Hello,
This is my first post. Would like to join the lifetime membership. Maybe my wife will treat me to it for xmas

I have the Nisso Real inverter light 600 for my 60cm Nisso Stingray 60cm tank. It holds 51 liters. my calculation is about 4watts/gal(?) but some how I don't think I am in the highlight range as my last batch of glosso grew straight up.

Am I high or low?

Tom Barr is like the Plant God, he has repeated numerous times on numerous threads and forums that fertilizing and co2 is key to controlling red algea.

Being new to this hobby (about 5months or so) and in Japan. I don't have access to powder ferts (and I cannot afford ADA goods which my LFS is a sponsor of and they are at least nice enough to offer a 10% discount on MH lights - which the owner of the shop, Yukio, said is not recommended by ADA ) So I browsing Japanese aquaria sites I came across an alternative to ADA three step by using garden center fertilizer. Its a combination of three liquids. Iron, Traces, macros: Liquid Ferts

I also have pressurized C02: CO2 Injection

I'm using Amazonia and Africana soil, and PowerSand Special M.

I've been running co2 and dosing ferts (using a suggested mixture and pump bottle from the 100yen shop)

However, I still have nasty stag and bba. Recently finished a 3 day b/o but I don't like that, and I don't think my plants and fish do either. However, my plants are definitely growing because I'm constantly trimming them back. But the red algea is growing along with them.

I would pump up my co2, but last time I did that... my yamato-ebi turned blue and died (fish were fine though).

Stock:
?x Yamato Ebi
2x Otocin
1x Mini-busy
6x Green tetra
6x neon tetra

What I would like to know is why is this stuff still prevalent. I thought I was doing the right thing. However, I know it is time I invest is some good testing tools, co2, water hardness, nitrate, pH etc....