why is flourish excel dosed how it is?

[sostoudt]

i have a couple questions about how and why the dosage per day was chosen as it is now.

why is dose significantly more the on initial use or the day after a big water change?
its dosing 5 times the amount(cap per 10 gallons vs cap per 50 gallons) of regular use.


since excel is only available for 24 hours, why cant i continue that cap per 10 gallons every day?

if i have no fish in the tank, can i safely improve my results by increasing the dosage per day(with in reason)?

[Tech Support AN]

Thanks for the post. The reason for this is because initially you are most likely starting out with very little carbon in your water and so the larger dose is to be able to get that level up and then to be able to maintain it after water changes. Flourish excel has reducing properties so you would not want to continually overdose the product, as it has the potential to reduce the oxygen in the aquarium. This is why we have instructed to dose this product in this manner and have found that it gives the best result when used as instructed. Even with no fish in your tank, I would recommend sticking to the instructions on the label and you should still see great results. Have a great weekend!

[Tech Support LK]

Also wanted to mention that this was discussed on Aquatic Plant Central not too long ago. Here is what our response was there:

"The statement that Flourish Excel is only available for 24 hours is a valid statement, but is dependent upon quite a few factors (ie: organic waste present, plant load, etc.). In testing this product in "moderately" planted aquariums, we found that the 5mL of Excel per 50 gallons was enough to supply the plants with carbon for 24 hours. The Flourish Excel also can interact with organics in the system and be broken down. So, the more fish you have (ie: organics), the less Excel that you will have available to the plants. Lets take, for instance, someone who has only a few fish, relatively clean water, and very few plants. It is completely safe for them to use the recommended dose of Flourish Excel (5mL/50 gal), but they may see some buildup of Excel over time. The buildup is not a negative aspect, it means that we are likely maintaining a good amount of carbon in the system. Well, if we perform a >40% water change on the system, we will remove any of the leftover Excel that was in the system. We therefore know that at this point it is completely safe to add the 5mL/10gallons. Many people with heavily planted tanks are able to dose the larger amount on a normal basis, but we cannot recommend this since there are other unknown factors involved with the possibility of buildup. I hope this answers your questions in regard to that."

The thread is on our Seachem forum there titled "Excel Overdose on Change Day" if you would like to take a peek/

[sostoudt]

can you define "moderately planted"?

so in this low fish and low plant tank, lets assume this is water changeless system that uses anerobic bacteria, if it continously builds up over time, wont it eventually become dangerous?

is there anyway to test the amount of excel in the system? it doesnt have to be a consumer test kit, just a chemical i can order and perform titration(although i guess thats how test kits work too.)



also i tried to find the thread i couldn't locate it with the search feature.

[Tech Support EH]

In a tank that never gets water changes performed, there will be an excess of organics, no matter what the fish/plant load. This organic load will serve to break down the Excel, and it will therefore not build up. Unfortunately, there is no way to test the amount of Excel (an organic carbon source) in a system, but following the instructions will yield the best results. Here is the link to this discussion on Aquatic Plant Central: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/seachem/59753-excel-overdose-change-day.html.

[sostoudt]

[QUOTE=Tech Support EH;7114]In a tank that never gets water changes performed, there will be an excess of organics, no matter what the fish/plant load. This organic load will serve to break down the Excel, and it will therefore not build up. Unfortunately, there is no way to test the amount of Excel (an organic carbon source) in a system, but following the instructions will yield the best results. Here is the link to this discussion on Aquatic Plant Central: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/seachem/59753-excel-overdose-change-day.html.[/QUOTE]

forgive me for my ignorance, but how did you detect excel was used up in a 24 hour period in testing?

[Tech Support LK]

We tested using lab methods. There are ways to test for the components of Flourish Excel in a laboratory setting, however, there are no consumer-grade test kits.

[sostoudt]

[QUOTE=Tech Support LK;7116]We tested using lab methods. There are ways to test for the components of Flourish Excel in a laboratory setting, however, there are no consumer-grade test kits.[/QUOTE]

what are those methods?

i do have access to a college chemistry and biology labs, im sure the TA would indulge me provided the equipment is available.

also how did you define moderately planted?

[sostoudt]

since i believe i heard the molecule Polycycloglutaracetal(ingredient in excel if im right) is a form of gluteraldehyde, can i simply test for gluteraldehyde?

[LabTest57]

Interestingly I always wondered if gluteraldehyde could be tested in a solution, but I don't have the right reagents to test it and I don't have access to a college lab, yet. =)