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Re: algae and Excel




Bill wrote:

> Does any one have any experience with excel reducing the growth of algae in > your tanks. I have been using it for about 3 or 4 weeks, since that time 
> algae seems to have cut back quite a bit. I read some past post about excel > that say (you need to read between the lines) I guess I just didn't get
> it.

Say what?

Seachem doesn't advertise that it reduces algae growth.  If it did then
I expect they would promote it that way.  Furthermore, I see no reason
why it should reduce algae growth.

A month or so ago I decided to see what would happen if I grew some
Myriophyllum matogrossense in sunlight.  I set up a small bucket with a
layer of compost covered by a layer of mixed sand/gravel and planted
about 9 stems in the bucket.  The water was still, so after about a week
of very slow growth I decided to supplement nature by adding Excel to
the mix.

The myriophyllum responded not at all to the Excel and about a week
after starting the additions I had a nice frothy green scum on the
bucket and quite a bit of attached algae inside.  What little growth I
did get on the myriophyllum was stunted.  I stopped using the Excel and
the scum disappeared.

Perhaps that same growth pattern would have happened without the Excel. 
I can't tell, as it wasn't a controlled experiment.  Besides, my little
attempt at growing myriophyllum outdoors probably isn't a good test for
Excel.  The main problem in this bucket is that there's no circulation
and a whole lot of light; conditions where a lot of plants will fail. 
Just the same, I think the result I got with Excel were about the same
as the results I could expect without it.
   

Roger Miller