May End Up Starting From Scratch, Depending ...

[This Old Spouse]

... on what suggestions I get. 
 
I have a 55g community planted tank that's been set up for almost 2 years. Lighting is Coralife Lunar Aqualight: 2x 10K 65 watt Compact Fluorescent Lamp with 2x True 65 watt Actinic Blue Lamp and
3x Lunar LED lights. I know this is too much light, but I got the fixture at no cost and I can't afford to switch it out. I have it on for a couple of hours in the morning and about 5 hours at night.
 
Sand substrate with some rocks and driftwood.
 
Fish: Tetras: 4 serpae; 1 von Rio; 9 blood fin; 10 longfin black skirt; 1 silver tip; 1 flying fox; Corydoras: 3 delphax; 1 ambiacus; 2 albino; 10 bronze
 
My husband kidnapped my BN, so I plan to get another one as soon as I can afford one.
 
Plants: Amazon sword; java fern; java moss; Hygrophila Kompakt; Aponogeton ulvaceus; Monosolenium tenerum (wrongly labeled Pelia); C. spiralis; Aponogeton crispus; Crypts; Bolbitis Heudelotti; anubias barteri var. nana
 
Filter: Odyssea 500gph. I also run a 660 powerhead that's hooked up to my DIY CO2 using yeast. I dose with Flourish about twice a week and I'm trying to target the worst of the BBA.
 
 
I've been contemplating starting from scratch and using some kind of soil under sand substrate to help my plants along. I have a horrible BBA and staghorn outbreak, hence trying the CO2. I'm trying to pull out the most affected leaves as they become riddled with the BBA.
 
I'm truly open to any and all suggestions, but would appreciate most the hints from the folks with most experience.
 
Thanks in advance!

 

[Ps3Steveo]

Well if you start over I'd seriously consider lowering your lighting at least to just the 2 whites and maybe going pressurized with the CO2, the BBA and Staghorn are from fluctuating and low CO2, a DIY system prob wont cut it. Using soil is good but if your dosing CO2 you'll need ferts with N&P and plants being opportunistic feeders will more than likely take it from your water column but the soil is up to you, it wont hurt.

 

[This Old Spouse]

Darnit ... just had a big long reply and my computer farted and it all went away. I'll try again ... I can't just turn off a couple of the lights as it's all one system. I never use the blue lights (scares the fish!) and I've stopped turning them on at all in the morning so they're just on in the evening. I can't afford to replace the light system atm. I've nixed the DIY CO2 as I can't really control the output so it was likely inconsistent and probably doing more harm than good. I'm sure I'll have to get a pressurized system down the road, but again, can't afford a darn thing right now.

I've also cut my feedings to once a day instead of twice so I'm sure that will help. Also going to start twice weekly w/c for a while to see if it helps. This is just so frustrating!

  

 

[Zikofski]

hmm you can do so much if you start again haha i would agree with steve getting new lights and pressurised co2 saving up for them would be worth it up to you wether you go with under sand soil or you can try the black sand that techen got, thats effectively the same thing but dose not need to be capped with sand looks and feels like sand i think it comes in black and a brown, he went for black and i think i shall follow him myself into that route brings out the green in plants, as well as a black back ground , your tank in the sig looks amazing not sure how recent that pic is but dose look nice, in my own opinion i would get more plants a fill out the space more mainly towards the back maybe get some taller wood also be interesting to see how this one turned out

 

[This Old Spouse]

The tank in my sig is my 20g cory and shrimp tank, and that photo is probably 6 months old or so. It has changed a bit, with the java moss now threatening to take over, and about 200 red cherry shrimp. The good news is that there is very little algae in there, but my plants are starting to look a bit poorly. They aren't melting, but the amazon swords are developing light brown patches and holes in the leaves. Probably due to not enough ferts, I'd imagine. I need to take some of the moss from the tank and build a "tree" in my tiger barb tank, and move some of the shrimp to my 55g.  Do you have a high-tech tank? Your plants are gorgeous.
 
EDIT: I just looked up the Seachem fluorite and it appears to be very sharp substrate. I don't think my cory would do very well with it.

 

[Zikofski]

hmm okay i was gona use it too, maybe i wont if its shark, techen has it with cory's tho so ye i dono, but yes i do have a high tech tank, high lights and pressurised co2 altho i still have algae issues but my plants are growing quicker than i can blink tbh


oh sorry i didn't say thank you