Seachem Excel, Shrimp, Etc

Hi! I don't know if this has been covered Ive been searching the internet for a long time for answers... but any advice would be great!

I have a 20 gallon planted tank! I don't know if it would be considered heavy planted or medium haha (I'm still a noob at fish T.T)
here is a picture!
you can see most my fish^^ even a shrimp^^

So as you can see, I have a lot of Cabomba I think its called... >.>

My stock rn is: 5x Panda Cory, 6x Harlequins, 7x Cardinals, and 4x Cherry shrimp (but I can't find 1 rn)

So My tank has been setup since early August, finished cycling with plants towards end of August.

Water Params are: 73F, 0,0,5 7.2pH

this is my lighting or light bulb facts... I don't really understand what it means... but was told its probably enough:

marineland natural daylight F15T8/18inch... says made in thailand CE Hg in a circle

I have been dosing Flourish about 1 time a week, and picked up some Excel today.

I know there are mixed reviews with Excel and shrimp but I figure Ill just underdose Excel and see how it goes...

Though how much Excel do you dose a 20 gallon with? I have read anywhere from 1-2mL, but I can't seem to find the "actual" dose!

I dose flourish at 1.66 for my 20 Gallon, but Excel has less room for error it would seem....

any advice would be great, I was thinking dose Flourish 2x a week, and read Excel should be dosed in the morning everyday... or should I do it every other day?

Also, my Java fern has about 9 million little leaf things growing off it... will they just fall off? some have big leaves and long roots... should I just leave it?

Sorry I am new to having a tank... and planted one at that^^

thanks^^

 

One of our fellow members can help you out. He's very familiar with fertilizers and plants Dolfan

 

Dosing Direction for Excel:

1 capful for every 10 gallons (After a major WC, 40% or more)

1 capful for ever 50 gallons (daily dosage)

Considering your lights are not really powerful, I don't think you really need to dose with excel unless you see signs of algae growth such as BBA.

However, if you want to use Excel, I would start dosing every other day to start, and half the dosage.

 

lol that's what I am trying to figure out... My brain is kinda shot, I know its 5mL per 50 Gallon which would be 1mL per 10 gallon right... So I should do 2mL? right just making sure... I hate math lol

One of our fellow members can help you out. He's very familiar with fertilizers and plants Dolfan

thanks^^

 

1 mL = 10 gallon
2 mL= 20 gallon
3 mL= 30 gallons
4 mL = 40 gallons
5 mL = 50 gallons

 

haha thanks I feel stupid haha

 

I would start with 1ml doses for a week or so, then up it to the normal 2ml dose daily for your tank. I would never use the larger "initial dose" they list on the bottle. I think this is what can kill or adversely affect some inverts like shrimp. The normal dose seems to be fine.

For your Flourish Comprehensive, you could probably go to 1ml on 2 separate days a week. This will make sure there is enough ferts to go around all week long.

 

I would start with 1ml doses for a week or so, then up it to the normal 2ml dose daily for your tank. I would never use the larger "initial dose" they list on the bottle. I think this is what can kill or adversely affect some inverts like shrimp. The normal dose seems to be fine.

For your Flourish Comprehensive, you could probably go to 1ml on 2 separate days a week. This will make sure there is enough ferts to go around all week long.

ohh I usually do 1.3 bc it would be 1.6 normally...

as for the initial giant dose of Excel.... I thought it crazy so didnt. I will dose excel in the morning before I turn lights on!

 

ohh I usually do 1.3 bc it would be 1.6 normally...

as for the initial giant dose of Excel.... I thought it crazy so didnt. I will dose excel in the morning before I turn lights on!

I read on your original post where you stated that you were only dosing the comprehensive one time per week. That's why I was suggesting to lower your dose to 1ml, but make that twice a week. Maybe something like......

Mon. - 1 ml Comp, 2 ml excel
Tue. - 2ml excel
Wed. - 2 ml excel
Thu. - 1 ml Comp, 2ml excel
Fri. - 2 ml excel
Sat - 2 ml excel
Sun - water change

This is assuming after the first week of using excel at 1ml per day just to get them used to it.

 

I read on your original post where you stated that you were only dosing the comprehensive one time per week. That's why I was suggesting to lower your dose to 1ml, but make that twice a week. Maybe something like......

Mon. - 1 ml Comp, 2 ml excel
Tue. - 2ml excel
Wed. - 2 ml excel
Thu. - 1 ml Comp, 2ml excel
Fri. - 2 ml excel
Sat - 2 ml excel
Sun - water change

This is assuming after the first week of using excel at 1ml per day just to get them used to it.

OMG! thanks I'll use this for a schedule haha! I am overthinking a lot lately... graad school is killing my brain!

But thanks again! I'll definitely try this schedule out!

Thanks for the help^^

 

No prob, glad to help. Plants are awesome in tanks, you'll have a mini-jungle before you know it. I think I linked it in another article but here is a good thread that has some good info for getting started with a low light / low tech tank like yours, in case you missed it....

 

No prob, glad to help. Plants are awesome in tanks, you'll have a mini-jungle before you know it. I think I linked it in another article but here is a good thread that has some good info for getting started with a low light / low tech tank like yours, in case you missed it....

Ive probably read it early on in my fish tank journey^^ but ill read anything I can get my hands on ^^

thanks again^^