[APD] Strange nutrient absorption problem

["Kevin Sheller" <kevmo at arenafan_com>]

I'm having some problems. Here's some stats before we get to the problem...

75 Gallon
1 year and 1 month old
192 watts of standard fluorescents (two 3-bulb T8 hoods ? I haven?t changed
the bulbs yet)
Medium-high fish load (12 large rainbows, 4 rosey barbs, standard algae
crew)
PH: 6.6 ? 6.8 (canister CO2 -- haven't had to refill it yet)
Nitrate: 17.6 ppm (I don?t add any extra)
Iron & Traces: TMG, 2-3 x per week
Potassium: 1 teaspoon potassium sulfate, 2-3 times per week
Phosphate: 1/8 teaspoon mono potassium phosphate 2-3 times per week
Water changes: 40% once a week

Plants: lots of the clover groundcover stuff (not glossostigma, the
slower-growing, dark green stuff) Madagascar lace, apontageton ulvacius
(which isn?t growing well without jobe?s sticks) lots of dwarf sag, some
crypts, rotala macrandra (another that needs jobe?s sticks) rotala
rotundifolia, anubias barteri, giant hygro (which has just stopped growing
altogether ? not pinhole leaves ? just stopped growing.)

Problems: Plants don?t seem to be absorbing the nitrate much. I don?t have
to add any, and it still seems to go up over time. Not as much pearling as I
used to have. The plants don?t do as well unless I supplement with jobe?s
sticks... Today I?m starting to get a bloom (bacteria or algae ? not sure
which yet). The plants need SOMETHING they aren?t getting, but I can't
figure out what.

Kevmo

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