McTurtle Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 I'm doing a few of my tanks and I've notices that the vals, which I've read are quite sensitive, seem to love the Excel, while my swords keep getting holes in the leaves and looking quite sad. My green temple also seems to degrade rapidly when dosed with Excel. Anyone have suggestions for Excel proof plants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 If you're going to bump the Excel, you should make sure that you have enough other nutrients. Your sword is likely showing K deficiency. If you don't want to test your water for fert levels (N,P,K), then you should probably dose via Estimative Index or Method of Controled Imbalances - both of those methods of fertilizing depend on max or over dosing fertilizers so your plants always have EVERYTHING they need. When one of the nutrients run short, you start seeing problems with your plants, and/or algae. IME, Riccia melts with just about any dose of Excel; Vals do fine within the recommended dosage, but overdosing will cause them to melt. There's a stem plant that doesn't do well with it, but I can't remember - might be Elodea. Hygrophilla spp. should love it (temple is H. corymbosa, right?), so make sure you're dosing both macro and micro nutrients. I have yet to have an algae that can stand up to an overdose of Excel, but BBA and BGA both seem to handle regular doseage, and GSA usually needs to be scraped, but won't come back when Excel is used, IME. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 All of my plant species will handle even a great overdose of excel. (typically I dose what equates to x5 at least of Excel) I'll give you a list in a little while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McTurtle Posted June 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 I am doing a modified EI dosing - basically 1/2 the recommended amount +1/2 dose of Excel. The swords also have root tabs. So there shouldn't be a deficiency... I'll bump up the ferts and see. Could also be the green tiger barbs... but I don't know why they'd target swords and not the other fine leaf plants. The green temple is H. corymbosa. It really doesn't like the Excel. It grows fine in high light & CO2 and in medium/low light no CO2, but high light + Excel = death. Again, perhaps there is a nutrient shortage. I have a bit of a BGA problem since I ran out of Excel (waiting for my Angelfins order!!), so maybe the nitrates are low. Before the Excel shortage I didn't see much algae. Looking forward to the plant list! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 sent a pm with a bunch of info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvision Posted June 27, 2014 Report Share Posted June 27, 2014 High Light means you have to go full EI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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