Excel's effect on algae and why

[adechazal]

I am directing my question to Tom because he often responds to "algae issue" posts with a note about using Excel but anyone else reading this please feel free to chime in...

Question 1: When you refer to using "Excel" to help deal with algae do I understand correctly that this is Seachem's Flourish Excel product?

Question 2: Other than adding carbon to the water column is there some other element in Excel or resulting mechanism that helps eliminate algae?

Question 3: If I am willing to use the "hard work" method to eliminate BBA and GDA i.e. clean the glass, cut off affected leaves etc. do you still recommend using Excel as part of the cleanup effort?

 

[VaughnH]

The "carbon" that Excel, which is indeed Seachem's Flourish Excel, provides to the plants is in the form of an organic compound which is apparently a polymer of a chemical normally used to sterilize medical instruments. That compound has other effects beyond providing carbon to the plants.