Fish food contributing to algae?

amteo · February 3, 2005

Hi guys and gals,

Am seeing algae in my tank for a couple of weeks now. Basically, two types - Diatoms and BGA (I think). The tank is about three months old and water parameters, I think, are OK. Well, maybe PO4 is a bit high at 0.25 mg/li. Top-up water is with DI water. Trying my best to use natural stuff (primarly snails) to combat the algae and avoiding chemicals, for the time being.

Anyway, what I want to ask is, can the fish food cause the algae growth? Currently, I'm using (1) TetraMarin Flake Food and (2) Formula One Pellets. Note: quantity fed is very little and consumed within one minute. Feeding once a day. Also, once a week, I feed TLF nori. A strip of 1 inch by 5 inches.

Can any of these fish food (used in moderation) contribute to algae growth?

lightningstrike · February 3, 2005

IMHO, yes. pellet food can contribute towards algae growth as most of these food contains traces of PO4. not forgetting the fish poo. efficient skimming, regular water changes, use of chemical filtration e.g. rowaphos, etc r juz some of many ways to combat high nutrient levels.