Does silicate bind to rocks?

[Miami Reef]

Silicate acts like phosphate in so many ways. GFO, aluminum oxide, and lanthanum can bind it; it can cause false positives in a phosphate kit if enough Si is present.

Let me ask you, does it also adsorb onto calcium carbonate surfaces (rocks) like phosphate does?

My mind randomly spawned this question today.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I expect it does to some extent, but I’m not sure how much or if it is significant in a reef context. For example, calcium silicate is not very soluble, indicating a good likelihood of some binding.