use.)
That's quite a large spread of costs between the available products.
Going a bit wider, it is likely that a number of other aquatic plant products that contain “organic carbon” or which claim
to provide a CO2 supplement (fairly useless terms, in my opinion) also contain Glut. For example, API has a “CO2
Booster” product (See AoA's product page) that appears to be Glut. It seems, from the dosage information available
on-line, to be at the high-end of the spread of costs of the products I have personally tested.
Conclusions
Glutaraldehyde-based products offer an alternative to injected CO 2 to provide carbon fertilisation for planted aquaria. But
Glut is not a magic bullet. It doesn't replace a balanced regime of macro- and micro fertilisers. Glut products probably
best suit aquarists looking for healthy plant growth in medium light conditions; very strongly lit tanks might suffer
extreme pH swings and low light tanks probably won't benefit from either CO 2 or glut anyway. The cost and convenience
of dosing with glut depends on the actual product, but all are cheaper by the year than a single refill of a CO2 bottle.
Sources
•
Seachem Flourish Excel is widely available through pet stores, aquarium retailers and online.
•
Dino Spit is available mail-order from Aquagreen at http://www.aquagreen.com.au/
•
Glut Blocks are available mail-order from
the Australian manufacturer, G&K Lloyd-Jones, at
http://www.gandklloydjones.com.au or through The TechDen on-line at http://www.thetechden.com.au
Disclaimer
I personally purchased all the products I tested for this article and I don't have an interest in any of the businesses
mentioned. Hey, if I wanted freebies and kickbacks, I'd be reviewing high-end four wheel drives or international
holidays, not aquarium products. Aquagreen is a sponsor of the Canberra and District Aquarium Society (CDAS).
Neither I nor CDAS endorse the use of any particular product or brand mentioned in this article and individual aquarist's
results with any product will inevitably vary. I'd also re-emphasise that the concentrated Glutaraldehyde in these
products is toxic and should only be used and stored with appropriate precautions and away from valuable or treasured
children and pets.
Endnote:
Süsswassertang is the correct spelling of the common (German) name for the plant Lomariopsis cf. lineata. It is
pronounced “seuss-vasser-tang”. It is not spelled or pronounced “sub-wasser-tang” and it is neither an algae nor a
“seaweed” nor a moss. It is something far more interesting – a fern gametophyte that does not have an “adult” asexual
form. So there you go; pedantry, geekiness and weird sciencey stuff - and all put in a convenient endnote so you didn't
have to read it if you didn't really want to. But you did, so thankyou.