# Cheap liquid carbon?



## krazypara3165 (27 Jan 2013)

I want to take cegs advice and the advice from others and try dosing liquid carbon. My tanks around 275l and i just wanted to know whats a cheap option?


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## GHNelson (27 Jan 2013)

Hi
Purchase this GLUTARALDEHYDE -50% Solution - GLUT5 - Liquids | Bonnymans
Add 30ml to 970ml of De ionsed water.
This will be a cheap option.
Or ask for someone to sell you 30ml.
Cheers
hoggie


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## LancsRick (27 Jan 2013)

This is the thread you're looking for...

Glutaraldehyde | UK Aquatic Plant Society


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## krazypara3165 (27 Jan 2013)

Ouch, that links around 40 quid including postage. Ive not looked into that product hut im assuming its like the basis of e.i..... in the long run it will save me more?


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## AverageWhiteBloke (27 Jan 2013)

Excuse my maths it's a bit late but roughly your tank will need 6ml dose per day based on standard dosing.  The link provided is for a gallon but if you click on the quantity you can get 1ltr for £7.60. 1ltr will make 33 ltrs of liquid carbon dosed at 6ml per day that's 5500 days worth or 15 years. I think anyway


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## AverageWhiteBloke (27 Jan 2013)

Btw it's also not really the basis for ei, it's just another way of getting carbon into the tank without using pressurised gas or to be used at the same time as gas to supplement it. It is also an anti-algaecide.


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## jack-rythm (28 Jan 2013)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> Excuse my maths it's a bit late but roughly your tank will need 6ml dose per day based on standard dosing.  The link provided is for a gallon but if you click on the quantity you can get 1ltr for £7.60. 1ltr will make 33 ltrs of liquid carbon dosed at 6ml per day that's 5500 days worth or 15 years. I think anyway


Your maths has just convinced me sir   I've never used this. I have always bought flourish excel.. Is it the same stuff essentially? Hit me with some blunt truth and tell me I been wasting 12 quid a month! Lol

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## AverageWhiteBloke (28 Jan 2013)

If you read the earlier post linked on the discussion there is some talk that chemically there may be a slight difference which I won't pretend to understand. Tom Barr aka plant brain was toying with doing some tests which myself and a few others I guess are probably waiting for the results. He may have posted them on his own forum not sure. Essentially though yes it is the same stuff. People in here use it, some for years and I have yet to see a negative report. I have used it for about a year and have no issues, it does the job and kills algae when spot dosed. You haven't wasted your money just paid more for your glute. If my maths is correct my tank is smaller than yours and its made me realise that my bottle may out live me.  the shelf life needs checked or I need to get a few local boys to chip in.
Btw why 12 quid a month? That seems high even for a commercial product.


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## jack-rythm (28 Jan 2013)

AverageWhiteBloke said:


> If you read the earlier post linked on the discussion there is some talk that chemically there may be a slight difference which I won't pretend to understand. Tom Barr aka plant brain was toying with doing some tests which myself and a few others I guess are probably waiting for the results. He may have posted them on his own forum not sure. Essentially though yes it is the same stuff. People in here use it, some for years and I have yet to see a negative report. I have used it for about a year and have no issues, it does the job and kills algae when spot dosed. You haven't wasted your money just paid more for your glute. If my maths is correct my tank is smaller than yours and its made me realise that my bottle may out live me.  the shelf life needs checked or I need to get a few local boys to chip in.
> Btw why 12 quid a month? That seems high even for a commercial product.


Haha yeah I do apologise, that was a simple case of just reading the page I was on! That will teach me lol. Thanks anyway Mate, I'll try this out for sure. 

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## krazypara3165 (28 Jan 2013)

Great advice cheers! At the time being i only wanted a small amount to check what the results would be like in my tank, (im assuming its fine in a discus tank?) However ive just moved and have nowhere to store the raw chemical in the house. I might splash out on a bottle of excel and when i get my shed hopefully in march get it then.


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## AverageWhiteBloke (28 Jan 2013)

> Great advice cheers! At the time being i only wanted a small amount to check what the results would be like in my tank, (im assuming its fine in a discus tank?) However ive just moved and have nowhere to store the raw chemical in the house.


You would have to check with other Discus keepers as some fish are more susceptible than others. I don't think I have heard anyone with Discus saying there was a problem. Regarding storage it just comes in a litre bottle you can keep under your sink. There's no real issue with storing it with the lid on, just not recommended working with it in confined space because it has been associated with breathing problems with long term exposure. Drawing some out of the bottle with a syringe is bare minimum exposure really and very low risk.


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## krazypara3165 (28 Jan 2013)

Just realsed in my tank a bottle of excel is pointless. So ive just bout glutahyridjsbxbshbxjsj..... lol. Ill start off with a smaller dose and then ramp it up so i can monitor the discus. Does anyone know if it can be mixed in with my e.i mix?


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## AverageWhiteBloke (28 Jan 2013)

> Does anyone know if it can be mixed in with my e.i mix?


I don't think anyone is 100% sure of the implications of mixing it with your salts. Whether it would affect either is debatable so it's probably best kept separate.


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## krazypara3165 (29 Jan 2013)

Well i have some ordered anyway. Out of curiosity with flourish you need to dose more on water change days. Is it the same with this as i change my water at least every other day...


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## AverageWhiteBloke (29 Jan 2013)

Generally speaking do exactly as you would with Flourish. Essentially it is one and the same.


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## krazypara3165 (29 Jan 2013)

So that means id have to do a larger dose every other day after the waterchange  cheers!


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