Flourish Excel got rid of all my algae

451915 Views 286 Replies 134 Participants Last post by tiger15, Dec 13, 2018

Simpte 27

Discussion Starter · Dec 31, 2004

Well I finally found a local source of Flourish Excel. I was in the process of adding it into my tank when my little girl ran into me from behind. Needless to say I dumped quite a bit in. At least 5 times the recommended doseage. 2 days later my bba, spot, and green fuzz algae is gone. No sign of it anywhere. I think I like this stuff!

201 - 220 of 287 Posts

Sunstar

· #201 · Oct 5, 2008

How is the Excell on the Staghorn? That might be my problem area. I've been giving the tank initial dose for two days. How much longer?

gpodio

· #202 · Oct 6, 2008

Never tried it myself on staghorn, however I've always been able to beat staghorn by raising NO3 and keeping them from hitting 0ppm.

Hope that helps

Sunstar

· #203 · Oct 6, 2008

Fertilising then?

toddbe2007

· #204 · Oct 28, 2008

When people say double, triple dose is that?

*Double the initial 5ml for every 10 gallons, or
*Double the daily dose: 1 capful for every 50 gallons

Big difference here...

Thanks,
Todd

gpodio

· #205 · Oct 28, 2008

Never double the "initial" dose! We're all talking about the daily dose...

Giancarlo Podio

quatermass

· #206 · Oct 28, 2008

toddbe2007 said:
When people say double, triple dose is that?

*Double the initial 5ml for every 10 gallons, or
*Double the daily dose: 1 capful for every 50 gallons

Todd

If you do the initial dose twice you'll kill most of your fish/invertebrates.

I did that once. Never again. The fall-out was horrible. :Cry:

davemill

· #207 · Jan 19, 2009 (Edited)

I use Excel at the recommended dosage in a 72 gallon, high-light, injected CO2 tank in conjunction with EI ferts.

I have a large piece of driftwood that's been in there for four plus years that was covered with BBA. A few months ago, I pulled it out of the tank during a water change, and slowly dripped the higher, water change dosage of Excel all over the BBA. The BBA completely disappeared within two weeks.

I have a small terra cotta pot inverted in one corner or the tank for Apistos to breed in. It was covered in BBA. I took it out, and drew a smiley face with a circle around it in the algae using a Q-Tip dipped in Excel. A week later, I had smiley face of clean terra cotta showing through the BBA, except the dots for the eyes had smeared where the excel flowed down from where I applied too much Excel.

Another breeding tank was mainly algae free, except for some nasty BBA on some anubias leaves. Same Excel treatment killed the BBA within about a week.

The Excel has had no negative effect on plants or fish. I have apistos (5 species), discus, cories, banjo cats, angels, and tetras. Plants do very well, although this would be expected without the Excel. I use the dosage recommended on the label, low dose every day or two, high dose at water change.

This treatment works best if you keep the algae out of the water for a minute after dripping on the Excel. I do all the Excel treatments above the tank, so that the Excel drips into the tank after flowing over the algae. As far as I can observe, snails and fish eat the BBA starting a few days after the Excel bath.

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quatermass

· #208 · Jan 19, 2009

I've been adding 5ml of Excel daily to my 50L planted tank and noticed some BBA growing on the red LED lamps near the surface.

I upped the dosage to ~8-10ml a day and the BBA started to wither. Then I noticed my 2 Amano shrimp have disappeared. #-o

So I'm back down to 5ml a day. Certainly makes my Frogbit grow.

Seattle_Aquarist

· #209 · Jan 20, 2009

I used double the initial and double the daily dose of Excel to rid my tank of algae problems in about 8 days. I did not lose any fish. See Permalink #193, page 20 this thread for the play by play details.

quatermass

· #210 · Jan 20, 2009

Seattle_Aquarist said:
I used double the initial and double the daily dose of Excel to rid my tank of algae problems in about 8 days. I did not lose any fish. See Permalink #193, page 20 this thread for the play by play details.

Yes but I wasn't talking about fish was I?

cclansman

· #211 · Jan 21, 2009

Has anyone had any troubles with excel not only killing the alage but also melting some of their sword plants?

gasteriaphile

· #212 · Jan 29, 2009

John P. said:
That much & the shrimp are okay, eh? Wow. Did you slowly work your way up to that level? -Yesterday I dosed 11 mL in my 26-G -Today I dosed 3 mL I guess I'll try 11 mL tomorrow & will see what happens.

Referencing the above quote, what does &amp mean? :neutral:

Indiana Gardener

· #213 · Feb 11, 2009 (Edited)

I am still on my old original bottle of the regular flourish. I have not yet gotten any Excel.

Does anyone know if the regular flourish may decrease my HA if I increase the dose?

Here is my setup:

30 gal.
2 gal water change every other day
ph 6.7
Have not yet gotten a means to measure KH and DH, but KH can't be too high since almond leaves affectively lowered the ph from 7.2.
I don't use CO2, this could be part of the problem...
light; 2 x 100 daylight bulbs = 3,000 lumens for 12 hrs a day.
Currently using flourish twice a week at 1 ml per treatment.

Thanks for any input.

David

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Seattle_Aquarist

· #214 · Feb 14, 2009

Hi Indiana Gardener,

Sorry, Flourish (Comprehensive) will not decrease your Hair Algae with increased dosage, in fact it may make it worse. Flourish Excel is the product that contains the glutaraldehyde polymers that provide the algaecide properties.

Indiana Gardener

· #215 · Feb 14, 2009

in fact it may make it worse

Oh my! Thanks for the warning. I don't need that to happen. The few spots I have now are bad enough.

I'll have to find some excel.

David

Manwithnofish

· #216 · Feb 15, 2009

Manwithnofish said:
Amen! I read this thread (after nearly giving up on the algae problem (really bad)). I started dosing with Excel and the algae is GONE. Amazing stuff. I have lost no fish and seen no adverse affects of any of the fish in my tank. This should go to the top of the list of things to try before one engages in the multi-variable, complex technical discussion about all the things that might influence algae such as lights, nutrients, etc.

Scratch that...Algae trumpted the Excel...Algae came back. Temporary success was about all I acheived..but it always came back.

Indiana Gardener

· #217 · Feb 16, 2009

Thanks for the note on that.

Do you know what to do for HA then? Is there anything? ... I mean aside from taking the whole tank apart and doing the diluted bleach method?

David

fishyerik

· #218 · Feb 16, 2009

gasteriaphile said:
Referencing the above quote, what does &amp mean? :neutral:

"&" is code for the "&"-sign, slight computer-error.

Zapins

· #219 · Feb 16, 2009

Hair algae is easy to get rid of. Increase nitrate levels. You could also reduce light duration if you want, but nitrates are key to killing it off.

Steve and Vickie

· #220 · Feb 21, 2009

I recently relocated and have only just got around to setting up my 135 show tank, light on the fish heavy on the plants.

I just have the one plant that seems hampered by the BBA so I am considering pulling the plant from my show tank and dosing the bejeebers out of it with Flourish and see if it does the trick.

I will of course keep you all posted as to my success or failure.

Love this site, the information on here is beyond anything I have come across.

Thanks to all concerned for making this place what it is.

Steve (of Steve and Vivki fame)

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