DIY Excel?

[pinnacle2009]

I found a post on UKAPS of a 450 gallon tank Tom was doing. I was reading a bit into it, and said his clients use DIY Excel.

I have been using Excel for a few weeks and love it, it just gets expensive. Is the DIY way any cheaper? I couldn't find anything on the actual solution of the mix, so I figured I could ask here.

 

[Philosophos]

DIY would be working form pure glutaraldehyde. If you like your eyes and lungs functioning, and your skin chemical burn free, I'd suggest sticking with the excel. Buying Excel in bulk will save you a good bit of money if you really burn through the stuff.

On the other hand if you're used to working with extremely hazardous chemicals, have at it.

-Philosophos

 

[pinnacle2009]

Thanks. Did not realize it was hazardous!

 

[JDowns]

Folks have used Cidex 2.5% solution with great success. There are other manufacturers of Gluteralhyde solutions for the medical/dental community that range in the 2 - 4% solution that are the same as Cidex that would also work just fine.

Do a search on this site for Cidex. You can find Cidex itself very cheap in comparision to Excel and dose the same as you would Excel.

 

[Philosophos]

Wow, cheap stuff. Where did you get the info on glutaraldehyde concentrations in excel? I couldn't see it on the bottle or MSDS.

Looks like some of it comes with other stuff in it... "fresh minty scent" and all.

-Philosophos

 

[hanno]

Hi,

I'm quite curious to know if this is real. - It would explain to me why excel users are having no problems with algae as glutaraldehyde is strongly biocidal. - I would worry about the shrimp...
If it provides C to the plants, how is the reaction or the uptake process? To me it seems to be a simple algae killer. I'd strongly appreciate to find explanations on that.

Cheers,
Hanno

 

[Philosophos]

People sure do worry about their shrimp a lot.

I dose roughly .123 ml for every L of water in my column. That's 8ml every day in a 65L column, and a 20g tank. My amano shrimp do just fine, and CRS won't die off either. It's well back from their LD50

I don't know the precise method of uptake, but C5H8O2 doesn't look like it'd be too different from regular calvin cycle stuff. See:

C3 carbon fixation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

My guess is it'd be the formula given there:

CO2 + RuBP → 2 3-phosphoglycerate

with a little extra oxygen taken in from the column, and a bit of hydrogen left over. Might create a little H3O+ before tacking on to what ever else is hanging around at the time.

Just my guess, chemistry isn't exactly my strong point.

-Philosophos

 

[hanno]

Thanks for your try, Phil. - Can anyone explain it in a scientific way?

Cheers, Hanno

 

[JDowns]

Wow, cheap stuff. Where did you get the info on glutaraldehyde concentrations in excel? I couldn't see it on the bottle or MSDS.

Looks like some of it comes with other stuff in it... "fresh minty scent" and all.

-Philosophos

I'd have to search for the link where Excel was lab tested. The test I saw was Excel was 1.5%. Cidex at 2% would put you really close, and would explain why those that use an alternate product have the same results with Cidex (or insert Manufacturer here) as they did with Excel.

 

[hanno]

Hi,

yesterday I had a chat with a biologist who told me that he never heard of glutaraldehyde as a source of carbon to aquatic plants. - He also thinks that this stuff put to tanks works as a biocide against algae and has no second purpose (providing carbon).

If so, I wouldn't support using Excel. Then it seems to be something very unnatural in our nature aquariums.

If it provides carbon in deed, please explain the mechanism.

Cheers,
Hanno

 

[Philosophos]

A couple minutes searching turns up evidence to the contrary:
Electronic Journal of Biotechnology - Effect of glutaraldehyde biocide on laboratory-scale rotating biological contactors and biocide efficacy
Occupational Exposure to Cidex (Glutaraldehyde)

What kind of biologist did you talk to?

-Philosophos

 

[VaughnH]

Growing aquatic plants in an aquarium isn't something you would expect just any biologist to be familiar with. One can be an outstanding expert in the field of biology and still have virtually no idea how to maintain a healthy planted aquarium. (One can even be a planted tank hobbyist and still have no idea how to maintain a healthy planted aquarium, but that is our job to correct )