Getting Advice

I called Drs. Foster Smith and got to speak with Greg, a "fish technician." I told him about the growth in the tank and what I might do about it. He surmised that it might be an algae or fungus of some sort. He recommended that I get something called PhosBan to remove any phosphate that could be feeding the algae. I also asked about replacing my aquarium's substrate to provide something more suitable for a planted tank. He recommended SeaChem Flourite. He also recommended that I purchase some sort of test kit to help keep an eye on the water quality.



Based on his recommendations, I ordered several items including the aforementioned PhosBan, and Flourite. I also ordered a Hagen Master Test Kit, a can of freshwater salt, a couple of algae scrub pads (for acrylic) and SeaChem Flourish Excel.



I'm hoping that I can test the water in my tank fairly quickly to determine what, if any, course of action I should take to combat the white, cottonish growth.