Flourish Excel and Blue Green Algae

**goose** · 27th Jul 2011, 13:05

Hi, does anyone knows whether is there a link between Flourish Excel and Blue Green Algae? The reason why I asked is because every time when i tried to overdose excel I get BGA in the process. I read that intro organic carbon can casue BGA. Anyone has any advice or comments?

Thanks.

**barmby** · 27th Jul 2011, 13:33

It might be due to lack of nitrate in the water column. I have no scientific findings. Lack of nitrate usually lead to BGA. I guess it make sense because plants utilize excel to make food thereby draining the tank of its nutrients. Also, it is time to look into your constant supply of CO2 into water column, once you get it right then you look at the dozing.

**Shadow** · 27th Jul 2011, 14:09

actually I'm using excel to kill BGA. Those that in between glass and soil. I use syringe and inject it into the soil.

**goose** · 28th Jul 2011, 16:44

Originally Posted by barmby

It might be due to lack of nitrate in the water column. I have no scientific findings. Lack of nitrate usually lead to BGA. I guess it make sense because plants utilize excel to make food thereby draining the tank of its nutrients. Also, it is time to look into your constant supply of CO2 into water column, once you get it right then you look at the dozing.

I'm using pressurised co2 about 3 bps and I'm dosing seachem nitrogen for nitrate but honestly everytime when i dose excel i got BGA...

**goose** · 28th Jul 2011, 16:45

Originally Posted by Shadow

actually I'm using excel to kill BGA. Those that in between glass and soil. I use syringe and inject it into the soil.

BGA is not really algae... its more like bacterial... You cant kill BGA with excel...

**Shadow** · 28th Jul 2011, 18:12

Sure can, it can kill anything when overdose. Excel base material is basically disinfectant, surprise?

**barmby** · 28th Jul 2011, 23:17

It's because you dose Seachem Nitrogen for nitrate. Its not sufficient I guess. Perhaps you may want to share more about your tank. take a picture of the overall. I can see I might be able to diagnose it.

**goose** · 1st Aug 2011, 16:54

Originally Posted by barmby

It's because you dose Seachem Nitrogen for nitrate. Its not sufficient I guess. Perhaps you may want to share more about your tank. take a picture of the overall. I can see I might be able to diagnose it.

Attachment 24928

My tank as shown above. The pic was taken about 6months back when I first setup.

The plants include:
1. HC cuba,
2. us fissiden,
3. christmas moss,
4. and lately added lily.

Light: 150w (reduce to 4hrs a day)
CO2: 3bs

Dose:
Daily: Seachem Trace, Potassium
Alternate day: Seachem Nitrogen and Phosphorus, iron

Feeding: alternate day

Filter:
Eheim Pro 2224 (only contain biohome) connect to pre-filter
Pre-filter: contain only wool filter

To increase water circulation - i have added a wavemaker.

I tend to get fuzzy algae on my HC and christmas moss and that was the reason why I tried to over doese excel but whenever I do that I get BGA. I read that fuzzy algae is due to in sufficient nutrients deficiency. I have tried over dosing nutrients but still in vain.

Thanks in advance.

**barmby** · 1st Aug 2011, 16:56

I think the plants are not making food or not making food fast enough. These are slow grower, rite. The tank is quite sparse for a new tank. really. unless it is mature, you can get away with it.. you have cut down the lighting period. i hope its good

just my experience.

**barmby** · 2nd Aug 2011, 00:11

Its a ADA tank, how big?
What is your CO2 content before light on and one hour after lights on ? (in ppm)
What is your CO2 content before light off ? (in ppm)
What's your temperature?
Did you dose Seachem Prime?

If you do not want to go down to such details. Perhaps you can use general combination fertilizer like WonderGro, LushGro. Aqua for Macro-nutrients, and Micros for Micro-nutrients supplement with seachem and etc. do note that lushgro macros do not have P

After awhile I realize I am just not good in dosing specific fertilizers as full meal for the plants. Therefore i used general combination fertilizer. It works for me.

**goose** · 2nd Aug 2011, 08:40

Originally Posted by barmby

Its a ADA tank, how big?
What is your CO2 content before light on and one hour after lights on ? (in ppm)
What is your CO2 content before light off ? (in ppm)
What's your temperature?
Did you dose Seachem Prime?

If you do not want to go down to such details. Perhaps you can use general combination fertilizer like WonderGro, LushGro. Aqua for Macro-nutrients, and Micros for Micro-nutrients supplement with seachem and etc. do note that lushgro macros do not have P

After awhile I realize I am just not good in dosing specific fertilizers as full meal for the plants. Therefore i used general combination fertilizer. It works for me.

Hi, the tank is 90x45x45cm.

I dont measure my K value. Only use a drop checker. The checker is normally in light green before the light goes off and I turn the co2 on about 1hr before the light turn on. I'm also dosing 15ml of excel but just couldnt over dose.

I do have a chiller. I'm using 2 fans to keep the temp down. Normally maintain around 26.5 to 27. Highest it reaches is 28 but not often.

Yup I dose Seachem Prime but only when i change water. I change about 50% of water twice a week. Tue and Fri. I used to dose ADA fert stept 1 but it contains iron. I prefer to dose the fert individually for more control. All my plants are doing well except for the fuzzy algae. My HC took almost 3months to settle down.

**barmby** · 3rd Aug 2011, 01:02

Hi, I am not comfortable with the CO2 and Seachem Prime. Already short on nitrate because dozing of seachem nitrate - the addition of seachem prime which removes nitrates will not help the cause. furthermore , water change twice a week thereby removing 5ppm of NO3 from our tap water (Seachem Prime)

Lets not deviate - nobody can confirm if excel causes BGA and quite frankly thats a truth (nobody can prove it)

my suspect is fertilization and co2 as 150W of lights into a 90x45x45 tank is not a joke. Furthermore, ADA tank is short tank and allow light to pierce through the water right to the bottom (because you said that your plants are doing well except for fuzz algae)

**goose** · 3rd Aug 2011, 08:37

Originally Posted by barmby

Hi, I am not comfortable with the CO2 and Seachem Prime. Already short on nitrate because dozing of seachem nitrate - the addition of seachem prime which removes nitrates will not help the cause. furthermore , water change twice a week thereby removing 5ppm of NO3 from our tap water (Seachem Prime)

Lets not deviate - nobody can confirm if excel causes BGA and quite frankly thats a truth (nobody can prove it)

my suspect is fertilization and co2 as 150W of lights into a 90x45x45 tank is not a joke. Furthermore, ADA tank is short tank and allow light to pierce through the water right to the bottom (because you said that your plants are doing well except for fuzz algae)

Thanks barmby. I will think about what you say.

**barmby** · 4th Aug 2011, 14:14

Yah. We can go on for days to guess what's causes BGA. Like 'plantbrain' have said - unless you can induce it else we cannot prove it. And it is very misleading to say "this causes BGA AND that cause BGA"