# Using EXCEL dose help



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I got a 500mL bottle of Excel and BANY price matched it to MOPS. No hassle. Only forgot the print out and they don't take prints of fthe laptop but the guy there was nice enough to print me off the price match off the laptop.

I want to know the dosing amounts for the following setups:

1gal
2.5gal
5.5gal
10gal
20gal

My 5.5gal is lightless right now other then surrounding light but my 10gal is what I plan on dosing. I have 2 x 23W 6500k (think 23W I keep forgetting to check) @ I think 1600lm each.

so ~2600lm rght now in that tank. I've got java moss, crytosomething, repens, java fern, and hydrophilla something. Moss is staghorn and BBA covered. Java fern is melting. Crytosomething is spot algaed up and half melted before but still aliv and holding. Repens and hydrophilla are melting and snails are eating all the decay. I think it' still saveable (sp?) given I have roots on the upper hydrophilla and repens.

I need to know what the dosing levels for the above specs. Water temp ~25C and lights on 6-8hrs.

The tank has about 3 fern plants, j.moss about my hand size amount, 1 crypto, 1 repens, 1 hydrophilla. 

Algae in the tank is BBA, staghorn, and green spot algae. 

Tank livestock is:
-Z.danios
-few ramhorn snails
-2 otocats

Thanks for the help in advance.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Forgot to mention http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/planted-nano-tanks/101731-nano-owners-how-much-excel-do.html is what I'm looking at right now but how to make the calulations is what I'd like to know. What is the formula to do that? Thanks.


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## NuclearTech (Mar 23, 2008)

Based on the bottle instructions, 

On initial water change, use 5mL for every 10 gallons. Use the formula (5mL/10gallons) * (volume of water in gallons in your tank). For your specs,

1g: 0.5mL
2.5g: 1.25 mL
5.5g: 2.75 mL
10g: 5 mL
20g: 10 mL

If it's not a major water change, and you are dosing daily, use 5 mL for every 50 gallons. The formula is just (5mL/50 gallons) * (volume of water in gallons in your tank). For your tanks,

1g: 0.1 mL (use a 1mL syringe)
2.5g: 0.25 mL (use a 1mL syringe)
5.5 g: 0.55 mL (etc...)
10 g: 1 mL
20 g: 2 mL


Hope this helps.


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## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

Most people don't do that "double the initial dose" thing like the bottle recommends...

It's actually not that necessary, and probably more of a scam to get you to use more of the product... Think about how much excel that would come out to for say, 100gal...

Seachem liquid plant products are usually pretty hard to overdose with... Just follow the recommended daily dose on the bottle and you should be fine... Probably wouldn't hurt anything if you dosed a little more than the recommended either...

Just saying, it doesn't sound like you're one of those fanatical plant guys who's got their plants thriving at lightning speeds on such a delicate system that even a single day of neglect could cause the whole thing to spin out of control... So don't worry too much about it.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

qwerty said:


> Most people don't do that "double the initial dose" thing like the bottle recommends...
> 
> It's actually not that necessary, and probably more of a scam to get you to use more of the product... Think about how much excel that would come out to for say, 100gal...
> 
> ...


Yah I'm a total noob to aquarium plants. This is all just a side experiment before I move to something larger in my aqua garden project. I only got them back around Oct/2009. Looked to grow ok at first then well the algae set it and I had the high brights on, on a 12hr timer and such because I wanted something for my otos to nom nom on. Then the dreaded BBA set in and the hydrogen peroxide dips did not work so I figure I should have saved the $2.50 for Excel at first but at least I got something left over in the peroxide for cuts and such so not a total waste but I doubt I'd use the solution at all as I have topical creme ointments.

Yah I've always thought about the companies asking for a multi-dose at first being more of using more product to buy more later. My reasoning for 5 times the dose in the 10gal as mentioned and calculated for me above is that the tank is in a bad state right now. Aside from the 4 sides of glass which are mostly algae free from my light scrubbing the bottom, cups, plants, driftwood, DIY filter, AC filter intake inside tube, and heater have algae on it.

Once things are in better shape then yah I'd go with the daily dose as the first dose if my situation was not as bad given the time I've had the plants since I got them. I've not had time to really 'scape the tank other then cups and barebottom which I admit is not the best looking but practical. The ease of cleaning with my setup right now is AC20 on left and DIY sponge filter on right. Everything collects under the sponge filter making it a quick syphon tube tube for all the solids which my hydroponic plants love. 

If I was to use Excel from day 1 a week after I got my tank and plants yah I would have just used daily dose amount as everything is healthy.


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

A 5x dose could be detrimental to your fish. I learned that one the hard way with one of my tanks in the past. I understand you wanting to get rid of the algae but a regular wc dose daily will be fine to kill off the BBA. However that being said you need to also figure out why you are having BBA to begin with...


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Dosed earlier today:

5.5gal @ 2mL
10gal @ 5mL

Both had recent water changes a few days ago.


Knave,

Define and could you explain the detrimental effects?


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## KnaveTO (May 13, 2007)

detrimental... as in dead fish


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

How long before I see real changes in the tank and the staghorn/BBA to start disappearing? 5 days? 7 days? ETC?

I'm on my 3rd day or daily dosing on the tanks. My Z.danios seem still active whenI'm waving my finger over the tank thinking I'm going to give them nom nom same with my 5.5gal tank.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

If you are spot treating with the Excel, you should actually see a definite change in the BBA within 3 days. I would continue with the normal dose, but ensure that you spot treat the problematic algae instead.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Darkblade48 said:


> If you are spot treating with the Excel, you should actually see a definite change in the BBA within 3 days. I would continue with the normal dose, but ensure that you spot treat the problematic algae instead.


Spot treat the BBA in the tank or out of the tank? Also daily spot treat or one time spot treat? If out of tank how long should I let the solution soak for? Should I use a ratio of excel to water on that spot treat or straight from the bottle?

Thanks


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

I spot treat BBA while inside the tank. This is done daily until I see a change. Use the Excel straight from the bottle when doing this. Make sure you turn off all filters/powerheads for a few minutes so that maximum contact time is ensured.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Darkblade48 said:


> I spot treat BBA while inside the tank. This is done daily until I see a change. Use the Excel straight from the bottle when doing this. Make sure you turn off all filters/powerheads for a few minutes so that maximum contact time is ensured.


Thanks for FYI.


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Not sure that you really get Darkblade48's meaning. When you dose, spot treat instead of just dropping the solution in. Don't over do it with excel because by the time you get a dead fish, your tank will be a death tank as well. Then you will have to throw everything away because it's leeched into your gravels, woods and the plants are damaged beyond recovering.

If you really want to get rid of the alage. Drop your 12 hours of light to 8 hours. Physically try to remove as much algae as you can and then treat them. Things don't happen by them self. You have to help out. If the plant is too infested, Just throw them out or give them a good triming to get rid of the algae.

Just a note, if hydrogen peroxide didn't work, excel will most like not work either as excel is only 1/5 as potent as peroxide when you are using it as an algaecide. However, excel does have other nutients that will help the plant grow stronger. So in that respect, you might still get a chance if you manage to balance your tank.

The key to doing less work in a planted tank is not let algae set in in the first place. Once it's well establish (as in grow to the point where you can't stand it anymore), it's way too late to turn the tank around. You'll be fighting an up hill battle every step of the way.

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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

I think I'm going ot drop my lighting to 5-6hrs while dosing at 1mL and see how things go.


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## qwerty (Dec 15, 2009)

give your tank 1-2 hours of lights-out midway through the day...

Algae takes a long time to adjust to changes in light levels, whereas plants are comparably faster. This gives your plants time to grow while your algae is still 'sleeping' half-way through the day, and can make a significant difference in algae growth.

I've been running 4WPG on my tank for quite awhile now while trying to get CO2 injection going. Despite dosing ferts into the water column, I've had very minimal signs of any algae growth at all. And then it's only been diatoms. I attribute my lack of algae to the lights-out period mid-day, and a good water change schedule. Otherwise by all means I should be seeing tons of algae by now...


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