pH 7.5 to 8 doesn't sound so soft to me. Do you get any residue in your
shower or on drinking glasses? You might ask your LFS if they've tested
the local tap water and whether it's soft or hard.

I'm not sure you should be feeding the algae flakes, but I'm curious to
hear what others think. You didn't mention any algae eating fish in
your first post. I'm sure your fish relish the dried bloodworms and
they're great for insectivores like your yellow lab.

snip

Thanks Elaine,

Played chemist (my wife thought maybe vacuuming the house would have
been a better use of my time), and here are my specs.

ph 8.0
GH 1
KH 11

I have soft water because of the water softener attachment if that
explains anything. I have no algae eaters yet. Two corys though.
LFS sold me the veggie flakes (not sure why). I'll discontinue them.
Fish seem to prefer the coloured ones anyway ;-}

All the best,

Larry
Ontario