Hi Dave,

thanks for writing!

I know you didn't plan it this way, but a UGF filter plus big pea gravel
is
probably the worst combination you could have come up with for a planted
tank.

I know.. I really should have surfed the web before I went shopping, but I
didn't :-( as you mentioned, *eventually* I will rip out the UGF and/or
replace the substrate.. Right now I have some flourite around the base of
the plant (I had initially tried to plant the plants in a shallow pot with
holes full of flourite, but that didn't quite work well.. so.. in stead I
just dumped about 1cup of flourite around just the base of the sword
plants...) but don't quite have the means to rip out everything and start
over just yet... (pretty large task as i can barely reach the bottom of the
tank as-is.. 22" deep..). next time (when i do rip out the UGF) I'll go
canister, wth a nice flourite red (will cories be ok with flourite? they're
kind of sharp and not rounded...)

Your fish load appears light, which means you probably have low nitrates
with
that many plants if they are healthy and growing. But that's just a guess,
assuming zero nitrates in your tap water (around here, nitrates are 30ppm
out of
the tap!) You need the test kit to find out.

yup. it should arrive tomorrow.. fish load won't be light after tomorrow..
i'm getting some cories tonight.. then it will be pretty full, I think.
nitrate is zero in the tap..

I see no Potassium in your ferts. Around here, Potassium is the first
nutrient
to run out in a new planted tank since there's very little in the tap
water.

oh. I guess Flourish doesn't add potassium? grrrr...

To wrap all this up together:

SHORT TERM RECOMMENDATIONS:
* Dose Flourish Potassium or K2SO4 for Potassium.
* Measure Nitrates. Dose KNO3 or Flourish Nitrogen as required.
* Consider adding CO2. The Hagen Nutrifin system costs less than
$30, and DIY CO2 costs less than $10 to start. Both work well.

I have Nutrifin on order (same order as the nitrate kit).. for now excel
will have to do :-P

is TMG same as having Flourish and all the other trace things? I'm starting
to juggle so many bottles i'm running out of cabinet space, and on one of
the posts said that TMG has everything needed... if so, I'll plan on just
figuring out how to tie me over until I finish with all the Seachem stuff
and then switch over to TMG..

THINGS TO CONSIDER:
* Consider a different substrate. Smaller gravel or large sand would
work better, Flourite and similar are the ultimate.

yup. this is in the longterm plan. just not now..

* Consider a different filter. Cannisters work best. The HOT
Magnum Pro is inexpensive for your size tank, and has a
vacuum attachment which can be adapted as a CO2 reactor.

this also is in the longterm plan. just not now :-) i'm oogling the Eheim
wet/dry filter :-) don't konw when that will be...

thanks!
linda

Further reading:

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Fertilizer/
http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_plant_nitrate.htm