Flourish Excel is a simple source of carbon for aiding growth of aquatic plants. Designed to make plant-keeping easier without carbon dioxide injection. Use it alone, or if you choose, with carbon dioxide injection. Keeps iron in a reduced state that's easily utilized by plants. 1 ml treats 10 gallons. Recommended for use on a daily to every other day basis.

General Information
Flourish Excel is a source of bioavailable organic carbon. All plants require a source of carbon. This is typically obtained from CO2, but, may also be derived from simple organic compounds (such as photosynthetic intermediates). The use of either CO2 injection or Flourish Excel does not necessarily negate the use of the other. Because the processes of producing photosynthetic intermediates and building onto them occur simultaneously, one can derive a substantial benefit with the use of Flourish Excel either alone or in conjunction with CO2 . The combination is particularly ideal for situations when continuing to add CO2 could result in dangerously low pH levels. Flourish Excel also has iron reducing properties, which promote the ferrous state of iron (Fe+2), which is more easily utilized by plants than ferric iron (Fe+3).

The reason plants need CO2 is to produce longer chain carbon compounds also known as photosynthetic intermediates. Photosynthetic intermediates include compounds such as ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate, and 2-carboxy-3-keto-D-arabinitol 1,5 bisphosphate. Although the names are complicated, the structures are quite simple (5 carbon chains). Flourish Excel does not contain these specific compounds per se, but one that is quite similar. By dosing with Flourish Excel you bypass the involvement of CO2 and introduce the already finished, structurally similar compounds. It is in its structural similarity that Flourish Excel is able to be utilized in the carbon chain building process of photosynthesis. Simple chemical or enzymatic steps can easily convert it to any one to any one of the above named compounds (or a variety of others).

About Seachem
Seachem's philosophy is that the knowledgeable hobbyist makes the best customer. This is reflected in solid and reliable customer education and support as well as products proven in science and performance. While Seachem has grown rapidly into a national and international firm, it retains the culture of a small company and is readily available to its customers.

For over three decades, Seachem has been a company rooted in sound science. Their experience in the hobby and an educated staff of chemists and biologists are part of the package when you purchase Seachem products. Seachem remains as one of the few surviving independent and privately owned pet care companies. Seachem is owned and operated by hobbyists. All of their employees are hobbyists who maintain aquariums at home and at the office. Seachem itself was started because one such hobbyist found the available solutions to aquarists' problems wanting. This resulted in Seachem's very first product: Cupraplex™ (today known as Cupramine™). Over thirty years later Seachem is still approaching old problems in a new way.