Low phosphate fish food?

[SATAN FISH]

I have been searching for a low phosphate fish food on RC and on Google. From manufacturers, I typically find values between .6% - .9% phosphate that claim they are low. I do not know if they are actually low, or if that is just the company trying to get you to buy it. I have not come across any info on RC that indicates how much phosphate in the food is considered to be a lot.

From what I understand, phosphate is a preservative they put in the food. One company advertised their packaging as superior to where they did not need to add as much phosphate. If phosphate is a preservative, does that mean they add more to larger containers of food they sell? For example a 2oz can of food has less phosphate than a 2lb can of food. I doubt it huh? They probably just scoop it from a main bin and pour it in to whatever container is in front of them.

I am also aware that fish DO NEED PHOSPHATE to live, so some is required to be in the food, but it is there naturally anyways.

Does anyone have a good example of a low phosphate food? I was told that cheapo flake food can be high in phosphates. I am also under the impression that the frozen foods have high phosphates if you don't strain out the crap form the actual food. I was thinking of getting some formula II for my tangs, clowns, starry blenny, fire fish, and six line.

 

[what'scoral]

Good question!!

I know that formula 2 pellets does contain alot of phosphates. I did a test with it the other week use 2 cups of clean RO/DI one was empty on I put a pinch of pellets 24hrs later it took RO/DI from 0.03ppm to 2.10ppm using a hanna meter.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Phosphate is an integral part of many tissues, not just a preservative. It is a part of proteins, phospholipids, DNA, RNA, etc. There is no getting around that. So anything that contains fish, seaweed, clams, etc is going to contain phosphorous. And the higher the protein, the higher the phosphorous is going to be, typically.

Fresh, canned and frozen seafood from the grocery store does often have phosphate added to retain moisture in the food. So be careful of that.

You might want to avoid anything with bones in it as they are very high in phosphorus. So fish meal as an ingredient might be something to avoid.


I compare some foods based on published test data here:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13362727#post13362727

from it:

if you look at the phosphorus to protein ratio, you get:


Formula Two...........................176
Formula One.............................69
Frozen Brine Shrimp................232
Frozen Plankton/Krill...............182
Golden Pearls..........................273
Lancefish.................................244
Nori..........................................221
Plankton Gold Flakes...............169
Prime Reef.................................69
Saltwater Staple......................500
Silversides...............................952
Tahitian Blend..........................318

 

[acrodave]

if you feed mysis or brine. you can wash it a fine net to at get rid of the juice witch im sure has most of the phosphate

 

[SATAN FISH]

Phosphate is an integral part of many tissues, not just a preservative. It is a part of proteins, phospholipids, DNA, RNA, etc. There is no getting around that. So anything that contains fish, seaweed, clams, etc is going to contain phosphorous. And the higher the protein, the higher the phosphorous is going to be, typically.

Fresh, canned and frozen seafood from the grocery store does often have phosphate added to retain moisture in the food. So be careful of that.

You might want to avoid anything with bones in it as they are very high in phosphorus. So fish meal as an ingredient might be something to avoid.


I compare some foods based on published test data here:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13362727#post13362727

from it:

if you look at the phosphorus to protein ratio, you get:


Formula Two...........................176
Formula One.............................69
Frozen Brine Shrimp................232
Frozen Plankton/Krill...............182
Golden Pearls..........................273
Lancefish.................................244
Nori..........................................221
Plankton Gold Flakes...............169
Prime Reef.................................69
Saltwater Staple......................500
Silversides...............................952
Tahitian Blend..........................318

Hmm, so it appears as though I should stick to my Formula One for the main food with bits of other foods from time to time, to mix up the diet.

 

[SATAN FISH]

Good question!!

I know that formula 2 pellets does contain alot of phosphates. I did a test with it the other week use 2 cups of clean RO/DI one was empty on I put a pinch of pellets 24hrs later it took RO/DI from 0.03ppm to 2.10ppm using a hanna meter.

You put a pinch in one or two cups of water, and after 24 hours it was reading 2.1ppm. I would think that would be considered very low inside of only one cup worth of volume.

 

[Mike O'Brien]

Elos food claims to add less nutrients to the water. Could be that they say the ingredients are better so you need to feed less.

 

[GreshamH]

Phosphate is an integral part of many tissues, not just a preservative. It is a part of proteins, phospholipids, DNA, RNA, etc. There is no getting around that. So anything that contains fish, seaweed, clams, etc is going to contain phosphorous. And the higher the protein, the higher the phosphorous is going to be, typically.

Fresh, canned and frozen seafood from the grocery store does often have phosphate added to retain moisture in the food. So be careful of that.

You might want to avoid anything with bones in it as they are very high in phosphorus. So fish meal as an ingredient might be something to avoid.


I compare some foods based on published test data here:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=13362727#post13362727

from it:

if you look at the phosphorus to protein ratio, you get:


Formula Two...........................176
Formula One.............................69
Frozen Brine Shrimp................232
Frozen Plankton/Krill...............182
Golden Pearls..........................273
Lancefish.................................244
Nori..........................................221
Plankton Gold Flakes...............169
Prime Reef.................................69
Saltwater Staple......................500
Silversides...............................952
Tahitian Blend..........................318

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16270593#post16270593

Any idea what a dozen or so products would run to be tested like that?

 

[gentledental4u]

I found this thread and realized they changed the ingredients in Prime Reef and Formula One..... this may be outdated numbers.. Are there update numbers?

 

[chgoblknazn]

I feed Elos exclusively to minimize phos in my tank. It's the only dry food I use.

 

[gentledental4u]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+7927+8048+24616&pcatid=24616

this food has no phosphorus listed in the ingredients label