New tank, BBA algae after 2 days, everything dying fast. What am I doing wrong?

I set up a new planted tank a couple days ago. Here are parts/parameters


Size: 22"x20"x18"


Dosing: EI


Lighting: Currently have 3 LED lights atop the cube - 3x Finnex Planted+ 24/7 LEDs...Figured with the 18" depth I would need something stronger to grow HC


CO2 - GLA dual regulator...started at 1bps but CO2 wasn't droppinng by more than .2. I heard to aim for a 1ph drops or so before lights on, so today I increased CO2 and it is dropping appropriately


KH: Something keeps making it plummet. KH is 3-4 out of the tap, but has been less than 1 in my tank. I have dosed baking soda to keep it above 1.


PH: 6.0 lights out, 6.8 morning.


Pump: Vortex MP10


5 gallon sump


Atomic diffuser


Within the first 24 hours the plants on my 'treetops' turned completely white, maybe from too much light near the surface? 6" down par is around 120. Everything else is turning brown and is in its final stages. I have no idea what I did wrong. Lots of CO2, Lots of O2 and flow, High lighting, EI dosing as recommended. I also have BBA algae after 2 days...


http://i.imgur.com/tae9IKg.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/UFYmKmT.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/B0VpznO.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/41PmnQ9.jpg


Thanks!

 

Thanks, I've upped CO2...starts about 1hr before lights on and stops 1hr before lights off. My KH is around 2. I am getting about a .8ph drop now. Things in the tank still looking messy. Almost looks like a sort of fine dust on top of plant leaves. My java moss is still brown (will that recover or do I need to reapply?) Couple of my other plants died. My HC is pearling at the subsrate but everything else is looking crappy.


I've also lowered my lighting. My atomic diffuser sits underneath my MP10 pump. The bubbles cloud the tank like crazy. Any other thoughts...?

 

Hi, thanks for your reply. What do you mean by organics?


I have been following standard EI dosing, maybe I'll cut values in half since it's lightly planted with small plants currently. For whatever reason, my KH is dropping like crazy. Within 12 hours or so it will go from 2dkh to 0. I add a little baking soda to get the value back into the 1-2 range. I could stop this but I thought it's bad to have kh at 0. My starting PH after degassing is around 6.3 and by midday tank is at 5.4 or so. My photo period is 8 hours.


Thank you for your help.

 

Okay will follow your advice. I can avoid nutrients even though I have plants attached to driftwood? Also, my ph drops to around 5.6 range since my kh values in my tap are around 1. Will this range be okay for fish/shrimp? Lastly, my tank is around 20" deep. If I reduce lighting further, my substrate won't have par in some places above 20. I have HC at the bottom. Will this be okay?


Thanks Pikez and strungout, this forum is a lifesaver in terms of this hobby. I originally lost my previous tanks to diatom breakout which covered my plants and strangled them within 3 days. Moved incredibly fast. I'm determined to get it right this time.