Re: What is this?

[Pufferpunk]

I swear by their products: www.yamatogreen.com

[defool89]

I swear by their products: http://www.yamatogreen.com

Been using it a little less then a week, small details are starting to show. Im getting some lift action on my leaves. Its quite reassuring that its a great product. Im using yamato green-n

[scpion]

Ime and imo, if the current setup works, leave it as it is. I myself would not want to complicate things especially with the water chemistry.. The occasional excel and light dousing of fert will suffice. If there's excess algae, just cut back on the lighting. 18w on a 46g doesn't seems too much, Co2 injection may or may not help.. If u still wish to try out with co2, probably DIY is the way to go ATM. After some time if u feel that the Co2 helps, investing in a decent pressurised Co2 system is the way to go. Just like a sw tank, initial setup cost may be higher, but save u a lot of headache in the long term.

[Iliveinazoo]

liquid carbon is dangerous in higher than recommended doses and so is gaseous CO2. For the record I have double dosed Easycarbo, Excel and the Aqua Essentials equivalent and have had no fish deaths but I also have a heavily planted tank and add additional NPK + trace.

When I used to go onto planted tank forums a lot CO2 was always a big issue, the consensus seems to be that injected CO2 is the best and most controllable option but liquid carbon is adequate and is a fairly reasonable equivalent option on smaller tanks. The downside to DIY CO2 is that it is uncontrollable and you apparently tend to have more algae problems where you have a fluctuating source of carbon.

Brown algae is normally a symptom of a new tank and generally dissappears after a month or so as the tank matures, this is a pretty good link:
http://www.theplantedtank.co.uk/algae.htm

The key to a healthy planted tank appears to be consistency. I chased almost every strategy under the sun at the beginning but since then I have dosed weekly, it has taken a while but the plants have adapted and I get nowhere near the amount of algae I used to get.

Brackish plant lists usually show plants that will survive at SG1.005@25DegC and lower, therefore the range can be between SG1.002 and SG1.005@25DegC, the closer you get to SG1.005 the less plants there are available to you. Hornwort for me has only done well up to SG1.003@25DegC, it has grown well at this temperature and salinity but has consistently died off in the summer where the ambient temperature has caused the tanks temperature to rise. Ceratopteris Thalictroides has reacted the same to a slightly lesser extent.

Sorry I have no idea what the white is but I fear that your Hornwort will melt due to your SG but be sure to note your temperature also.

[RTR]

Rebutal of the above:

Keeping fish in glass or plastic boxes is not natural.

Feeding fish prepared and processed foods is not natural.

Keeping plants in glass or plastic containers or in pots or greenhouses is not natural.

Feeding fish non-living foods is not natural.

There is no such thing as a balanced aquarium.

Our entire hobby is not natural.

Seachem is actually one of the best suppliers of needed supplements for planted tanks, and their Excel is one of the best if not the very best sources of bio-available carbon for aquatic plants. There are however certain plants which the company itself publishes as being incompatible with Excel. No hobbyist should ever use anything which they do not understand at all, but many of us do use Seachem products routinely, and especially their Excel. We just know better than to use it with Anacharis. Lack of knowledge and understanding is the enemy, not Seachem or their product Excel.

It is absurd to charge any aquarium product as being undesirable because it is not natural. The whole hobby is not natural. Accept that and deal with it.

FYI, for full disclosure: I buy Excel in 4-liter bottles. It is the largest volume commercial product used in my tanks.

FWIW, YMMV

[defool89]

[RTR]

Quote: (Postby defool89 on Wed Jan 09, 2013 1:15 pm, in this thread)"Excel is far too unatural and can only picture them making this stuff in double layer haz mat suits, not saying its bad its just not great IMO although success is found in this product. Kinda like mothers natural chemically created breast milk vs formula. Both good but ones the obvious healthier choice, again IMO. To an extent all plant fertz are basically "formula". "

The above quote is IMHO, both false and libelous. The poster could be sued by the manufacturer if they were the sort of company to do so. But their product and its siblings are sufficiently well accepted that they have no need to bother. I have used it since it appeared on the market. So long as it not grossly over-dosed (a practice absolutely not sanctioned by the manufacturer) it is highly safe with all plants I have grown other than Anacharis. Many to most of my multi-tank set-ups are not compatible with CO2 gassing to effective levels, so Excel fills that need quite well and easily. The "unatural" argument is specious and shows a shocking lack of understanding of tank biology. I strongly disagree with folks teaching ignorance and lack of understanding as guide to tank operation, and I cannot and will not let such stand unchallenged.

FWIW

[defool89]

[RTR]

Seachem has never claimed Excel to be exact equivalent to the dissolved gas CO2. But it is an excellent bio-available carbon source where adequate levels of dissolved gaseous CO2 are not practical, such as in my multi-tank system.

Equally you are apparently unaware of clean room and clean area technology in modern manufacturing. Such procedures and precautions go a long way in insuring the cleanest and purest products available and also the longest possible stability for products designed to be stored under ambient conditions. It is not sci-fi but practical processing for many materials these days. There is no melodrama involved, just sound manufacturing and business practice. Your ignorance and unjustified conclusions are fantasy, not fact but bad melodrama.

Rather than providing helpful information, you are attempting to pass off imaginings and mythology rather than fact. This is not helpful to others. Nor is it beneficial to others. It serves no end other than confusion. It does make you appeal to be a troll.