Flourish Excel Bioavailable Carbon - Organic Carbon Source for Aquatic Plants 250 ml

I set up a new aquarium 3 months ago. I've had major algae issues. Plants have not been growing like they're supposed to. Nothing has seemed to be going right. I bought this product based on some recommendations on Youtube, and 2 weeks later... the algae is completely gone and the plants are thriving like I haven't seen since I set up the tank. The Amazon Sword plant has sprouted SIX new stems in the last 2 weeks. The Hornwort has reached the top of the aquarium. The stem plants are finally starting to get longer. I wish I'd started using this product day 1. I will buy it again, and again, and again.

This stuff is awesome. My tank had the hard to remove "black beards algae." Scraping, cleaning, sponges, razor blades.... nothing would remove it. Got a recommendation to try this. 2 capfuls and 4 days later and the algae is almost gone, a week later and it's like it was never there. Easiest solution to the most annoying problem ever. The bottle should last awhile as you dont need much to get results. Worth every penny.

Best algae control product on the market--at least that I have found. Almost gave up my aquarium because couldn't keep the algae down; plants were dying. Daily use of this product stops it in its tracks.

I haven't used this long, but I have enjoyed the results so far. I have several plants in a 2-gallon Betta tank. I dose the tank with Flourish, Flourish Iron, and this. And I have seen growth within the first week. I have to dose in very small amounts (1 drop is less than half the recommended dose for that size, two drops is too much) but I do see a difference. I have avoided Excel for the longest time because I heard the stories of people overdosing (accidentally or not) and killing everything in their tank. I can dose correctly, but I didn't want to take the risk with something so dangerous to tank life even if slightly overdosed. I am currently cycling the tank that the plants are in, so no fish yet, but I am sure it will be safe even at the recommended dose, let alone half it. I see lots of people saying they "prefer Excel to Flourish." They are completely different products. Flourish is a micro trace element fertilizer. Excel is a carbon-providing fertilizer. They can be used in conjunction, or separately, but they are separate products. They should not be compared "one or the other." The active ingredient is actually a sterilizer, and is used in some algaecide products. So this means yes, it can be used to kill algae. However Seachem does not market it as such, so you will find no official approval of the product as such from them. The bottle, unlike other Seachem product bottles, contains a ratcheting child safety cap. I see some people say it breaks easily on them, but I haven't had mine break yet. This has a cap like that for a very good reason. This stuff could be dangerous. Not only can some people react to it if it touches their skin or they breath it, but it should be kept well away from anyone who might think it would be a good idea to pour it in a tank, because "it's a fertilizer, so it'll be good for the plants." All fertilizer products should be kept up, but if you overdose with Flourish, you are likely only to have an algae problem if you don't do a water change soon enough. If you overdose with Excel, it will kill everything in the tank.

Seachem Flourish Excel 250ml is a great tool for aquarists that want to start a simple planted aquarium. This product serves as an alternative to injected C02, which can be a pretty big hassle. C02 is very helpful for helping plants grow, but should be used in conjunction with fertilizers and proper lighting. I would highly recommend if you are looking into Excel, that you also look into Flourish. Flourish is Seachems nutrient supplement for aquariums. The Excel will allow plants to grow quickly and facilitates the consumption of nutrients in the water but doesn't actually provide any. This product definitely helped my baby tears grow wild. Before using it they were stagnant for months, after a couple months of dosing Excel I had a full bed at the bottom of my aquarium that was green and healthy. All over great product for small aquariums looking for a boost in growth. Big aquariums such as 50+ gallons I imagine the cost would become much too high and I would recommend a DIY C02 option or straight injected C02 for better results.

I've been in the hobby for years, and I've always used Seachem Flourish and Seachem Flourish Excel for my plants. Absolutely, boosts my plant growth, have no issues, my plants love this.

This killed the algae growing on my anubias plant and subsequently grew better. My yellow cichlid and guppies didn't show any observable negative effects. However, my elodea melted and didn't recover

In combination with either Flourite or Eco-complete substrates, I've used Excel for years for my planted tanks. With zero buffering capacity (kh) in the pH 8 well water I had, using a CO2 system guaranteed gorgeous plants but dead fish because of the resulting the wide swings of pH. Excel allows me to have a low tech tank and works wonders for the low to medium light plants that I prefer (crypts, anubias, java ferns, along with higher light wisteria and egeria densa used to combat algae from getting established before the plants do). I now have pH7 water with 2 degrees of hardness and will continue with Excel. For my latest tank (20 long), I've been adding 2ml every day -- it took a month for the plants to establish and start growing. I'll taper off to every other day soon. I expected the crypts to completely melt when first planted because, well, they are crypts and that's what they do. But they didn't melt and are already putting out new leaves and coloring up nicely. This tank also has 2 small Amazon swords planted in the higher light areas of the tank -- they lost their original leaves (they were grown emerged) and now have beautiful truly submerged foliage. I don't have any luck using liquid fertilizers or laterite - I'm amazed at all the different kinds of algae I managed to grow when I used them. By using Excel and adding Osmocote pelleted fertilizer deep under the substrate just where heavy feeding plants' roots are, that seems to limit excess nutrients. I've heard that egeria densa doesn't do well with Excel but mine is doing great and growing like a weed while floating over the top of the water. It's never affected my fish, snails or shrimp either.