Post Christmas update...
Things seem to be going well, still having some crypt melt but nothing too much. Maybe it has been down to the fact that I've not been around to dose as much. Although on the previous days I up the dose to compensate.
I'm still getting surface scum and returning from my parents from Christmas it was like covered in the thick film rather than the skin that has been there previously. It seemed to effect the plants too as soon as I removed it, they started pearling.
Around the top of the wood possibly near dead spots, there has been a bloom of Rhizoclonium (brown fuzzy algae), I removed as much as I could at water change but reading
Jame's Planted Tank - Algae Guide the causes are listed as "
Low CO2. Low nutrient levels. General lack of maintenance." Therefore, without dosing EasyCarbo for a few days must of caused this.
In addition, the Staurogyne sp is slowly getting covered with brown bits, possibly due to them being in front of the wood and flow being compromised around it. I'm monitoring it with my drop checker to see if co2 is ok around there and then deal with the readings post it.
I have noticed that as my cyperus helferi melts at the top when it grows, it certainly doesn't like to be in the flow of the spray bar, so will keep cutting it when it gets to a height and will look to replace it with a hardier plant to flow in the future. Maybe a stem plant but I'm not in a rush as I'm trying not to spend much on this tank for a while.
On a sadder note, one of my dwarf pencilfish died and has disappeared. Poor thing, couldn't find it at water change. Again, I'm not looking to immediately replace the little fella, and maybe in the future would get another type of pencilfish to replace him. I'm always worried about stocking levels in a planted tank, and I think I do overstock on the usual surface area "rules" but know that I overfilter and the plants help to deal with the nitrate.
You never know, if my plans of breeding my CPDs work then maybe I could fill the tank with them!