WOOT WOOT ! Finally, I think my 29 is fixed !!

After a very frustrating 6 month bout with hair algae in this tank...I finally got fed up and removed ALL the gravel I had in it. It was a mix of ugly brown gravel and flourite. I set the fish/plants/heater and filter up in a temp. 10gallon I had laying around...while I emptied the 29 and scrubbed it down good.

I added two 20lb bags of echo-complete for planted tanks...and began refilling the tank with dechlorinated water (very important with this substrate..don't want to kill the bio-stuff that's in it.) Filled about 1/3 full and started putting plants back in...after ruthlessly trimming off algae covered leaves and roots. Filled the tank, put the filter and heater back in after wiping them both down and putting a clean fresh cartridge in the filter (not worried about a big cycle..it has a bio-wheel + the biological additives in the substrate and all)

Fish went back in and within a day and a half the tank was completely CRYSTAL clear and....BEAUTIFUL !!! Now that I can get this off to a better start..with all the nutrients in the substrate..along with the CO2 dosing (flourish excel)...I'm hoping the plants get a good start and the algae doesn't have a change ! We shall see !

Oh, forgot to mention...I had switched the gold prestella tetras I had added to this tank....for 5 regular prestellas. I think they go much better in here than the golds !