# Excel vs C02



## T.C. (Apr 1, 2017)

Anyone ever used the aquarium excel in place of the co2 setups. Does it work?


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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Excel works, but not nearly as well as CO2 does. For low light tanks, Excel is a good idea, but it isn't nearly adequate for high light tanks.

Excel is also a good algaecide, which is why I use it in my medium light tank, which also gets DIY CO2. One problem with DIY CO2 is that fluctuating levels of CO2 tend to make BBA start growing. If you use Excel, along with DIY CO2, you can greatly reduce that BBA problem.

Excel is pretty expensive except on small tanks. But, the active ingredient in Excel is glutaraldehyde, and that is also the active ingredient in Metricide - a disinfectant. You can buy "Metricide 14 day" for far less cost, discard the "activator" that comes with it, and use it in place of Excel, as I do. That version of Metricide has a higher concentration of glutaraldehyde than Excel does, but the recommended daily dosage of Excel is not enough to get full benefit of it, so dosing Metricide at that same dosage is about the right dosage. I get my Metricide in one gallon jugs at https://www.amazon.com/Metrex-Metri...8&qid=1491494642&sr=8-1&keywords=metricide+14

Excel (and Metricide) are hard on some plants, vals for example, but if you don't exceed 2 ml per 10 gallons of water at any time, vals don't suffer much. Never dose Excel at the 5 ml per 10 gallons of water as Seachem recommends as a starting or water change dosage. Seachem is wrong to recommend that.


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## T.C. (Apr 1, 2017)

Perfect. I think i will go with that. Does it go ok with dwarf grass? It is a ten gallon tank.... So if I pour in the 2ml, how often should I reapply it?

Regards,
T.C.


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## jrIL (Apr 23, 2005)

Daily

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## hoppycalif (Apr 7, 2005)

Daily is right, because glutaraldehyde lasts less than 24 hours in an aquarium. Just don't dose 5 ml the first time you use it, or after water changes, as Seachem says to dose. That dosage will very likely cause vals, anacharis, and other similar plants to melt completely.


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## T.C. (Apr 1, 2017)

Ok, sounds good. So with a ten gallon tank, how long can I expect the gallon to last? And it won't harm fish or shrimp will it?


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## jrIL (Apr 23, 2005)

1 gallon equals 3785 ml. Divided by 2ml is 1892 days. I guess the real question might be does the stuff go bad after a time for our use in aquariums. Don't know the answer to that. 

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## BruceF (Aug 5, 2011)

https://www.sunkengardens.net/blog/...-liquid-co2-and-the-dangers-of-glutaraldehyde


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## T.C. (Apr 1, 2017)

I'm gonna give it a go with just the excel stuff! We will see how it goes as it is a low light tank.


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