Should I be using Flourish excel?

[aanubias]

Not knowing there were many different types of seachem flourish, I ordered flourish excel instead of the regular flourish. I will be ordering an actual plant fertiliser soon but I don't want my flourish excel to go to waste. I've heard that it's worked wonders for some people but at the same time I've heard of plants melting because of it. I have Vallisneria, Anubias, Bacopa, Cryptocoryne, swords, Java fern and two other plants that I'm not sure the name of. I believe they are all easy to care for plants though but my sword and Vallisneria aren't doing too well. The Anubias also looks like it hasn't changed but I think it's because it hasn't managed to root yet. I'm just nervous to use excel as I'll be going back to education soon and won't have time to constantly make sure my plants are fine. For my livestock I've got a betta, ember tetras and a nerite snail. I've heard of "conditioning" plants to excel? if that's a thing?

 

[mbsqw1d]

It is not advisable to use it if you keep fish in the tank. Planted only tank fine. (however it is known to kill off vallisneria.)

@Byron often steers people clear - eg -

Diatom Algae On Plants

Hello, I know that new tanks have diatom breakouts. That those are mostly due to the maturing tank, and to the silicates leeching in the tank. Most advice I've read online, simply says to wait it out. In my last tank, the diatom breakout lasted only 2 weeks, but it was a pico 5 gallon tank. ...

www.fishforums.net

 

[FishBearer9845]

Doesn’t excel version kill fish or at least contribute?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Doesn’t excel version kill fish or at least contribute?

I’m pretty sure it’s dangerous for shrimp, not fish.

 

[FishFinatic77]

I heard that you should not use excel in tanks with fish.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Any live stock. Planted tank only is ok. Some will say its only an issue if you overdose, however with that in mind, its obviously not 100% safe. A low dose won't kill your livestock.. so what is it doing to them then? Its just unnecessary IMO

 

[Fishmanic]

I stopped using it after I dripped some on my linoleum floor and it removed the coloring on the tile. If it does that to my floor, I wouldn't want that to get inside my fish. I have two unused bottles that I will never use.

I use flourish comprehensive and flourish trace elements for my planted tanks.

 

[AquaBarb]

Excel should be taken off the shelfs! It contains Glutaraldehyde which is used to sterilise surgical equpiment. Even the slightest overdose could kill your fish and plants

Id keep it well clear of your tanks

 

[Byron]

Other members have accurately said it. Never use Excel or any similar product containing glutaraldehyde in an aquarium with fish; I've no personal knowledge of its effect on invertebrates (shrimp and snails). But that really is irrelevant anyway, because as another member or two put it, any substance that will kill "x" at even the normal dose and has the capability of killing every living organism if overdosed, has no place in a tank with living creatures.

Several products that claim to be carbon supplements use glutaraldehyde. Seachem's Excel, API's CO2 Booster, and a couple others I can't remember but have seen in other threads. There is no need for carbon supplements unless you are maintaining a high-tech aquatic-garden type of planted tank, and then diffused CO2 is safer and more effective even for plants alone.

 

[aanubias]

Thank you all for your help, I won't be using it.

 

[Wells]

I started using it a couple weeks ago, I'll be honest I haven't noticed any improvements to my plants, in fact the plants I thought it would help have actually failed and have had to be removed.

As others have said it has its issues with livestock and without seeing benefits for the plants I won't be continuing to use it, nor would I recommend it in future.