Would stirring detritus increase phosphate??

[duganderson]

The phosphate in my nano cube 28 tank has been ranging from 0.02 to 0.037. I stirred up the detritus trying to syphon out some cyno. I tested a couple hours later and the phosphate jumped to 0.080 (26 phosphorous pbb on my Hanna phosphorous checker).

Would stirring up detritus increase phosphate measurements? If so, why?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

we did a PO4 experiment over here:
one water sample was tested with a low range PO4 checker
and another sample (same water) containing some big (turbo) snail turds.
Guess which one had the high levels of PO4?

Now... did stirring detritus in your aquarium ACTUALLY increase PO4 in your aquarium or simply LIBERATE it?

(Pick jail break!)

 

[duganderson]

Why would stirring detritus liberate phosphate? Isn't detritus so broken down already that phosphate would already be liberated into the water column?

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Why would stirring detritus liberate phosphate? Isn't detritus so broken down already that phosphate would already be liberated into the water column?

well we KNOW that stirring detritus didn't actually INCREASE the level of phosphate in your aquarium. The amount of PO4 in your aquarium stayed the same throughout the tests.
Stirring up detritus increased the concentration of PO4 in your (later) sample.

A change in salinity can liberate PO4 as well.

 

[duganderson]

interesting.....thanks!

 

[bertoni]

The interstitial water in the debris might be significantly higher in phosphate than the water column. That was true for the sand in my tanks. Stirring up the detritus could have an effect that way.

 

[howaboutme]

My understanding is that the over abundance of detritus will increase your phosphates over time and that siphoning out as much detritus as possible during routine water changes will keep your tank in check. So..if you stir up your detritus to get it in your water column so that 1) it goes into your overflow into a sock or 2) it gets siphoned out during your wc, you have a good routine down.

 

[tmz]

The interstitial water in the debris might be significantly higher in phosphate than the water column. That was true for the sand in my tanks. Stirring up the detritus could have an effect that way.

Most likely explanation ,imo.
Alternatively, debris in the sample could react with the reagent or throw of the reading.
I blow of detritus regularly an have never noted a PO4 increase but I test when things are settled.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Phosphate levels in the sand water were almost double that of the water column in my 220.