ONE MORE VOTE FOR SEACHEM EXCEL!!
Here is a synopsis of my experience with using Excel for various types on algae I had in my tank.
April 20, 2008
Excel Treatment
Roy's 45 Gallon Tall Tank
Encouraged by Erik's and Larry's experiences with Luis Navarro's
recommendation for using Excel I decided to try it. Here are the results I experienced.
Day 1
20 % Water Change; PH=6.8; CO2=19ppm; KH=4; DH=4; Treating as a 40 gallon
Initiated treatment with two times (2X) normal initial dose, eight teaspoons (8 tsp) total. Water become slightly cloudy, fish activity declined but no fish showed any distress; plants, which were pearling (gassing) slightly prior to treatment, gassed more heavily about 3 hours after treatment. Fish ate normally.
Algae: Green algae (GA) and green spot algae (GSA) on glass; dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis and Java Fern Lace; light infestation of hair algae (HA) in Bacopa, Rotala, Hemianthus micranthemoides and others. The Rotala also has reddish brown algae (RBA) discoloration (like dusted with rust, not BBA) on stems along with slight hair algae (HA) directly below the reflector.
Day 2
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the tank with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which had mostly cleared overnight again became slightly cloudy. Fish activity declined but not as much as Day 1 no distress noted. Some increase in plant gassing occurred but not as much as Day 1. Fish ate normally.
Algae: No change in GA or GSA on glass. Dark algae discoloration on the older leaves of the Bolbitis may be lighter, but not the older leaves of the Java Fern. No change in HA or RBA.
Day 3
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the tank with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which had mostly cleared overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: No change in GA or GSA on glass. Dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis seems lighter but not on Java Fern. HA does not seem to be as green at Day 1 and does not seem to be growing.
Day 4
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the tank with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which remained clear yesterday and overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems less green. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis is definitely lighter but not gone, the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves appears unchanged. HA has gone from green strands to very light green in some cases white strands with less thickness to the strand, it appears to be dying. RBA on the Rotala is definitely starting to disappear, some HA also on the Rotala is still green.
Day 5
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the aquarium with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which remained clear yesterday and overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems same as yesterday, but does not appear to be growing as quickly. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis is the same as yesterday as is the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves. HA seems to have experienced the largest change. Except on some Hemianthus micranthemoides directly under the reflector and on some
Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) that is floating under the reflector where it is still green, it has gone from green strands to light green or white strands with less thickness to the strand; it appears to be dying or dead in most areas. RBA on the Rotala is almost undetectable, the HA also on the Rotala is greatly diminished.
Day 6
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the tank with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which remained clear yesterday and overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems same as yesterday, but does not appear to be growing as quickly. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis is the same as yesterday as is the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves. HA seems to be about the same as yesterday. Very slight green infestations continue on the Hemianthus micranthemoides and on some
Bolbitis directly under the reflector and on some Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) that is floating under the reflector. The HA has disappeared from most of the areas it was infesting. RBA on the Rotala is almost undetectable or may be gone (it is hard to tell) and some very slight traces of HA remain on the Rotala directly under the reflector but 95% of the original amount has disappeared.
Day 7
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the aquarium with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which remained clear yesterday and overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems same as yesterday, but does not appear to be growing as quickly. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis, although dramatically reduced from initial treatment, is the same as yesterday as is the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves. HA seems to be about the same as yesterday. Very slight green infestations continue on the Hemianthus micranthemoides and on some Bolbitis directly under the reflector and on some Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) that is floating under the reflector. The HA has disappeared from most of the areas it was infesting. RBA on the Rotala appears to be gone (it is hard to tell) and some very slight traces of HA remain on the Rotala directly under the reflector but 95% of the original amount has disappeared.
Day 8
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
I preformed a 50% water change, treated with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which had remained clear yesterday and overnight became cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. A notable increase in plant gassing occurred. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems same as yesterday, removed manually. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis, although dramatically reduced from initial treatment, is the same as yesterday as is the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves. HA seems to be about the same as yesterday. The HA has disappeared from most of the areas it was infesting. Very slight green infestations continue on the Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort), and on some duckweed all areas are directly under the reflector. RBA on the Rotala appears to be gone and some very slight traces of HA remain on the Rotala directly under the reflector. All and all, I would call the treatment a success.
I would call the treatment a success. Overall, I would estimate that 95%+ of the algae that was on the plants has disappeared. What remains is unnoticeable unless I am actually looking for it. The green algae and green spot algae on the glass was basically unaffected by the treatment, however it did not grow as quickly during the treatment as it had beforehand.
The treatment had minimum effects on the fish and plants. The fish showed no distress during the treatment, although periods of reduced activity were noted, usually shortly after the addition of the Excel.
The plants did show some signs of damage from the treatment, especially in the last two or three days. The tips of the Vallisneria (extending about 4" from tip down) become clear, soft, showed signs of cellular deterioration, and had to be removed. One of my two patches of Cryptocoryne wendtii v. 'Tropica' (Bronze Wendtii) has experienced a "melt down" but the other
appears unaffected. And finally the Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) experienced the same cellular deterioration as the Vallisneria and some small areas became soft and fell apart.
From this point on, I will do the recommended Excel treatment and see if the alga returns to previous levels.
Update May 28th, 2008
To date I continue to treat with the normal recommended dosage of Excel. I have experienced no reappearance of the hair algae (HA) and the only algae I have to deal with is the normal green algae and green spot algae that will grow on the glass. But even that algae grows at about 1/3 the rate it did before I started using Excel. No fish losses and the Val and hornwort have fully recovered as have the crypts. Excel is an excellent product. I use it in conjunction with CO2 injection and plants have never looked better. My Anubias are putting out 1-2 leaves a week, and my Aponogetum has put up a flower stem. Highly recommended!!
Here is a synopsis of my experience with using Excel for various types on algae I had in my tank.
April 20, 2008
Excel Treatment
Roy's 45 Gallon Tall Tank
Encouraged by Erik's and Larry's experiences with Luis Navarro's
recommendation for using Excel I decided to try it. Here are the results I experienced.
Day 1
20 % Water Change; PH=6.8; CO2=19ppm; KH=4; DH=4; Treating as a 40 gallon
Initiated treatment with two times (2X) normal initial dose, eight teaspoons (8 tsp) total. Water become slightly cloudy, fish activity declined but no fish showed any distress; plants, which were pearling (gassing) slightly prior to treatment, gassed more heavily about 3 hours after treatment. Fish ate normally.
Algae: Green algae (GA) and green spot algae (GSA) on glass; dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis and Java Fern Lace; light infestation of hair algae (HA) in Bacopa, Rotala, Hemianthus micranthemoides and others. The Rotala also has reddish brown algae (RBA) discoloration (like dusted with rust, not BBA) on stems along with slight hair algae (HA) directly below the reflector.
Day 2
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the tank with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which had mostly cleared overnight again became slightly cloudy. Fish activity declined but not as much as Day 1 no distress noted. Some increase in plant gassing occurred but not as much as Day 1. Fish ate normally.
Algae: No change in GA or GSA on glass. Dark algae discoloration on the older leaves of the Bolbitis may be lighter, but not the older leaves of the Java Fern. No change in HA or RBA.
Day 3
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the tank with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which had mostly cleared overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: No change in GA or GSA on glass. Dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis seems lighter but not on Java Fern. HA does not seem to be as green at Day 1 and does not seem to be growing.
Day 4
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the tank with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which remained clear yesterday and overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems less green. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis is definitely lighter but not gone, the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves appears unchanged. HA has gone from green strands to very light green in some cases white strands with less thickness to the strand, it appears to be dying. RBA on the Rotala is definitely starting to disappear, some HA also on the Rotala is still green.
Day 5
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the aquarium with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which remained clear yesterday and overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems same as yesterday, but does not appear to be growing as quickly. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis is the same as yesterday as is the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves. HA seems to have experienced the largest change. Except on some Hemianthus micranthemoides directly under the reflector and on some
Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) that is floating under the reflector where it is still green, it has gone from green strands to light green or white strands with less thickness to the strand; it appears to be dying or dead in most areas. RBA on the Rotala is almost undetectable, the HA also on the Rotala is greatly diminished.
Day 6
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the tank with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which remained clear yesterday and overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems same as yesterday, but does not appear to be growing as quickly. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis is the same as yesterday as is the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves. HA seems to be about the same as yesterday. Very slight green infestations continue on the Hemianthus micranthemoides and on some
Bolbitis directly under the reflector and on some Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) that is floating under the reflector. The HA has disappeared from most of the areas it was infesting. RBA on the Rotala is almost undetectable or may be gone (it is hard to tell) and some very slight traces of HA remain on the Rotala directly under the reflector but 95% of the original amount has disappeared.
Day 7
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
Treated the aquarium with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which remained clear yesterday and overnight did not become cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. No notable increase in plant gassing. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems same as yesterday, but does not appear to be growing as quickly. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis, although dramatically reduced from initial treatment, is the same as yesterday as is the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves. HA seems to be about the same as yesterday. Very slight green infestations continue on the Hemianthus micranthemoides and on some Bolbitis directly under the reflector and on some Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) that is floating under the reflector. The HA has disappeared from most of the areas it was infesting. RBA on the Rotala appears to be gone (it is hard to tell) and some very slight traces of HA remain on the Rotala directly under the reflector but 95% of the original amount has disappeared.
Day 8
PH=6.6; CO2=30ppm
I preformed a 50% water change, treated with one times (1X) normal initial dose, four teaspoons (4 tsp) total. Water which had remained clear yesterday and overnight became cloudy. Fish activity did not appear to decline. A notable increase in plant gassing occurred. Fish ate normally.
Algae: GA or GSA on glass seems same as yesterday, removed manually. The dark algae discoloration on older leaves of Bolbitis, although dramatically reduced from initial treatment, is the same as yesterday as is the discoloration on the older Java Fern leaves. HA seems to be about the same as yesterday. The HA has disappeared from most of the areas it was infesting. Very slight green infestations continue on the Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort), and on some duckweed all areas are directly under the reflector. RBA on the Rotala appears to be gone and some very slight traces of HA remain on the Rotala directly under the reflector. All and all, I would call the treatment a success.
I would call the treatment a success. Overall, I would estimate that 95%+ of the algae that was on the plants has disappeared. What remains is unnoticeable unless I am actually looking for it. The green algae and green spot algae on the glass was basically unaffected by the treatment, however it did not grow as quickly during the treatment as it had beforehand.
The treatment had minimum effects on the fish and plants. The fish showed no distress during the treatment, although periods of reduced activity were noted, usually shortly after the addition of the Excel.
The plants did show some signs of damage from the treatment, especially in the last two or three days. The tips of the Vallisneria (extending about 4" from tip down) become clear, soft, showed signs of cellular deterioration, and had to be removed. One of my two patches of Cryptocoryne wendtii v. 'Tropica' (Bronze Wendtii) has experienced a "melt down" but the other
appears unaffected. And finally the Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort) experienced the same cellular deterioration as the Vallisneria and some small areas became soft and fell apart.
From this point on, I will do the recommended Excel treatment and see if the alga returns to previous levels.
Update May 28th, 2008
To date I continue to treat with the normal recommended dosage of Excel. I have experienced no reappearance of the hair algae (HA) and the only algae I have to deal with is the normal green algae and green spot algae that will grow on the glass. But even that algae grows at about 1/3 the rate it did before I started using Excel. No fish losses and the Val and hornwort have fully recovered as have the crypts. Excel is an excellent product. I use it in conjunction with CO2 injection and plants have never looked better. My Anubias are putting out 1-2 leaves a week, and my Aponogetum has put up a flower stem. Highly recommended!!
