Bill Beam wrote in message . ..
Wow - Feel like I've been run over by a truck. I've tried to balance
everything for months. OK - it works for everyone else - I'll keep
trying. Guess I'll go with different bulbs or something this time.
CYA

I don't think lighting or bulbs were the issue.
Aquatic Plants need 3 basic things:

Light= CO2(KH and pH)= Nutrients(NO3, GH, K+, Traces and PO4)

If ones missing, then the tank will not do well.
Using CO2 is not particularly difficult once set.
Say you have a KH of 5.
Add enough CO2 to get a pH of 6.8 and try and add enough to maintain
this pH for the entire day(light cycle).
The KH remains stable generally if you do regular water changes.
If you can do that, you got it licked.

If the tap water is different, hasa different KH, see this table and
find your KH. Slide over to the amount that's 20-30ppm of CO21 and
scroll up to see the pH needed for the CO2 reading, add enough CO2 to
get this pH.

pH/KH/CO2 table
http://www.sfbaaps.com/referencelist.aspx

Okay so let's assume you have done this, have enough light(You grew
nice algae right?:-)) and now have a good CO2 level.

Next on that list are the nutrients.
You can follow these down the line and check off each one as you
feelyou have a good range of NO3, then check the GH(3 degrees or
higher), next the K+, then the traces and finally the PO4.

Each step will yield better and better plant growth that builds upon
the previous parameter you have optimized for plant growth.

So if the light, CO2, NO3, K+, traces, PO4 are good, things go pretty
well.

Maybe folks believed that PO4(0.2ppm to 2ppm) caused algae in the past
and indeed a few still do. But if the other parameters, are kept in a
decent range, adding the PO4 does not hurt and helps a plant tank and
produces no algae(actually less).
But if the CO2 is off and you do this, or if there's no NO3 available,
then there's going to be stunted plants.

When the plants don't grow well, the algae will.
So focus in on the plant's needs.
The nutrient part is not difficult, I can certainly help there with
something most folks can easily live with.

As far as being run over by a truck, well there's road rage on the
info superhighway for sure Give them the friendly wave, smile and be
glad you are not upset.

Regards,
Tom Barr