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Originally Posted by Emily6  I'll keep up with the Excel- I was only dosing one daily amount once a week. Maybe I'll go for daily now to knock back the algae. |
Go gently with the Excel. I wouldn't use it any longer than I had to to kill your algae (It may damage the fragile growing tips of plants). A scientific study* showed that a green water alga was about 2-3 times more susceptible to glutaraldehyde than an invertebrate species. Glutaraldehyde reacts with the proteins of all organisms, but many algae have a more vulnerable cell wall than other organisms.
Also, Excel works very quickly, within minutes. Therefore, I would mix the dose you're using first with a larger volume of clean water and then pour this large volume throughout the tank.
Excel did help kill algae (slime and diatom stuff) in my 5 gal. I did a 5 day treatment. Before treatment, I could see oxygen bubbles appear on the algae during daytime. After treatment, none.
Water turned yellow from all the leachings from dead algae, bacteria, and plant matter. I did a couple water changes. The tank seems to have benefited from the Excel treatment.
*Sano LL, Krueger AM and PF Landrum. 2005. Chronic toxicity of glutaraldehyde: differential sensitivity of three freshwater organisms. Aquatic Toxicology 71: 283-296.
Using Excel to kill algae 
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