# Flourish, Excel, Iron vs. Big Al's Multi-Purpose Plant Food Supplement what is better



## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

Hi Guys

I have been using seachem Flourish, Excel, Iron for a while now but do not see a lot of success with it in my 30Gl tank with low light plants. Getting a lot of algae and plants dieing (getting yellow / brown) when reaching adult age. My friend is using Big Al's Multi-Purpose Plant Food Supplement, and very successful with growing his plants. I'm wondering if anybody has experience with both and can advice what is better ?


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

ppaskova can you take pics of your tank. I just think you have excess nutrients in your tank and without co2 your plants just cant compete with the algae like i said before. i know you dose excel but when you are running 2bulb t5ho fixture right ontop of your tank thats super high light and without co2 its bound for algae disaster


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

Here is the picture attached. You are right I'm using two T5HO 24W daylight lights in my fixture for 7 hrs a day. I use to have regular 20W T8 before but plants did not grow but I did not have algae. I changed it to my current fixture but my plants still not growing as well as they should. I dozed extra doze of excel yesterday and my algae went down a little. I guess you are right about the CO2. may need o doze Excel more often or buy API CO2 liquid ?


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## kamal (Apr 21, 2009)

slightly off topic try diy co2.....


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## Y2KGT (Jul 20, 2009)

Hi,
You're dosing fertilizers into your water however it looks like your pants are mostly Amazon Swords which are root based plants. Perhaps you'd have more success replacing your gravel with a proper plant substrate such as Eco Complete. Or you could use Root Tabs to feed these Swords.

You can't compare your tank to your friends unless you have the identical setup. And in my opinion the Seachem products are way better than the Big Al's brand.

Fast growing plants would require additional fertilization and Excel is just a liquid substitute for CO2 and the API CO2 Booter is basically the same stuff.
--
Paul


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

Sorry I' no good with DIY stuff at all. And yes I'm also using flourish root tabs for my Amazons. This actually why I got more algae after pouting root tabs in. I'll continue doze excel and Iron weekly or often.


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

Y2KGT said:


> Hi,
> You're dosing fertilizers into your water however it looks like your pants are mostly Amazon Swords which are root based plants. Perhaps you'd have more success replacing your gravel with a proper plant substrate such as Eco Complete. Or you could use Root Tabs to feed these Swords.
> 
> Paul


In addition to Amazons (who is the biggest plant in the tank) I have Java fern, Java moss and Criptocorn. Only Criptocorn is growing well, rest of the plants including moss are slowly dieing. Root tabs, Flourish, Excel and Iron not helping much (although last doze of excel decreased the algae)


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## default (May 28, 2011)

Your plants don't require too much ferts in the water column, also those swords often brown out old leaves and grow new ones.
Be very careful how you dose iron, even in my high tech I normally never dose iron - have had a full bottle for a year now. Iron seems to promote algae, and you have zero stem plants or plants that require a dose in the water column, you're just going to dose to feed algae instead.

I've compared the bigals to flourish, and they're basically the same thing just more diluted. You're adding more bigals brand since the percentage of ingredients are less concentrated.. Just a matter of saving money I guess.
Even at their stores they use flourish products, both the original and premium line.

Keep up your water change, if your plants have algae, just cut off the leaves that have it, clean the glass and stop dosing - cut back to 1-2 a week and with just the flourish comprehensive and excel.
Keep giving them root tabs, and wait for the best. Cryptocornes grow slow so don't expect them to grow any faster.
Also comparing with your friend, it's different with everyone, even every setup. He might have more equipment than you, better lights, different plants, and you get the point. Don't waste your money on the bigals fertilized water


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## ppaskova (Apr 27, 2010)

Thank you very much for your advice default. I always thought that my Amazon getting yellow because of not enough Iron and also thought that regular flourish will promote algae and this is why I doze more Iron in the tank than any other fert and less of all regular flourish. I also heard that too much Iron could be harmfull to fish ? Below is my setup that may give a better picture to the problem:

30Gl Planted tank - established 1 year old with two filters AC30 and AC50
Plants:
Java fern - getting brown when reach adult stage
Java moss - getting brown and dies
Amazon sward - getting yellow when reach adult stage
Criptocorn – growing normaly

PH - 7
Ammonia - 0
NO2 - 0
NO3 - 0
Light - Aquatic Life fixture with two T5HO 24W 24" daylight 6400K florescent lamps on for 7 hrs each day.
Water changes, 25-30% every two weeks (use to do it every week but now trying to rise my NO3)
Fertilizers - Flourish root tabs - 2, Flourish, Iron and Excel 5-10Ml each dozing every water change.


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