Hi all

Just found this forum while hunting for tips and solution for my poor tank through a link from Google so I thought it would be very helpful to join AQ.

Well, I just got into planted tank recently ( as in 2 weeks ago ).
I had a small Betta + Neon + Panda Cory tank currently but the plants don't seem to dwell well in the tank. Brown Algae growing.

Anyway, I had a new 20 gallon new tank and decided to set it up properly this time with an external filter, LED light and CO2.
I didn't had fertilizer substrates.

Here is what I started off.
Gravel.
Wood & rocks.
Flame mosses.

I researched that mosses are easy to grow but after a week, my flame mosses started to die off, turning white.
I have no idea what was wrong.

Maybe I was too excited to get the plants into the tank without properly cycling the tank.
I had dose Flourish and Flourish Advanced as per instruction.
Had plenty of light ( 10 to 12 hours )
20 gallon with1-1.5 BPS CO2.

What did I got it wrong ?

My tested water is
PH 7.5- 8 ( a bit high, but I had drift wood , somehow it didn't help much with the Tannins. It is a huge piece of drift wood )
Ammonia - 0.5
Nitrite - 0.25

No live fish in the tank yet, cos Ammonia and Nitrite is still present.

By the way, my neon tetras are more fierce than my Betta fighting fish. They snatch betta's food everytime.
Did I had a loser Betta or I had a team of fighting neons ? LOL !