# New-ish planted tank



## samster (Mar 16, 2005)

Hi everyone. This is the first time I've posted on this forum, but it seems pretty active and informative. I have a few questions about my new tank. about 7 weeks ago, I set up a 20 Gal High freshwater tank. It is planted, and the plants seem to be doing pretty well (most of them at least). For lighting I have about 2.5 WPG, filtration is an undergravel filter, and the tank has lots of hiding places and caves. I have no CO2 injection, and don't plan on getting it. I have used an aquatic plant fertilizer (ingredients: potassium sulfate, EDTA, Iron Chloride, Sodium hydroxide, DPTA, Amonnium Heptam, and demineralized water)at the recommended dose with each water change (weekly). Does anyone know if this sounds like a proper fertilizer? If I should ask that in the plants forum, please let me know. Anyways, the tank seems to have been completely cycled about 4 weeks ago (I put plants and decorations from another established tank to get it going). Included in the tank are 1 male dwarf gourami, 4 gold barbs, 1 peacock gudgeon, 1 German blue Ram, and 1 oto. All are doing great so far, are getting along well, eating well, etc. The amonnia, and nitrites are at 0, ph is 6.5-7, water soft, and nitrates safe (i cant remember the exact reading). Temp stays about 75-78. I use RO water in the tank due to my very hard tap water and the fact that the Ram needs soft water to thrive. In the last 3 days, the water has turned cloudy. It doesn't really seem green (though there is quite a bit of algae growing on the sword and decor) so I am wondering what this could be. I added the last fish (the Ram) about 1 week ago and am wondering if the tank could be going through bacterial bloom again? Or could this cloudiness be due to the plant fertilizer? Any advice would be appreciated. Also, once I get this problem cleared up, I would like to add one more oto, and maybe a few ghost shrimp to help with the waste and algae. I also have one zebra danio that has been alive for 5 years now that all its buddies died 1 year ago. I really don't want to keep it in a separate tank, so would like to add it to my new tank to live out the rest of its life. Do you think adding these new tankmates would overstock the tank? Or would they be okay? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.


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## turtlehead (Jan 28, 2005)

undergravel filter is really back for your rooted plants, you should spread the dosing over the week, not all at once after a change. macro after change TE and then iron and repeat that cycle over the week. I think your fish load as of now is fine.


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