# interesting article on excel



## don (Nov 29, 2011)

http://www.oscarfish.com/article-home/equipment/114-buyer-beaware-seachem-excel.html

I was looking into using excel for the time being before I took the plunge into a pressurized co2 system, what do you have to say?


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## trailblazer295 (Mar 7, 2010)

Link doesn't work for me.


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## don (Nov 29, 2011)

Strange, I just tried it and it works for me


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## SourGummy (Apr 29, 2011)

i have been using a few methods on my nano planted... 1) no co2 and no excel, 2) just excel, and 3) just diy co2. What i noticed is that with excel or co2, the plants grows differently(healthier and faster) from having no co2 and no excel, while plants under co2 grows faster than under excel. 

what i'd suggest is that go with Excel if your tank isnt too big, im pretty sure anything larger than 20g the cost will be too high when compare to co2


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## ubr0ke (Jul 12, 2011)

plants need carbon to grow..co2 is the natural form used by plants..excel is a synthetic form...

light drives the demand for carbon...so the more light the more carbon you must supply...

excel is fine in lower light situations but when light is increased the amount of excel needed to fill that demand becomes toxic to fish/critters etc...Thats why co2 is will always be the preferred method of adding carbon.


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## SourGummy (Apr 29, 2011)

also a quick note, i was able to grow HC into a nice low carpet with excel and 9w PC in a 2.5gallon with no algae problem


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## don (Nov 29, 2011)

SourGummy said:


> also a quick note, i was able to grow HC into a nice low carpet with excel and 9w PC in a 2.5gallon with no algae problem


nice. Im just trying to work it out, for 2000 ml of excel at 25 bucks and a daily dose at <5 ml for my 38 gallon I have 400 doses in a year. I dont know how much pressurized c02 id go through but I know for sure the initial start up cost is much more, I think I might give excel a go for a while and see what kind of results I get and go from there.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Don't bother, Excel does not even come close to being the same as CO2 injection. It's just a popular product to use for small tanks because a diffuser or bubble ladder is too big to fit in there.
Both Excel and CO2 injection can be use at the same time working together. They don't replace each other. This is because they are both difference product, producing the same results in plants. (well ... not exactly the same result, your tank can grow 3 times faster under a CO2 injection as compare to Excel.)

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## Car2n (Jun 7, 2011)

After overdosing with Excel, I lost 5 african cichlids. I almost lost the whole tank. I had 30 or so large cichlids all laying on top of each other bunched into a corner. Gasping. I had to do a few water changes that day.
I still use Excel but sparingly.A fair bit less than the recommended dose.


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