Excel vs. CO2

[George Farmer]

I'm considering trying out Flourish Excel instead of CO2 in my 2.5 gal. nano.

Plants are hairgrass and riccia (tied to stones).

Light is 24w PC T5 - 6 hour photoperiod
I dose KNO3 and TMG with each water change (50% every other day).

Would the riccia be ok? I'm not bothered about pearling. I figured growth rates would be a lot lower, but would there be any other consequences i.e. algae?

Your thoughts most welcome.

 

[Tom Barr]

Excel is an effective selective herbicide that can be used to kill Riccia.
I've not found Excel that useful for Hair grass either.

Generally, for msaller tanks, the Excel idea is useful.
It works well with say, HC.

All liverworts and things without stomata are killed pretty quick, it's not just Riccia, but the Pellia and a red liverwort and another type I've kept all died rapidly.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[shane]

I have been using Seachem Excel to help exterminate green alagae in my tank. I have Riccia in my tank (at least I think it's Riccia) with no ill effects on it. It is growing like a weed.

 

[Tom Barr]

Several other folks use it and it's killed their Riccia, I've used it on other liverworts specifically and it killed it in a few days.

If you are dosing at the lower end, it might not kill it.
I'd suggest easing into the use if you have sensitive plants.

Others have reported rapid death of their Riccia when used.
I guess I'll have to test it myself specifically.



Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[George Farmer]

I've heard many reports of overdosing Excel killing "simple" plants - vallis and egeria too.

I shall dose according to the bottle and see what happens. I'm planning a new layout soon anyway, so if it does go wrong then it's not the end of the (riccia) world...

Cheers.

 

[2wheelsx2]

It doesn't kill my Vals exactly, but it seems to stunt the growth. My vals and java fern were growing wildy at one point, so much so that there was inadequate water (and CO2) distribution in parts of tank. I was hitting little spots of bba in these area weekly, and what I noticed was that my Vals in that area stopped growing and also starting have a lot of yellowing leaves.

 

[detlef]

What about mosses? Anyone know if mosses like Javamoss is affected negatively by Excel with normal dosing amounts? Or would Excel even encourage growth? Currently I'm adding 0,8ml daily on a 21g. It seems as if Javamoss does not grow as fast as I was used to seeing it.

Thank you,
Detlef

 

[2wheelsx2]

My java moss grows great with Excel.

 

[Tom Barr]

Mosses also did fine for me too.
Moss have stomata, Riccia does not nor do other liverworts, Vals do, but Hydrilla and Egeria also lack stomata.

Excel may block the CA enzyme of these plants that have to take the CO2 through their outer epidemal layers.

Hydrilla does not take uop Bicarb directly, rather, it produces lots of H+'s and acidifies the water and then reduces the HCO3 to CO2 and takes that up.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[George Farmer]

Any thoughts on dosing Excel with Utricularia graminifolia - a bladderwort?

This will be the only plant in my next layout, 6 pots on their way direct from Tropica, Denmark as we speak.

 

[detlef]

Good luck for your graminifolia nano, George. I'm sure it'll look as gorgeous as the last one.

Thanks Tom, I'll see what I can do for the Javamoss and will continue adding Excel. I suppose I was too low on Ca and/or Mg. I'm growing Javamoss in an ADA soil tank which stripped the water column off of Ca down to around 7 to 10ppm for several weeks.

Best Regards,
Detlef

 

[Tom Barr]

I've seen moss growing just fine in granite snow melt regions here in the mountains, I could not get a Ca or Mg reading with a Lamotte test kit.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[George Farmer]

Good luck for your graminifolia nano, George. I'm sure it'll look as gorgeous as the last one.

Detlef

Thanks Detlef. The UG arrived this morning actually. I've got PFK's photographer around for a photoshoot of the current layout, then it will be torn down, ready for the UG. I will also be running Aqua Soil (powder) this time.