Does Base Rock Leach Phosphate?

Phosphates are going to be in any tank that is "new". Everything we feed our fish pretty much has phosphates in it, just like every living organism has phosphates in them as well. You will slowly adapt ways to expel PHos from your tank, such as an algae scrubber, or a media reactor. I use both since the macro algae also enjoy nitrates in their diet. I started my tank out with 50lbs base rock and 15lbs live, in which I think the "Purple" $9.oo per pound "Premium LIVE Rock" I bought, which has never to this day spread ANY purple coralline algae, was "tinted" purple and mostly made of quickrete and aragonite. The LFS I choose now, has coralline, sponges, critters, and even certain corals on his "Live rock" and I feel that when I pay $6.00 per LB, I'm getting my money's worth. I'm definitely not getting "Painted" rock. (I never went back to that place again, and the rock I bought still has the same splotches of purple as the day I bought them)

 

My LFS looks really clean, and the liverock looks healthy, no aiptasia that I can see, but it doesn't look as "holey" as the BRS rock I ordered. It looks more solid. I think I am just going to seed my tank with a friend's sand and just go through a longer cycle... I'm ok with that

 

Unfortunately, I also have a lfs here that said the same thing. I told them that I used 100% dry rock and they just looked at me like I was crazy and told me that I needed to scrap it and start again with live rock, LOL! The tank is a year old now, and I have no nuisance aiptasia or anything else bad that can come with live rock.