Where, or how to get Phosphate

[abcdefghi]

How can I get phosphate's into my aquarium? I have checked all the LFS nearby and can't find anything. I am fighting fuzz algae and have been advised (on here) to dose some phosphate, problem is I can't find any.

I started dosing Excel at the weekend, but not sure if that will help or if I really should be adding phosphate as well.

Thanks.

 

[accord728]

Not sure exactly the problem but you want to look into phosphate buffers such as pH stablizers by SeaChem and/or adding carbon to your filteration.

 

[coach_z]

aquariumfertilizer.com to buy phosphate
or
i think you can get phosphate from the fleet enema kit from your drug store/food market. expect funny looks when you buy it, from your family when you bring it home, and also your dog/cat and fish

 

[jptjpt]

If you're looking for liquid phosphates, head down to your local CVS/Walgreen pharmacies and buy Fleet Enema or the generic equivalent. I dose it in my tank for phosphates when I'm out of dry fertz. If you can overcome the awkwardness of buying it, you should be ok.

Oops, coach_z beat me to it with the response.

 

[mott]

I think Rex grigg still sells dry ferts, Orlando at Gla has em too.
http://www.greenleafaquariums.com/

 

[abcdefghi]

Before I order is this what I need:
Mono Potassium Phosphate 1 lb. KH2PO4

And, since shipping is the same, is it worthwhile me also ordering 1lb of this:
Potassium Nitrate 1 lb. KNO3

Would I need any other ferts? reading through the sticky it looks like all I need are those 2, but I want to be sure.

 

[j-gens]

csm-b and i would order 2 lb of kno3 as you use 2x as much typically but 1 lb will still last you a long time and yes mono potassium phosphate

 

[peanutbowl]

it wouldn't be a bad idea to get "Barr's GH Builder" and also some chelated iron. together with Kno3,KH2PO4 and the plantex, you'd have a pretty well rounded list of ferts. all the diy stuff you'll need for a while. and as coach said, 2lbs of KNO3 will last a little longer.

 

[The Zigman]

before you start dosing ferts, its a good idea to have a test kit on hand that you can use to test levels. Have you tested your Phosphate level?

 

[Izzy2]

How have you been fertilizing? The EI method seemed complicated. An application - pc only EI calculator - made my initial dosing quantities for numerous tanks painless and very inexpensive to maintain. It has built in features that adjusts for existing conditions in your water. I cannot now locate a downloadable source for Nutri-calc v1.9.3 or any updates since. PM me and I'll email it to you.

Test your tap and tank nitrate level. My water out of the tap is 5 to 10ppm. The tanks are fish heavy and are at 20ppm after a 50% water change. I use only Potassium Sulfate - KH2PO4 as my nitrates are high and don't use KNO3.

See http://www.aquariumfertilizer.com/ for a good selection plant ferts