Limnophilia Aromatica and Java Fern with Excel

I've not seen Excel cause issues for either plant, unless dosed out side the suggested ranges..........I have a massive stand in a client's tank of both these plants and they lose leaves, turn clear, black etc when CO2 is too low.

I have repeated this several times because one of the helper monkey's was paranoid and keep reducing the CO2 after I left each week or the Gas ran out the next day, or I forget to turn on the pumps driving the CO2 system etc.
Always something.

But it teaches you a lot about what the plants do to low CO2 even if everything else is run correctly(dosing has been steady for years as well as lighting).

You should be able to tell, if you are observant, to just look at the tank and tell what you need to add more of. Generally CO2, water change, low O2, etc.

Ferts are harder to tell but algae is useful at severe issues.
And of course, CO2 and BBA are normal but that takes a few weeks, I've gone a week without CO2 and not gotten BBA and yes, there's the spores etc present for it and some tiny turfs here and there.

But 1-3 weeks will induce most species.

Excel I might use as an algicide or "I have not yet tweaked and figured out my CO2 yet".

But it really is not needed if the CO2 is used correctly.
See the CO2+ current thread also.

Regards,
Tom Barr

 

Larger tanks have more current issues and a lot more dead spots.
See the current and CO2 thread I recently posted.

The other thing is that some plants respond differently to lower CO2, Myriophyllum will be okay, but L cuba will not.

But in a small tank, HC and L cuba a re weeds.

The difference is as distance and plant biomass increases, the same Flow/gal rate is reduced.

No way around it.

So you can use things like CO2 mist to break up the boundary layers and get the CO2 to the right location.

That, and less light(less CO2 demand).

Regards,
Tom barr