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Huge thank-you's to everyone for their insights and ideas! :) I've increased the PPS pro, added some extra KH2PO4 when I did a 50% WC on Saturday, and I've been adding about 5ml of Excel daily, while keeping the CO2 going enough to maintain a 6.6 PH. I basically decided that I would learn to...

I am considering trying to grow algae. That way, I'll fail miserably and end up with plants taking over... :)

So, I'll try: Drop nitrates out entirely from the next batch of PPS-pro I mix. (although it is down to 5-10ppm now - and maybe that is good enough?) Split lighting periods (I've tried this in the past, but maybe it's time to try that again) I'll try adding phosphate directly when I do a WC...

I have a 48" buildmyled LED light. I don't know what the PAR values are for it - I had it built about 5 months ago, before they upgraded their site to offer much better tools for customizing and evaluating the LED design. Mine is based on their "planted" recommendation, which I think is about...

I'm beginning to suspect I have whatever the opposite of a "green thumb" is when it comes to freshwater planted tanks. 55 Gallon planted, high-light, CO2 injection, PPS-Pro. I've struggled with algae... well, thought I was struggling because I had noticeable stag-horn and green spot algae on...

You can also refer to the color-temperature of the lighting. 6700K is considered ideal for freshwater plants. The range is 5000K - 10KK, as I understand (i.e. 6700K is idea. and lower than 5000K, or higher than 10KK isn't going to be of much use to your plants)

They draw mostly from below the surface, with a small amount skimmed from the surface. You can adjust the ratio from a little twistable stem that sticks out from the skimmer. I try to keep it low - just enough so that the surface doesn't accumulate a skein of bacterial slime. The skimmer...

I've been very happy with this one: Amazon.com: Hagen Fluval Surface Skimmer: Pet Supplies I have a Fluval 306, but I think this would work with any of the Fluval's without additional adapters. Adjustable, and I turn It sideways in the water when I want to do a large WC, to keep the pump...

Just keep in mind that you do want 10-30 ppm nitrates. So keep an eye on your tank week to week. You do want to add them if they're not adequate in your water, or your plants will be adversely affected. :)

As far as I know, that nitrate is way too high. It will encourage algae & bacteria, and will be irritating and slowly unhealthy for most fish species. Definitely going to want to dechlorinate for a WC - even 25%. Otherwise, just potentially causes the fish to get sick, which would spread...

I used these instructions: Our PPS-Pro Fertilizer Pack … Just Mix & Dose | Planted Aquarium Blog – Green Leaf Aquariums Just increase/decrease based on the size containers you're using. Also - you may want to check your nitrates, and if they're plentiful already, then don't add them (or add...

Cool! I wasn't saying PPS pro is better or worse - just trying to share my trepidations and experiences so far with figuring this stuff out. Maybe my silly story will someone. :)

Suggested b4: cheap placemats from walmart or K mart or the like. Just cut em up. I doubt the plastic makes much difference - assuming it wasn't used in some chemical / industrial setting where it would get crud on it.

I recently started PPS pro. I felt overwhelmed, and just did what the article River Cats linked to said to do. It helped, but my tank is out of balance still. I'm now realizing that it isn't really overwhelming, I just didn't want to have to think about the chemical notations. Now I've...

One caveat of eco complete (which I have in my 55g), is that it has a fair bit of iron (good for the plants) which will get caught up in a magnetic glass cleaner brush, and can then scrape the glass. I sadly have had to throw out one such brush, and be very careful to stay a good ways away from...

They're about 2.5" diameter, 1" wide, at most. So big for a snail, but smaller than a Beta. I have seen them respond very favorably to both shrimp food, and algae wafers. The small shrimp eat such a tiny amount, I would doubt that they'd be starved out by a snail or two. But I have zero...

I've been really happy with my two Golden Mystery Snails (Golden Apple Snails). They're relatively active at most times of the day, they look cool, and they don't overpopulate (I think you have to make an effort to get them the right breeding conditions, they're not just like bunnies)...

I put about 20 crystal shrimp in my community planted tank. I see some of them sometimes. They mostly like to stay hidden under logs, and such. But occasionally many of them will come out, as they did when I did a WC. Maybe the cool water stimulates them to get out? But counting them to be...

I've recently setup 55g with CO2 as well. I went nuts, and splurged for: COMPLETE ULTIMATE Co2 SYSTEM (best of the best)($600+ VALUE ! ) I have to say - I'm not very happy with the regulator that comes with that package, nor the internal co2 reactor that the base model comes with. The...

I just read your post to someone else last night about separating out the nitrates from the other macros. So, I'm going to give that a shot starting today. :) Something(s) are obviously still off. I don't have a phosphate test kit - so I'll go grab one asap. Is there a way to directly test...

Thanks for that link, RC - I see now that I have Staghorn algae, not BBA. Not sure if that's better or worse, but it's more accurate :) EDIT: Sorry for the confusion - I meant my tank has Staghorn, not the OP's.

When I asked at my LFS that specializes in shrimp, they indicated not-good to try to put shrimp in with a betta (I mean crystal shrimp or similar - the little ones - I imagine the amano would be fine). But that's just what they told me. I haven't tried it. Beautiful tank, BTW :)

****. I thought that two 50% WC would do the trick last weekend. It started as I noticed that there was too much GSA growing (Green Spot Algae). That's not the worst thing in the universe, so I didn't think too much of it. I rechecked my ferts, and realized that I'd been underfeeding TE...

Why would you want slow growing for carpeting (noob question)?

UPDATE: I switched to using the Aqua Up inline diffuser last night. I had to set my pressure to about 18psi (which is above the marked increments on my regulator's gauge and very nearly at its physical maximum), but I was able to get a much, much better mist blowing out of the fluval return...