Anybody using DIY Flourish Excell

[Prince]

Anybody using DIY Flourish Excel aka 2.5% GLUTARALDEHYDE SOLUTION?

 

[mscichlid]

Uh...no.

 

[Prince]

Uh...no.

Thats the same thing I thought when it was proposed on AC last year. The thread started was Flamed beyond belief. JCardona on MFk brought it up again and I started doing a little research. People have been using a 2.5% solution since 2006 with success so far as I have found. I have found a liter for 20 buck plus shipping. The GLUTARALDEHYDE in excel is 1%. Its the "active ingredient". The dosing is 5ml per 10 gallons. So 5ml of a 2.5% GLUTARALDEHYDE solution should work for 25 gallons. Or dose 1.5ml per 10 gallons of water.

 

[chris_todd]

I and several other people in GWAPA experimented with it a year or two ago, and as long as you get the concentration right, it works just fine as a replacement for excel, and is considerably cheaper. I went back to using excel because it is more easily obtained, and I like supporting companies that support our club and our hobby, and Seachem has been very supportive of GWAPA and the planted tank hobby. But yeah, it works and it's cheaper.

Posted via mobile.capitalcichlids.org

 

[chris_todd]

This GWAPA thread contains the discussion I remember (my memory is clearly waning - this was almost three years ago):
http://www.gwapa.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1420

It references a thread on Aquatic Plant Central, where a number of folks reported it worked well. Now that I re-read the GWAPA thread and think back to my experience, there were mixed reviews. Perhaps most telling: no one bought a second one gallon bottle.

 

[verbal]

Thats the same thing I thought when it was proposed on AC last year. The thread started was Flamed beyond belief. JCardona on MFk brought it up again and I started doing a little research. People have been using a 2.5% solution since 2006 with success so far as I have found. I have found a liter for 20 buck plus shipping. The GLUTARALDEHYDE in excel is 1%. Its the "active ingredient". The dosing is 5ml per 10 gallons. So 5ml of a 2.5% GLUTARALDEHYDE solution should work for 25 gallons. Or dose 1.5ml per 10 gallons of water.

2 liters of Excel from Kensfish is $28+ shipping.

I think you might be able to find a little bit better deal on the 2.5% GLUTARALDEHYDE, but you don't have the huge savings unless you are using a ton of it.