Help needed for new setup

[eidos]

Tank Dimensions (LxWxH): 180cm x 39cm x 35cm
Type of Lighting (FL/PL/MH) : 4ft normal FL x 3
No. of Hours your light is on : 10 hrs
CO2 Injection Rate (bps) : 2-3 bubbles per second
Type of CO2 (DIY/Liquid/Tank) : tank
Method of Injection (e.g. Diffusor/Reactor): diffuser
Substrate Used : monterey sand
How Thick is your base fert : about 5mm
How thick is your gravel : about 4cm infront, 7-8 cm behind
Liquid Fertilizers Used : nil
Tank Temperature : 30+ (getting DIY fans soon)
Type of Filter (overhead/internal/canister) :Atman 3336
Filter media used : Filter wool,activated carbon,ceramic rings
How long has your tank been set up : 1 month plus
Fish:59 cardinal tetra, 2 Ram, 3 Oto
Plants: glosso, java fern, riccia, Didiplis diandra , Micranthemum umbrosum , Hydrocotyle verticillata , Rotala wallichii (hope i have id my plants correctly)

Recently there's yellowish cotton wool-like stuff sticking to my plants like spider webs. I have removed some, only to find more the next day. I suspect it's algae or due to dead leaves in the tank.
Qns1: Any idea what's this stuff and how to remove them as i'm worried it might spread to the entire tank.
Qns2: Is it ok to use activated carbon in a planted tank?
Thanks...

[nbk3]

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Algae happens when you have a lack of something
~PeterGwee

Focus on plant growth instead of getting rid of algae
~Plant Brain
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lose the activated carbon , make sure u have Both Coarse and Fine filter wools , and better get those Fans (at least 2 i hope) up and running . in such a big tank , i'm sure a dozen of cardina japonicas will be the best addition

and also i remember adding BIOHOME would be a great solution for your biological filtration

cotton-wool like ?? its algae []
its best to try to remove as much as possible , and also remove rotting plant stuff

btw , carbon sucks up the nutrients that your plants would need , so that *might* be the reason your plants arent growing well []

[eidos]

Thanks for the pointers...

By the way, what's BIOHOME and how does it help?

Does adding yamato shrimp helps to rid of the algae?
and can i have yamato with the ram together? (just to make sure the 2 rams doesnt make a meal out of the shrimps)

Cheers.