jlm9679

Finally, my new Rio 125 is ready and waiting for the first shipment
of plants - any day now. However, it turns out that the SeaChem
Flourish Excel that I was planning to use in a low-maintenance setup
needs water changes, or so I gather from this forum, which throws
a spanner in the works. If this is true, why exactly does Excel require
water changes, and to what extent can one do without them?

Intended setup:

Rio 125
2x28 T5 tubes
Flourite
Tropica Aquacare Plant Nutrition+
SeaChem Flourish Excel
Root tabs
No water changes
Loads of tolerant, easy-grow plants
A few shrimp and small fish such as white cloud or tetras

Thanks for any advice!

[How can I delete/move this post? It's in the wrong thread]

Gordonrichards

Flourish excel requires water changes? News to me.
After doing a water change I dose my tank.
Even if I am not doing a water change, I still dose my tank.
No one would use flourish and then dump it down the drain!
I put a little in to combat algae though I hear, you need to double dose your tank. I see no ill effects on my ottos or 17 fancy guppies in my 10 gallon moss grow out tank.

Just keep your doses low and add as needed.

tetrasforest

I do not know why you would need to do water changes with flourish excell. I have a 38gal tank that i use the excell in and have no problems. I actually use 10ml daily of excell with high light and only do water changes about every 3 months. My plants all grow very quickly and look great. I actually Have 5watts per gallon of 6500k PC Lighting.

Damonc1964

What exactly is the roll of excell? It was recommended to me by a local shop owner to help combat a BBA problem that I had/have. My intentions were to stop after it is all cleared up though.

dawntwister

The excel will kill it but it will come back if you don't correct the imbalance. A picture of your tank, ferts, lights and size of tank would determine what the imbalance is. Am I right to assume that you are not injecting Co2?

bradac56

Excel is a carbon (C02) replacement if you do not want to do diy/pressurized C02 in your tank.

Everything we do requires some type of water change at some point since it's a closed environment so as long as you use it in the levels Seachem recommends you'll be fine.

I've used it allot in the past and I just do my regular water changes without any bad effects.

- Brad

Gordonrichards

Excell has some chemicals in it, that when overdosed in a tank can kill off alage. Be careful with any delicate plants or moss.

So just add some, and keep dosing your tank till its gone. People say 2x doseage is enough to see results. I use a small baster to shoot it where I want it directed. It works for me on hair alage, as well as standard green alage

bartoli

May be it is best to post the question to the Seachem forum and get a definitive answer.

bradac56

Gordonrichards reply was spot on x2 recommended will kill certain types of algae (not green water tho) and regular water changes will keep the levels in check.

But feel free to get a second opinion.

- Brad