Calcium phosphate

[Fishy888]

While removing some GHA yesterday I accidentally bumped my green digitata. It was a fairly soft bump but it was still enough to frag the digi.

It got me wondering whether corals that are growing in a high phosphate environment use much ALK. My ALK is fairly steady but I don’t have tons of sticks yet so I can’t tell if ALK is being consumed. As easily as the green digitata broke I have to assume it’s making its skeleton almost entirely out of calcium phosphate.

My green and purple digis are growing nicely. Both of them are small frags. I have two encrusting montis as well. One is a Mardi Gras montipora and the other is a reverse Superman montipora.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

High phosphate level is known to inhibit coral skeleton growth by restricting calcium intake.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022098111004588https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.phphttps://reefs.com/managing-phosphate-in-a-reef-tank/

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

As easily as the green digitata broke I have to assume it’s making its skeleton almost entirely out of calcium phosphate.

That does not happen. Skeletons may be more brittle, but they are not primarily calcium phosphate.

 

[Fishy888]

That does not happen. Skeletons may be more brittle, but they are not primarily calcium phosphate.

I don’t know why I had it in my head that calcium carbonate couldn’t bind to calcium phosphate. Thank you for letting me know that.

 

[Fishy888]

High phosphate level is known to inhibit coral skeleton growth by restricting calcium intake.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022098111004588https://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-09/rhf/index.phphttps://reefs.com/managing-phosphate-in-a-reef-tank/

I appreciate the articles. I still have lots to learn clearly. Thank you.