colinsk

I am finding my tanks to have 0 ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. The kH is staying pretty stable. however my phosphate is climbing. In looking at Diana's fish food element composition table flake food is really high in phosphate. I would like to supplement my flake with foods low in phosphate. What foods are easy and are low in phosphate?

I am not having algae issues at present but I have a feeling if I don't take care of it I will be risking a problem.

Forgotten Path

Live/Frozen foods are always good. The fish love it and it will help with coloration/spawning/etc. I currently feed frozen bloodworm and live blackworms to all my tanks. Also, certain fish will get fresh veggies, like blanched zucchini/romaine lettuce. (Goldfish, snails, etc.) Some of my fish also get shrimp pellets. (Ghost Catfish, Emerald Cory) I don't think any of those would be high on phosphate, if any maybe the shrimp pellets since they are processed food.

barthed

I don't think phosphate is a big problem with respect to algae, especially when compared to chelated iron. I had one tank with 15 ppm of Phosphate and no algae and one tank with <5 ppm of phosphate with some bba and green threaded algae. The main difference was the presence of chelated iron in the second tank (sun was hitting the substrate pretty hard and for a long time each day). Reading the chapter on algae in Diana's book is what made me test for iron.

dwalstad

I agree totally. Thank you, Barthed! In planted aquaria, chelated iron in the water creates algae problems, not phosphate.

Forgotten Path

Ah, that eases my mind a little. I have semi-high phosphate (about 10 ppm) in a few of my tanks...
Thanks.

But your fish will still like you better if you spoil them!

colinsk

Would an excess of phosphates tent to bind to iron and remove it from the water column?

dwalstad

Yes.