Trio123

Thanks, good to know (about the excel).
Just a little update, I've been adding more phosphate even though I was afraid it would cause another algae spike but it really hasn't this time. I think it must have cause a spike before because the potassium was bottomed out (I was getting yellow spotting on the hydro). I dont know if you can tell the difference in this picture but the Amazon Swords have grown nearly 4 inches in the last week since I have been adding phosphate every other day and the nitrate is coming down (it was at 20 on Monday after I added some on Sunday, today it is at 10). I think Phosphate must be the limiting nutrient now (which from what I read is good). The only algae that seems to be thriving still is the BBA so, because I am home for the next three days, I'm going to push the CO2 at little higher and try to manually pull out what is in there. Maybe overdose some flourish excel and watch my fish very closely.

Trio123

opps I forgot the picture

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aquatic_clay

It sounds like you have the problem pretty much solved at this point! Just keep up with manual removal of the BBA and you should be algae free very soon!

Clay

MoonFish

Blast the CO2 until the plants are sticking out the top of the tank. It should look like a glass of 7up you just poured because the plants are pearling so much.

I think the theory behind EI was that it required NO testing. Just change the water. Your plants are still small and the bioload is changing every few days. I think it's pointless to be testing things although I have been there and you want everything to work today. It takes some time. When the plants really thrive, they just nuke the algea.