A little starter help please.

I’m pretty new to my sourdough journey (4.5 months). I created my own starter using Canadian AP flour (13% protein) and filtered well water. I had a bit of trouble getting it established (first attempt I gave up after 2 weeks) second attempt- almost gave up but 2x daily feedings seemed to do the trick. I feed 1:1:1. I’ve had good and bad loaves but not consistent. I’ve tried many a technique and what I’m lacking is really good oven spring. My dough, according to baker’s math is 71% hydration but has always been very hydrated and a little difficult to handle and hold shape and even cut . Some suggested a starter issue. I keep my starter in the fridge and take out and feed it when ready to use and let it double in size. It’s always been quite runny. I’ve heard some more experienced bakers are not precise with feedings and as such I attempted to thicken my starter by feeding equal amounts retained starter and flour and 80% water. My starter seemed to like this consistency and flourished even started to triple in size (even beyond that) with lots of bubbles and activity (third photo). But then subsequently read this was a No No. That I shouldn’t have altered my mother starter and a feed should always have equal amounts flour and water.

I suspected the runny consistency might be due to it becoming overly acidic and that I should give it a boost. I should have fed it a 1:3:3 ratio right away but I was having trouble understanding ratios and hydration. I didn’t realize you could still feed a starter 1:3:3, or 1:5:5 and it still be 100% hydration. So a couple days ago, I removed from the fridge (discarded half and fed 1:1:1), once peaked, I discarded and fed again. Then the next day once it was peaked again, I discarded half and fed 1:3:3. It was doubled this morning (it’s been out of the fridge this whole time). It has thickened and showing some bubbles but pretty minimal at this point. I’m worried I’ve harmed my starter in my misguided attempt to thicken it.

1: Do I have to keep a feeding schedule of at least 1:2:2 or greater to keep it a thicker consistency?

1. If it’s not my starter can I alter my recipe using baker’s math to reduce to hydration of my dough to let’s say 68%?

Recipe is:
475 g Cdn AP flour (13%)
325 g filtered water
100g starter
10g salt

I usually do fermentolyse (1hr),3-4 S&Fs (30 min apart), BF (roughly 9 hours total), cold retard 11-12 hrs score and bake in preheated oven and roaster 475 (20-30 min), covered 20 min, uncovered 15-18 min.

(This is my last loaf, it looks lovely but as you can see it lacks a little height. The crumb was lovely but also a little too moist rendering it difficult to cut) I’d like it just a little firmer with a better raise. I suspect again that it’s the starter consistency, the starter being weak, or the dough being overly hydrated.)