I want to keep my one plant healthy

[Kat22]

I just ordered a giant hygro to keep potted in my barebottom 40 gallon goldfish tank and I want to keep it really healthy looking and have it grow as large as possible.
It will be in a pot with fluorite and a layer of gravel to keep the fish out.
I currently have a light fixture with one 21 watt 6700K and one 21 watt Colormax (10,000K) T5 fluorescent lamp on the tank. I have another one of these fixtures that is not in use so if it's necessary, I can add it too.
I also have a bottle of fluorish, fluorish excel, and iron - will these be necessary?
I was also wondering if CO2 would be needed to keep it looking big and lush green. It's just one plant so I don't know if having a CO2 system would be worth it or would it be silly

[cah925]

Lights should be ok. Excel will be fine for CO2 supplement. Flourish is just trace minerals. For macros, you need nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which for a lack of a better term, are the building blocks of plant life.
Be careful how much of each you add. It won't take much for just one plant and you may end up fighting algae.

[Steve001]

It looks like [ with reservations] the Colormax 10000K bulb just might have enough red in its spectrum to be useful. Do you have a name for the other bulb?

Co2 injection is a much easier way to get carbon to your plant. Check this forum for the pros and cons of using Excel.

Keep the goldfish population to a reasonable number, because there's a constant battle between algae and higher vascular plants for nutrients and with few or one vascular plant, algae has an easier time using those nutrients. Vascular plants have to make different cells to perform different jobs which takes time. All algae has to do to grow is make another cell through the process of mitosis; a much quicker way to produce more cells

[Kat22]

Originally Posted by Steve001

It looks like [ with reservations] the Colormax 10000K bulb just might have enough red in its spectrum to be useful. Do you have a name for the other bulb?

Co2 injection is a much easier way to get carbon to your plant. Check this forum for the pros and cons of using Excel.

Keep the goldfish population to a reasonable number, because there's a constant battle between algae and higher vascular plants for nutrients and with few or one vascular plant, algae has an easier time using those nutrients. Vascular plants have to make different cells to perform different jobs which takes time. All algae has to do to grow is make another cell through the process of mitosis; a much quicker way to produce more cells

It says the bulb is "true actinic" on the box. If these two lamps aren't enough, I have another fixture with the same two bulbs if that will help.

Thanks, I just picked up two 10" swords so I think I'll start on a DIY CO2 system instead of the Excel; it appears to be much cheaper too. As for the goldfish, I'm only keeping two young orandas so I don't think it will be a problem (hopefully)

[DogFish]

I keep Orandas, they grow fast are create a lot of waste. My Goldfish drive my Aquaponic tank. In one year my 1" fish are now Golf ball size bodied fish. I keep 4 in a 40 gl. tank.

That said be careful with dosing. Chances are the fish will provide the Marcos and only occasional traces(fluorish) will be needed.