# Fluorish Excel problem



## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

I use Fluorish Excel in all my classroom tanks and a few at home for years and have never had this problem. On my 40g irritans tank I've noticed a strong odor in the afternoon after I have added Excel to the tank in the morning. I usually double dose all my tanks too to cut down on algae and in case I miss a day. At first I thought it was a filter problem, but I cleaned the media, swapped out the biowheels for ones on another tank and still the same problem. The tank smells fine after a few days without Excel...otherwise it almost smells like methane, but not quite (even when dosing the proper amount). The tank has Soilmaster (as do some of my other tanks), a piece of driftwood, a carpet of sag and african lillies, and that's pretty much it. Any thoughts?


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## pbucch (Nov 18, 2008)

u may be onto something profesor, I added 5 capfuls last night and my tank stinks like sh*t today.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

pbucch said:


> u may be onto something profesor, I added 5 capfuls last night and my tank stinks like sh*t today.


I'm wondering if I've essentially saturated the system, but you'd think water changes would take care of it. I'm wondering if it is reacting with the substrate. I'll just does less and less often to find that sweet smelling spot.


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## maknwar (Jul 16, 2007)

Never noticed that smell in my tanks, but I will smell for it to see if I have the same.


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## Sheppard (Jul 8, 2004)

Iv'e never had this problem. However I am now running pressurized on my 180g for obvious reasons ($$)

The only thing I can think of related to that smell would be the driftwood. Have you moved it around at all lately? Because I know it reeks like crazy once it gets pulled out of the water. But then again that doesn't explain why the tank smelled only after you dosed the Excel..


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## AKSkirmish (Jun 24, 2005)

This is a seachem product is it not?


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

maknwar said:


> This is a seachem product is it not?


You are correct, Sir!


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## Winkyee (Feb 17, 2003)

I've never had that happen with excel.
Need to order more here too.


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## DiPpY eGgS (Mar 6, 2005)

Hmm, interesting, Teach.

I use pressurized, only use excell as a quick algea remedy from time to time. I have never noticed anything out of the ordinary with excell, but I have killed a nice big ball of java moss with it..lol

I know it can be toxic in large doses, but other than that, I have no clue. Wierd, and please keep us posted on this, so we have this question/answer here..


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Winkyee said:


> I've never had that happen with excel.
> Need to order more here too.


Me either and I use it in almost all of my tanks...even my CO2 tanks from time to time.


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## Doktordet (Sep 22, 2006)

i exclusively use flourish excel and my tanks smell well....like any normal healthy tank should.


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## JustJoshinYa (Mar 25, 2006)

the first thing that came to my mind after reading your post teach was the soil and the driftwood. do you have driftwood in all your tanks?? or only this one?? my thoughts are maybe the co2 is reacting with something in the driftwood or possibly soil but doubt it that is causing it to breakdown and release amounts of methane?? like excellerated decomposition>?


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## MiGsTeR (Jan 19, 2008)

Have you done anything to your tank recently that might have caused it to smell?


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

It only happens with the Excel...if I don't dose for a day or 2, the smell goes away. I have 11 tanks that use Excel...9 of them all the time and this is the only one with issues.


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