Could I improve my fert usage.

[RickB]

Hi everyone.

I have been dosing 2 pumps of tropica premium daily in my 80l aquarium, I have co2 at 2bps and what I think is classed as high lighting (2x 24w t5ho).

My tank is pretty much close to full stock (2 x dwarf gourami, 1 bolivian ram, 8 neon tetra, 6 zebra danio, 6 oto, 6 amano shrimp), should I still dose tropica specialised also or will the fish provide enough nutrients?

Also should I dose more than 2 pumps of tropica premium a day as a result of having co2 and high light?

My rotala rotala rotundifolia is showing blackness on some lower leaves and none of the plants have pearled yet.

This is my journal https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/rescaping-64l-customised-rekord-600.40674/

The 4th page has the plant mass of my new layout.

 

[xim]

I don't know how many mls are there per the two-pumps. And ferts level is also affected by the frequency and the amount of water change which I also don't know. So couldn't comment there.

Your light bulbs don't cover the full width of the tank. And the Rotala's are at one of the worst locations to get light. From you old photos, stem plants in the locations (right and left back corners) looked quite leggy until they were tall enough. But that being said it doesn't look too dim there in the picture. And you may be OK with that growth.

The blackness of your Rotala may be BBA. By the way, I don't think BBA is "the" indication of having too much light. It could grow in places that are much dimmer than most plants could. IME, BBA is more related to bioload. And the best way to handle bioload is more frequent water change.

 

[RickB]

I do not think it is bba on the rotala it looks more like leaf damage, water changes are 50% weekly (I got lazy before hence the bba on the wood but back on track now), I have also not seen any coloration at all from the rotala or the ludwigia they have always been green only.