Is Liquid Carbon a good source of carbon?

[LadfromLondon]

I really need someone to give me the lowdown on liquid carbon since I’ve been reading different things and I’m unsure if it would work for my aquarium.

I run a sponge filter with an additional air curtain for oxygenation and surface agitation since my flow is kept low. Would I be able to dose liquid carbon during the day with the air curtain off, and then turn this on for the night for the fish?

Is liquid carbon effective and what are the results seen from using it?

Does it contribute towards making plants more red? For instance, I want to keep Alternanthera sp. Red, Ludwigia Super red,Crypt Flamingo Etc and I’m unsure liquid fertiliser and lighting will be enough to bring out the red colours.

 

[GlennO]

I don't know how effective it is as a carbon source. I mainly use it for its algaecidal properties. You don't need to turn your air curtain off when using it. It's not like pressurised co2 in that regard.

 

[!poogs!]

There is no such think as liquid carbon. In order to get carbon into liquid form you would have to heat it to about 3600 degrees Celsius and then pressurize the gas into a liquid form. Carbon in bonded with other elements to get it in a usable form. For example CO2 in a pressurized gas form for aquarium use. In a product like excel the carbon source is glutaral. An antiseptic disinfectant with properties of an algaecide.

With excel, unlike CO2 there is no need to adjust the addition of excel to oxygenation of the tank, to day and night cycle.

Excel promotes the absorption of iron and carbon in plants. It control algae. It will not makes plants more red. It’s a contributing component to healthy plants.

 

[ProudPapa]

. . . Excel promotes the absorption of iron and carbon in plants. It control algae. It will not makes plants more red. It’s a contributing component to healthy plants.

. . . and does a fine job of it too, at least in my case. I had a pretty bad infestation of stag horn algae in my 40 gallon breeder tank. I started dosing it, following the label directions, and squirting it directly on the algae. After one week all visible algae was completely gone and even the plants that hadn't had algae looked better. I started using it in a couple other tanks that didn't have algae issues.