What plants not to use excel with?

I have read that Vals tend to melt when you use it on multiple sites, but down in Seattle_Aquarist's thread he mentioned mosses as well. Uh oh. I have a nice huge glob of java moss in my tank currently, which hasn't been doing so hot. Now I know why. So in planning other plants, which other species don't do well if you are dosing excel?

Yeah, strange right... I'm in the same boat... I may just have to break down and buy a co2 unit... with my current setup, I have to have something, or drop my light levels. Sucks, good idea for a thread though, I'm curious to know as well.

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last sentence he says he uses excel, and I have used excel in a tank with vals and had success.... not trying to say anybody is wrong, and there is no doubt that Roy knows more about planted then I. That said, every system is its own system, and who knows what might do well or not. That's why I am just going to try everything, I'm sure I'm going to kill some stuff, but, I am hoping that like Roy with his downi (spelling) that I can keep some "not without Co2" plants as well. It'll be fun, and educating as well.

Wish there was just a list available for this sort of question. In my experience moss species, val species, some lotus species have melted on me, suspecting EXCEL. Ive started keeping more expensive mosses and done away with Excel & went strictly with compressed CO2 for a carbon supplement. In my smallest tank have switched to Flourish Comprehensive. In the larger tanks I use a cocktail of this and that's .

I would recommend Flourish Comprehensive as a good alternative.

fishNAbowl wrote:I would recommend Flourish Comprehensive as a good alternative.

Is it as good algae nuker as excel?

dwarfpike wrote:

fishNAbowl wrote:I would recommend Flourish Comprehensive as a good alternative.

Is it as good algae nuker as excel?

No, that's what I use compressed CO2 for...

A balance of compressed CO2 , lighting , Flourish Comprehensive will make plants grow like weeds, keep algae's and bacterias such as black hair down to a minimum or 0 altogether . For an added boost one could shove a root tab along side a stem plant.

I've used excel with java moss for years. Granted, my java moss isn't isn't really much to write home about, but i's alive.   I did grow a whole moss-wall with the stuff though...

I've read you can acclimate vals to excel and they'll do fine. I've read crypts don't like excel, but no one told mine that. I keep them in 4 tanks where I dose excel regularly.

I want compressed Co2, I will dish out the dough someday.

dwarfpike wrote:I have read that Vals tend to melt when you use it on multiple sites, but down in Seattle_Aquarist's thread he mentioned mosses as well. Uh oh. I have a nice huge glob of java moss in my tank currently, which hasn't been doing so hot. Now I know why. So in planning other plants, which other species don't do well if you are dosing excel?

Hi dwarfpike,

I can only speak from my own experience. First I dose Excel/glutaraldehyde at a heavier rate than Seachem recommends. I dose the standard 5ml per 10 gallons 'initial dose' as recommended after water changes but for the 'daily dose' I use 10 ml per 50 gallons which gives me a mild algacide effect. Dosing at these levels has caused me problems with the following species.

Most mosses
Vallisneria
Ceratophyllum (hornwort)

I have heard of problems using with Anacharis but don't have personal experience with it. I have also heard people say they had problems with Cryptocorynes and Microsorum pterous (Java Ferns) but mine have flourished even at the higher dosing levels.

Thanks Roy. Well, I'm attempting 2 kinds of moss, and 3 kinds of crypts, so, lets see what happens. Although, I don't dose at that level, I do 1 1/2 X the recommended. Again, thanks for your knowledge. Experience in this department, is something I lack.

We might want to use this as a kind of list of which plants do have troubles and at what level, and if anyone wants to experiment. Like since Anthony J has had some luck with vals, perhaps someone can try at low levels and slowly raise it to normal dosing? Maybe it's just a matter of adjustment?

When I had the vals, I got them from a gsas auction, and at that time, I wad dosing ad recommended.

I dose with Excel and have not had any issues with my Java Moss.

What do others use to combat black beard algae if they have plants that don't do well with Excel? I have BBA in one of my tanks and am treating with Excel.

escapay wrote:I dose with Excel and have not had any issues with my Java Moss.

What do others use to combat black beard algae if they have plants that don't do well with Excel? I have BBA in one of my tanks and am treating with Excel.

Keep nitrates low
Keep phosphates low
CO2 injection

escapay wrote:I dose with Excel and have not had any issues with my Java Moss.

What do others use to combat black beard algae if they have plants that don't do well with Excel? I have BBA in one of my tanks and am treating with Excel.

You can use H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide). Just take a few mls in a syringe and spray it on the algae.