Could "Microbe-Lift Special Blend" or "Vita-chem" contribute to high phosphate levels? (A petshop owner said that using a buffer could raise phosphates...got me thinking.) Thanks.

i am not familiar with the phosphate except with the fertilizer....
why are you gonna use it? what for?

Your right Paul. Phosphates are used by plants, Vita-chem will higher the level not sure on the other but at a guess I would say yes, they will both higher the phosphate level. Its a supplament used to increase feeding,growth ect. not sure if it works or is worth adding. i don't use anything like that and just relie on a mixed diet. are you having feeding problems? or other? The only time i used an additive is when I tried real plants. my fish pulled them up, the water looked greener than ever before so I gave up. you can use carbon to soak up the high phosphate or plants if you want to remove it but i would just do the water change as normal. like Paul says why has it got you thinking?

Thanks for the answers. I have to use RO water for both my tanks, and I was "advised" (argh) to use both the VitaChem and the Microblift in order to keep the correct mineral balance that the RO takes out. (I was adding a bit of well water instead of these additives, but then my outside pump froze...so until next spring....) BUT, the phosphate level of both tanks was really high. All the other levels are fine--pH is 6, ammonia is fine, nitrate/nitrite fine. The water is a bit soft, of course, but I'm thinking the fish (all oscars) are fine with that until the pump thaws. Thanks for your responses. Additives are a pain.

The problem with using RO water is that RO water is very pure and this isnt good for fish. Usually you mix RO with tap water to increase the Ph and to add some minerals in. When my discus tank had fish (i will restock at some point) i used to mix 3 parts RO to 1 part tap (my tap water is very hard)

What water have you got coming out of your tap? is that RO?

have you tried using pure hard water and have it soften in the process?
mineral-less water is not good to fishes ...and human being as well.

Well, interesting. Do you have advice on getting the GH and KH up? More facts:

1. I HAVE to use an RO system--that's all I've got.
2. I do have hard well water, but the pump's frozen. We're talking Wyoming winters. In the spring through fall, I can add a bit of that water and balance out everything, but not right now. Aargh.
3. So, I was told by the pet store to add VitaChem and the Microlift Special Blend to get the minerals back in.
4. BUT, my phosphates are high, and I was wondering if it was the Micro Lift or the Vitachem that was doing it.
5. A previous post some time ago suggested I use Tropic Marin to get the minerals correct.
6. The KH is about 1 degree, or 17.9 ppm; the KH is between 2 and 3 degrees, or probably around 40 ppm. Both are low. (pH is 6.)


Thoughts on how to get the right minerals without upsetting the pH and not raising the phosphates?

You are in a unique situation for an oscar keeper. You can buy minerals to put back into the RO water to make is ok for fish. The amounts needed i have no idea of, however if you look into some discus sites they may be able to help you as most discus keepers use RO water. I use RO mixed with tap on my discus tank