Leaching Dry Rock + Chaeto

[TooTall]

Hey guys! Long time lurker first time poster.
I’ve learned a lot here and figured I would try to give back, I’m still learning and stumbling along so hopefully someone can benefit from this.
I bough a bunch of used dry rock, acid dipped and now it’s leaching a bit.
So I set up a brute and a 20 long to cycle the rock with chaeto in my garage, my main goal is to pull as much of the phosphate out as possible with just the chaeto, no water changes, no LC, no GFO, I may squirt some ammos in a week or two to help replenish iron for the chaeto. I also think I will have to run carbon to combat the smell but we’ll see. So let me know what ya think.

First test after about 12 hours after set up.

This was surprising??

 

[TooTall]

Also this is the light I’m using

They are on clearance right now at the blue big box store if your in my area ( st.pete,FL)
It’s 5000k, I have same one on my DT and it works really well.

 

[TooTall]

Surprised there was no interest in this, but II’ll update anyway
After 1 week with chaeto on 12 hour on cycle no water change, no additives

 

[TooTall]

To busy last week, but this is today’s reading after 3 weeks, same old water no additives same 12 hour light cycle

 

[Solis Reef]

That’s a good idea I have my chaeto is dying in my sump no nutrients on it I have to star over feeding lol

 

[Redleg]

Just found this post and I'm following along. I'm also new at this and just got my dry rock from BRS a couple days ago. I was planning to do something very similar to this. I'm also getting a couple small pieces of live rock from my LFS that will go into a 10g isolation tank for 30 days. Once my dry rock is cured, I was planning to seed it with the live rock.

 

[ZaneTer]

@TooTall
Welcome!!
Nice little experiment you have going. It appears that you have bottomed out your nitrate thereby inhibiting your chaeto ability to take up the excess phosphate. This may sound counterintuitive but perhaps try adding a source of nitrate.
Also bear in mind that rocks can store incredible quantities of PO4 and release them to maintain a relative equilibrium.