# seachem excel, valis died, brown spots on echino's????



## wfvanwielink (Feb 9, 2009)

When I started using florish excel because of small thread algae(fuzz algae) I slightly overdosed. Next few days started EI method(mixed up with tap water) 

I saw my valisneria slowly dying and now there are dark brown spots showing(looks like some sort of tissue loss) on my echinodorus. I already removed my Valisneria, now my Rotala Rotundifolia start to dissolve in the middel of the stem resulting in floating of the upper part trough te tank!!

What an I doing wrong?

some pic's with the dark spots and a fts

tank specs:

360ltrs 150watts MH co2 Ph6.8 kH4 EI method


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## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

wfvanwielink said:


> When I started using florish excel because of small thread algae(fuzz algae) I slightly overdosed. Next few days started EI method(mixed up with tap water)
> 
> I saw my valisneria slowly dying and now there are dark brown spots showing(looks like some sort of tissue loss) on my echinodorus. I already removed my Valisneria, now my Rotala Rotundifolia start to dissolve in the middel of the stem resulting in floating of the upper part trough te tank!!
> 
> ...


It is hard to say exactly what is going on in your tank since nobody really knows how to get a perfect tank all the time.

Here are some thoughts:
Excel is know to kill Vals so that could be point 1. I stopped using it a long time ago.
You should expect to have algae. Actually, algae is your friend. You just don't want to have lots of it in places where it doesn't look attractive (like on the front glass of your tank). 
Every tank cycles up with an algae bloom. The trick is to work at removing the stuff while keeping your plants growing as well as you can. There is no "instant gratification" it is a long term commitment.


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## wfvanwielink (Feb 9, 2009)

ray-the-pilot said:


> It is hard to say exactly what is going on in your tank since nobody really knows how to get a perfect tank all the time.
> 
> Here are some thoughts:
> Excel is know to kill Vals so that could be point 1. I stopped using it a long time ago.
> ...


Yhanx for your comment.

Personally I think it could be from the instant water chemistry changes, going from zero phosphates to 10 an nitrates ditto.

I already read that the excel kills vals, the vals almost died instantly showing dark tissue spots and completely dissolved. So I was a bit afraid It also happend to my echinodorus. 
Alternanthera rosefolia seems unaffected.

wouter


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## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

About a year ago, I killed most of my Vals by double dosing. After that I haven't double dosed and the Vals have recovered quite nicely. I still use Excel occasionally for algae control but I don't double dose since, I still have the Vals. In fact, I now have to remove handfuls of Vals every two weeks or so. I think if you allow the surviving Vals to grow, they will "acclimatize" to the Excel. Maybe the other plant will to.

Excel can work for algae control but, any method of control takes quite some time. I haven't found anything that works overnight.


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## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

For me Rotala Rotundifolia didn't appear sensitive to Excel. It grows out of control ever since I have applied co2. Rotala Rotundifolia has been one of my most algae resistant plants since it grows so fast.


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## Fishtory (Jan 21, 2009)

wfvanwielink said:


> now there are dark brown spots showing(looks like some sort of tissue loss) on my echinodorus.


I am glad you brought this up. I only used excel for a week (a month ago or more). I mostly use pps-pro. All my plants are SO healthy, except one echinodorus that shows spots like yours. I was going to post a question about it today but got to work without the pic.

Anyway, I don't think that is related to the excel... maybe it's some sort of deficiency? I have looked at all sorts of charts and haven't found this yet. Hopefully someone can shed light on this!


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