in a similar manner (e.g. liquid K) so I'm not clear why it wouldn't be considered a fert.


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## firefiend (Sep 3, 2009)

JasonG75 said:


> NO..Excel is ONLY a Carbon source. In order to supplment elements you also need to dose Micro and Macro Nutrients. Excel is not a Fert.


So something needs to be an element to be a fert? Carbon is a group 14 element. It's symbol, "C." It has an atomic number of 6,

There is no reason not to consider Carbon a fert... It is often considered seperate but this is really only because carbon in our setting can become a more complicated affair than other ferts. But a fert it is.


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## bigsea (Sep 17, 2015)

Lol ownd. Any substance added to enrich the quality of the recipitant is considered a fertilizer hahahaha


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