All,

Probably more a paranoid post, but thought I would ask to see if anyone else had concerns.

I keep a vegetable garden in the warmer months and routinely bottle my fish tank water for use as a fertilizer in the garden. I have been using Excel (in addition to CO2) in my tank. I previously used a 2x excel dosing, but now I dose according to the label.

Any reason for me to suspect this could be bad for the vegetables, or more importantly the people consuming them? Does the excel simply break down to inert substances after being exposed in the environment for some time?

Cheers,
John

It is my understanding that excel will break down in 24 hours or so. So I would guess you garden is safe. I too use excel in my tanks and have not noticed any affects on my house plants.

Speaking of paranoid...the first thing that popped into my head after reading your post was the E. Coli spinach scare a year or so back, which was allegedly caused (or so some experts believe) by manure-rich run-off from cattle pastures contaminating nearby spinach fields. Of course, bacteria of all sorts, both naughty and nice, are normal residents of aquariums (including Mycobacterium marinum, among others). I've watered flower beds and rose bushes with old tank water, but I don't know that I'd water my herb garden with it. That's how paranoid I am! I'd be less worried about the Excel.

That's where organic chem, micro bio, soil ecology, herbicide modes of action, aquatic toxicology come into play.

Then you know what happens, how fast and what the by products are.
All course work I've done more than my share of.
Paranoia does not cut it.

I use to be that way though.
Not no more.

Regards,
Tom Barr