Everything You Need to Know about Seachem Excel

I wrote a paper on this in my own time, which you can find here:
docs.google.com/document/d/1n...
All of my sources are listed there, but these may be of particular interest:
Sano, L. L., Krueger, A. M., & Landrum, P. F. (2005). Chronic toxicity of glutaraldehyde: Differential sensitivity of three freshwater organisms. Aquatic Toxicology,71(3), 283-296. doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2004.12.001
Leung, H.W.. (2001a). Ecotoxicology of Glutaraldehyde: Review of Environmental Fate and Effects Studies. Ecotoxicology and environmental safety. 49. 26-39. 10.1006/eesa.2000.2031.
Flourish Excel(Safety Data Sheet). (2016). Seachem Laboratories. Retrieved March 17, 2019, from www.dropbox.com/sh/iu6wapszkk... Excel SDS 20160107 1.pdf?dl=0.
I haven't taken organic chem yet, but if you want to discuss anything I'll try my absolute best :)
Instagram: / maksaqua

[@MakeilasAqua]

Since Excel is supposedly an isomer of glut, and isomers can have very different properties from each other, we can't be sure that they work in the same way. Anecdotal evidence points to them being very similar though. I would take the Seachem representative's word that polycycloglutaracetal is a less "reactive" version. Thanks for watching!

[@AussieAquatic]

Hi Makeila, wanting to tip toe my way towards pressurized C02, I bought Flourish Excel to try as an interim step, after many years of Low Tech success growing aquarium plants. Within days of starting Excel, I saw large elongated new growth tips on my Java Ferns that I had never ever seen before. I was so impressed by the surge in growth rate that I quickly moved on to installing pressurized CO2. Very happy with Both :)

[@MakeilasAqua]

@@AussieAquatic That's great to hear! A massive amount of plant matter is carbon, so they really take off when CO2 is no longer limited :D

[@cellyavabel1978]

How do i open the cap 😭😭😭

[@drummking15]

@@cellyavabel1978 hahahhahahahahahhaha :P

[@VyvienneEaux]

It sounds like you're a scientist, so I'll tell you a few things I've figured out about the chemistry of this "isomer." Polycycloglutaracetal is an acetal-- that is, a functional group formed by the reversible reaction of an aldehyde (like those found on glutaraldehyde) with hydroxyl groups to form a linkage. In fact, the same reaction is what causes sugars like glucose and sucrose to cyclize and then form the glycosidic linkage (and, indeed, a glycosidic linkage is a special case of an acetal). So what I'm getting from this is that, just like glucose can form a polycycloacetal in forming starch or cellulose, the company has somehow promoted acetal formation in glutaraldehyde to make polycycloglaracetal-- probably by acid catalysis since one of the aldehydes on glutaraldehyde needs to be hydrated in the rate-limiting step of the reaction. It seems that, in any protonating environment (such as in an aquarium at or below pH 7) the cyclization should be readily reversible. I'm wondering, then, how this reacts differently in our tanks than sugar. Indeed, sugar is also decomposed into CO2 by aquarium bacteria, creating bacterial blooms in the process. I'm thinking that either Flourish Excel is meant to kill biofilm, or is just toxic enough of a carbon source to rate-limit its own decomposition and thus limit bacterial blooms. Either way, I'm not sold on the idea that glutaraldehyde is a "carbon source" for most aquarium plants. I can think of one mechanism it may do this for some, though: In the event that a plant is nutrient-permeable (such as most nonvascular plants), my hypothesis is that plants may possess a detoxifying enzyme to convert into something usable, as 1) Glutaraldehyde is electronically analogous to ribulose biphosphate, an intermediate in the Calvin cycle (photosynthesis 'dark' reactions), or 2) Glutaraldehyde may be endogenously produced "by accident," and so plants have stress response enzymes present to turn it into something they can metabolise in order to detoxify it. This has been a long and complex discussion of Seachem Flourish Excel. Sorry! :P

[@jonahhill4179]

Impressive, what a beautiful mind. Thank you for your research and time.

[@phylr3983]

Beautiful mind, beautiful young lady, beautiful future - award winning scientist!

[@phylr3983]

Oh, also BEAUTIFUL aquarium!

[@cutstrip]

I just want to say so far this is the best video I've ever seen on Excel, thank you for this.

[@Elijahmatsilva]

cutstrip I second that

[@NebulaMK]

This right here is what I want in KZbin videos. True education backed with literature. Thank you so much for doing videos like this.

[@iDerp69]

Wow, wasn't expecting the controlled experiment towards the end. Great content.

[@AquaticLogic]

This is a very well done video Makeila! I appreciate you going well beyond reading the bottle, and even attempted an experiment with it. You have a bright future ahead, keep up the good work.

[@emilymarie9796]

This was the BEST explanation I was able to find about this! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and research!

[@sameergrover40]

Highly appreciate the technical information here, these are the type of videos i prefer. Thank you for making it

[@soupbonep]

Thanks for this great video with important information. You really did your research. I've been looking for a science based aquarium channel for years now and finally found one. Who'd have guessed it would be from such a young person. You give me hope for our future! Thanks again, you rock!

[@karlpeterson4113]

I am very impressed with your experimental approach. On the basis of this video, I subscribed to your channel. Excellent work!

[@twunderaquatics1770]

I always enjoy your videos. I actually bought a bottle of this and was scared to use due to my shrimp. Thanks for the clarification on this.

[@1989rosso]

Hi Makeila, it's great to see you utilising the scientific method in your product review. I'm truley inspired.

[@carlosramoncabrera6742]

I'm amazed about the way she explained everything. Thanks a lot for the way you taught us all the ideas and all the research behind it. Great video and great explanation

[@michellekoekemoer6379]

This is such a great video. Loved the more scientific explanationfor why the product works. Thanks!

[@HamiltonSeen]

Thank you... I've just watched about 15 videos and read twenty reviews of the stuff, as I'm looking for ways of doing better with sightly hard water while avoiding CO2. You increased my understanding massively more than any video on the subject.

[@XiadaniLicarayen]

Best video on the topic! Love the breakdown and the experiment you ran

[@matt79hz]

Easily the best video on excel on KZbin. Bravo. One thing that most people also omit though, you didn't tell us if you dose "daily or every other day" as per the instructions.

[@cyberaquarist]

Excellent presentation and great information! Keep putting out these types of videos and your channel will grow fast. No nonsense, just straight to the point. Edited because of stupid auto fill. Lol

[@mjalghum]

I enjoyed the video and liked your scientific approach in the explanation. Apparently, you know your stuff and do your homework properly. Well done.

[@gregoryvass1]

very informative. You manage to make something that is hard to understand for the average person very easy to understand. good job

[@eebydeeby69420]

This is exactly what I wanted to hear, quality video

[@UNKUHNOODLES]

WOW!!! Very thorough video! Your research is top notch...

[@MakeilasAqua]

Thank you!

[@joeysoprano7978]

Thank you so much for a thorough review like this.

[@MrSneakerhead1994]

This is so refreshing!! How old are you?? You have a very bright future young lady. Great video, reminded me of Aquapros old videos.

[@HeyWhatsNewToday]

Wow I liked and subscribed please do more review and experiment for us that can't...very helpful.

[@markusferguson2985]

What an awesome study & explanation. Thanks so much.

[@Mhamilton0911]

I'm impressed with the scientific approach. Second video and I'm subscribed :)

[@njbaquatics4827]

Brilliant so glad I found you you’re explaining things very well

[@surestar74]

This is great! Thank you for explaining the chemistry of Excel.

[@ha9199]

Wow this is amazing. Great info. Keep up the good work. You should become a scientist.

[@krisbaldwin7624]

Very very impressive video, keep up the awesome work

[@brnscofrnld]

Thanks for this. Beginner here and trying to deal with a slight green algae issue starting to pop up. Adjusting the light is also what I am trying to work with as well.

[@earleyreecemitchell]

Would love to see a follow-up on this video. Great explanation!

[@haven6779]

thank you for this video, it was really informational!

[@justinmaurel3089]

Well said, brilliant explanation. You should do more Video's

[@MakeilasAqua]

Thank you, I'll try!

[@hallehuckleberry]

thank you for this video! i was really looking forward to this miracle product, but i will save it for when i have an algae outbreak. (haven’t had one yet...)

[@chriskadawathage2789]

You are real smart young lady. Great Job.

[@JustMe99999]

Best video on Excel bar none... thanks!

[@MyLe-pg1vh]

hi, thank you for your informative video :)) very useful to me as I was considering if I should invest on excel lol. thanks again!

[@mik310s]

You have a stunning aquarium and you are very intelligent :)

[@MadureiraTube]

Awesome. Excellent Analysis.

[@alternativeaquascaping517]

Well researched, makes me want to run a few tests myself. Id also love to see a long term effect of using this product. I did read that it has a half life of 22-24 hours.

[@sourcearun]

Yes, Excel half life is 24 hours.

[@MakeilasAqua]

Some of the papers I linked said anywhere from 10 to 24 hours. It kind of depends on how much organic matter there is in the tank. And testing is always interesting, go for it!

[@africanhistory]

I think you earn a like when you put in the work. She puts in the work.

[@adonaiyahteemann4030]

It cleans up my cloudy water

[@ezaquatics8991]

Excellent video. Earned a subscriber!

[@MakeilasAqua]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@daves1020]

So much information out there about Excel and for beginning aquarium hobbyists, it sure is confusing to say the least. Many of us, like me were told it was a CO2 supplement and would definitely help plant growth. I have been using it some, but am not sure if it has really helped or not. I do use Easy Green fertilizer by Aquarium Co op, and many of my plants seem to have grown faster, not all, but many. I appreciate your willingness to run an experiment on this controversial issue. For me, I do not have any algae at all, which is great, so may continue to use Excel for that reason, though I have many algae eaters also. I did have a little algae before I started using Excel, but haven't seen any since.

[@c.l1137]

thanks for the experiment and it's very informative for us

[@sourcearun]

Hi, thank you for this informative video that explains Excel is a very simple and factual manner. I presume you are a student of science and would suggest that you do another add on video on photosynthetic intermediaries (PIs). Excel is one such PI that provides and facilitates carbon uptake by aquatic plants. Even in pressurized CO2, it's ultimately the Carbon that gets utilized to form glucose, the food for the plants. Btw, that's a beautiful tank, when is the video coming up for it? Please do mention everything that's in the tank.

[@MakeilasAqua]

I'm going to college next year, definitely majoring in something science related. I've taken AP Bio but we didn't go into depth on photosynthetic intermediates at all - though I'll definitely look into it again. I think according to Seachem and some aquarists glut enters the calvin cycle, but which exact stage and which enzymes it helps/takes the place of, we don't know. I don't even know if Seachem knows. And the video for this tank will be out this weekend :)

[@BellMichael-sh4xi]

Makeila: "got my Mensa paperwork today" Me at the same age: "mom, can you get Golden Grahams this time?"

[@urbansk8r231]

Hi, great explanation. I know Seachem excel is also seen as a type of pesticide. I know it's good for killing algea. Now I have black beard algea (bba) in my tank atm. I ran out of excel and since I have API co2 booster, I wondering if it has the same properties for killing algea (especially bba) like excel?

[@bullpaxton2001]

Great video. After understanding exactly what excel is I decided against using it. I want higher c02 in the tank but I think I’ll stick with the pure injection despite the hassle. I think I’ll save my fish and shrimp any potential irritation. I use hydrogen peroxide to dose the tank for algae and it works rly well. Two pregnant Amanos and it doesn’t destroy the fine green algae culture just the nasty stuff. Turn off the filter to preserve the bacterial :()

[@MakeilasAqua]

Thank you! For sure it's really hard to know if you're doing the right thing for your fish and inverts. I use H2O2 very occasionally too, it's quite effective :)

[@albertorgarcia]

I have a good question 🙋, would be awesome try it again after filter media established or you think I'd be same result?

[@Pdoja1990]

Thank for the info! Just subbed

[@DecoyOctopus33]

Great vid very balanced and informative 👍

[@billcolwell6821]

Makeila,, very well done!

[@chrislyon5099]

I know this is 18 months late (just found this video), but I wonder if the plants you used in the experiment had more developed roots at the start if there would've been a bigger difference in growth. Also, I'm curious if the filtration you used in both tanks had established biological media, and then I'm curious what the water parameters were (pH and gH tend to have pretty significant effects on growth).

[@fishlife2558]

Great tank awesome information thank you!

[@GodWasAnAlien]

In your opinion, how does Seachem's antibiotics like metronidazole stack up against the recently discontinued Thomas Labs? Is there any difference between the two in terms of quality or additives? Asking for a friend.

[@FlynnsFishForum]

Awesome video!

[@MakeilasAqua]

Thanks Flynn ^u^

[@Fishtory]

Amazing video!

[@Boss-zo4lw]

Do you have to remove the carbon from your filter? I also have zero Phosphate levels, will Excel correct that?

[@TheSwiftCreek2]

Great video. I seem to remember a claim that excel is supposed to improve the plant's ability to uptake what CO2 is already in the water. Sounds sketch, makes more sense that the breakdown process creates some CO2, although without better test data its hard to say. From personal use I would say some plants get a mild boost. I think the recommended dosage can be more than desired for some livestock. I've seen guppies itch only when I use excel (they didn't have ick). It does a good job against blackbeard algae, although I'm inclined to go with hydrogen peroxide (if needed) for something like that. Always helps to fix the root source behind things like blackbeard algae (if possible).

[@pixelledbits]

Excellent! refreshing!

[@mathewgeorge8534]

Great peace of information.

[@shawnhollbach395]

Very interesting video, many thanks

[@Patsofpats]

Thank for the info makeila ..btw are u from nz ...very few people into the aquascaping hobby in nz

[@xuulhape8349]

Best explanation

[@ohtaylor6323]

Wow amazing content

[@a_perez_e6835]

Yeah i'm gonna subscribe, was told this was CO2 & it apparently it's not lol. This information was usecul & it is much appreciated.

[@stevenstone2346]

Would this be good for algae blooms if used as directed and in moderation?

[@mbtravel7294]

I like this product. It helps my plants, and keeps black beard algea in check. Be careful, don't overdose, and it will melt certain plants such as vals.

[@MakeilasAqua]

Agreed!

[@AquaChisinau]

Good Video. Thank you.

[@sharktankaq124]

How much should I dose for a 150l tank with anubias plants

[@pk-pj4sz]

Extremely intelligent

[@alexisgarcia3365]

Very informative 💯

[@enigmaticennui]

Good video!

[@flacosgarden6816]

I think some people who see a growth improvement is because the plants now have access to nutrients that the algae was using.

[@riddlebox]

Good stuff 👍🤘

[@baileymoto]

You should make more videos. 👌

[@naomiroychowdhury2952]

What happens if you take a sniff of this from the bottle?

[@creativet8976]

Difference between flourish excel And flourish excel advance?

[@Xt4209]

I currently run 12 tanks dosed with excel I love the product I find it’s a bit addictive to the tank tho you stop using it it’ll crash and plants will algea up

[@marks_02]

What about your good bacteria? Should you stop your filter before use?

[@MakeilasAqua]

Nope, in the bottle it's already a very dilute solution. Dosing it in tank water dilutes it even more. I think the concentration ends up being much too low to kill even bacteria. If you want to use it to kill algae, you pretty much have to do it above water where the glut has no tank water to spread into :)

[@grahamt5924]

Can I use it for growing my carrots.

[@jl644]

I use Excel to get rid of hair algae, nothing else. And my shrimp only tank have no issues.

[@DannyC90210]

Hello,will this kill my black beard algea?

[@speedbird3955]

I am impress...

[@Ali-Muscle]

Would an Uv sterilizer kill this off!?

[@888fluffy]

A very interesting video. BUT Isomers, although visually similar to the molecules they're isomers of, are very different when it comes to how they react. So unfortunately your first point kinda debunks the whole video. Would be interesting to see a review of polycycloglutaracetal and not glutaraldehyde

[@adamrogers9386]

Its makes scramble eggs of rna of single celled organisms.

[@nooormann]

it should interesting to see if you had a third tank with actual CO2 set up

[@buckaroo839]

so can I kill green spot algae with this ?

[@SUNDOLLHIPPIE]

How many mL do I use for my 5 gallon tank ?

[@mav8030]

Merlyn Falcon about 2

[@ijadtakdebrakesaprc8tazbro294]

@@mav8030 2ml per day?

[@Lee-pv1lg]

I use the flourish excel and it kill my hornwort

[@tomekaridley6371]

Is it possible to accidentally uncycle a fish tank with this?

[@adonaiyahteemann4030]

I think I had a Cory go stiff from me dropping this on him

[@sourcearun]

You always use a dropper or pippett to add Excel and you do it near the filter outflow. If you want to do a spot treatment, stop the filter, insert the syringe or pippett in the water, position it over the algae area and release.

[@adonaiyahteemann4030]

@@sourcearun cool thanks for your reply

[@Fotosynthesis858]

I just started watching your videos & gave you a "sub" lol. I kinda have a crush on you. Intelligence is very attractive 😻

[@devinhyams6127]

Fotosynthesis858 ayye mannn calm down

[@SrsBsn56]

youtube creeper checking in

[@arnelardemer6318]

It will just kill off your nitrifying bacteria in your tanks and sump

[@maycovera10]

* you hear that..? *. Kevin is coming...

[@MakeilasAqua]

Kevin? sorry I seem to be out of the loop 😂

[@maycovera10]

Makeila's Aqua aha it's ok. Kevin grant. He's an other KZbinr that is know for great plant tanks and info. He dislikes "liquid Co2" to say least. It's almost a meme on Facebook groups. When a new hobbiest ask if they should use it he always seems to show up with tons of info on what it's so bad. 😂 I love that man. You can fine him at "high tech planted tanks" on Facebook! 👍🏼

[@maycovera10]

kzbin.info/door/3D384hKLvQtSxoRWNKoN2w

[@MakeilasAqua]

@@maycovera10 Ohh haha! thanks for the info, I'll check it out

[@maycovera10]

Makeila's Aqua no problem. You know so much about the hobby I figured you would for sure be in a Facebook group and understand the joke! 😅 Keep working hard on your videos! They are great!

[@HazardMEG]

please dont cry..