I have a low tech planted tank. I would consider it heavily planted now , finally. I've been having some pretty high readings on the Nitrate test kit. I've test again yesterday and today and showing very low readings of Nitrate, has orange in the test tube, but can definitely notice the yellow.
Quick background to my set up:
I have been dosing 3mL of Excel everyday.
I have ADA aqua soil as my substrate that has some osmocote root tabs. It probably has been a month since I put those in now.
Plants:
x2 Amazon Swords
Staurogyne Repens (established and starting to grow nicely, but slowly)
Java Ferns (too many to count)
x2 Anubias
Pennywort (floating and planted) bunch
Florida Sunset Crypt Wendtii (IS taking over the front of my tank and has been with me since I started to do plants)
x4 Cryp Wendtii Bronze
Java Moss (covering the front corner of my tank)
Ludwigia Repens (planted) I have a lot of them they take up most of the tank space. had to cut them 3-4 times since I got them a month ago and toss them since they grow the best planted for me.
x4 Crpt Lutea or Parva (All I know is they are the slowest to grow and took a really long time to be established into the soil)
I guess I'm not all that heavily planted, but the tank is pretty much filled with lots of new growth. Waiting for the back right corner of the tank to fill in since I just recently planted the Crypt Wendtii. Looking to add some Ludwigia in the corner as well.
Question:
Should I be adding some more Osmocote root tabs and keep dosing excel?
Or
Dose Excel and Seachem Flourish?
I would say that my lighting is pretty high and strong so I definitely need to figure a way to raise the light up, so that way I can control my GSA and Hair Algae... Any tips? I want to start keep this tank more low tech, but seems like I've been having to do more. I don't mind maintaining the growth by doing trimmings and replanting that's the part I enjoy the most. But I do want to have this algae under control as much as possible and see more growth. I feel like its being stunted a little more since the algae outbreak.
Quick background to my set up:
I have been dosing 3mL of Excel everyday.
I have ADA aqua soil as my substrate that has some osmocote root tabs. It probably has been a month since I put those in now.
Plants:
x2 Amazon Swords
Staurogyne Repens (established and starting to grow nicely, but slowly)
Java Ferns (too many to count)
x2 Anubias
Pennywort (floating and planted) bunch
Florida Sunset Crypt Wendtii (IS taking over the front of my tank and has been with me since I started to do plants)
x4 Cryp Wendtii Bronze
Java Moss (covering the front corner of my tank)
Ludwigia Repens (planted) I have a lot of them they take up most of the tank space. had to cut them 3-4 times since I got them a month ago and toss them since they grow the best planted for me.
x4 Crpt Lutea or Parva (All I know is they are the slowest to grow and took a really long time to be established into the soil)
I guess I'm not all that heavily planted, but the tank is pretty much filled with lots of new growth. Waiting for the back right corner of the tank to fill in since I just recently planted the Crypt Wendtii. Looking to add some Ludwigia in the corner as well.
Question:
Should I be adding some more Osmocote root tabs and keep dosing excel?
Or
Dose Excel and Seachem Flourish?
I would say that my lighting is pretty high and strong so I definitely need to figure a way to raise the light up, so that way I can control my GSA and Hair Algae... Any tips? I want to start keep this tank more low tech, but seems like I've been having to do more. I don't mind maintaining the growth by doing trimmings and replanting that's the part I enjoy the most. But I do want to have this algae under control as much as possible and see more growth. I feel like its being stunted a little more since the algae outbreak.