Bound up phosphate in old live rock?

[sailorman]

I have about 200 lbs of dead live rock that had been in my tank for 25 years. I did not run a low nutrient tank and had a lot of precipation that has been deposited on the rocks. Am i looking for trouble with bound up phosphate being released from reusing them? In places the hard, cemented on sand and precip. can be easily an inch thick.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I have about 200 lbs of dead live rock that had been in my tank for 25 years. I did not run a low nutrient tank and had a lot of precipation that has been deposited on the rocks. Am i looking for trouble with bound up phosphate being released from reusing them? In places the hard, cemented on sand and precip. can be easily an inch thick.

The only way to know for sure is to place them in a tub or brute crash can and start to cure them. Test the water for P04 levels. Then you'll know. If so, you can remove the excess P04 with water changes.

P04, if In the rock, will leach out into the water column till it's at equilibrium. Continued water changes will remove it.

 

[sailorman]

I will give that a try and then see how bad (or good) the pieces are.