My tank is 3 months old. I want to add purple tech to start getting caroline algae.. But the bottle says it will raise calcium to the desired level... My API test kid is already telling me my calcium is over 580.. Much more than the test results even show... Do I still add purple tech? All other levels are neutral...or do I somehow need to lower calcium first? 150g with 50lbs of new cured rock. No caroline algae on rocks.. 3 small Kenya tree frags. That's it so far
Dosing purple tech
- Thread starter JJ-MIK
- Start date
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willbratz
Aquarium Advice FINatic
I would not add it. This is something that should grow naturally within your tank give the right water, lighting, temperature parameters.
Reeffanman
Aquarium Advice Freak
That's seems fairly high for calcium. Do you add anything? Most reef salt mixes have 450-530 ppm. Normal salt is even less.
willbratz
Aquarium Advice FINatic
How long are you running your lights?
Daniel Fishy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Has to be introduced to tank. Buy a rock or snail with some on it and scrap it off couple days later do it again. Some say turn your filters off for awhile after scraping I never did but helps the spores settle. Keep calcium normal levels and it will grow. I wouldn't add purple stuff.
willbratz
Aquarium Advice FINatic
It wasn't introduced in my tank at all. If anything, there must have been a small amount on one of the live rock, or a frag I purchased.
Daniel Fishy
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's cool! I scraped and scraped and a little growth. Then I started dosing alk and calcium cus alk was low and it took off.
The only thing in my tank was crushed coral . Aragonite. And live sand. Calcium was that high. Added first 50lbs of rock.. Still that high.. Using the oceanic salt.. And lights were on for 10 hrs a day. But backed them down to 7 hours a day
Daniel Fishy
Aquarium Advice Addict
Once it starts growing it will use calcium up. What kit are you using to test? Just seems high what's your alk reading? Usually high cal means low alk or high alk means low cal. Good read is advanced aquarist.com chemistry alk and calcium. Up to you to add purple up some on here added and had good success search the threads for it.
ReeferRusty
Aquarium Advice Activist
first off, you do not get Coraline from a bottle. Nor will you. You need Coraline to grow Coraline. Go to your local fish store and get a rock with Coraline on it, put it in your tank. This will advance the starting growth of Coraline in your tank. I remember when i first started a tank, it took forever. but it will grow. Come people say you can scrape it off a rock into your tank. But those additives will just screw up your water chemistry. Stop dosing calcium, (Which i would assume you are adding due to such a high value). Just do water changes regularly. You should maintain between 420-480ppm calcium, and 8-10 dKH Alkalinity. Your Coraline should grow at this point, and any corals you may have. 
Word of advice: If you cant test for it, DON'T add it to your tank.
Word of advice: If you cant test for it, DON'T add it to your tank.I haven't dosed a single thing yet. I guess I dont have a test for alkalinity ... I'm using the API reef master and marine master test kit.. My ph is 8.2. Carb hard is 12.. Calcium is 560. And nitrite nitrate and ammonia are all zero. Well ammonia went up. It's between 0 and .25..... API kit said .25... The strips said 0... So I'll go between.... Lol
ReeferRusty
Aquarium Advice Activist
Carb hard is alkalinity. What salt are you using. I tried redsea coral pro and got results like you. Had to switch back to regular instant ocean. Other salts just put too much of calcium,alkalinity, and magnesium in my water. If you need a test kit or salt, get them from www.thereefspot.com. quality test kits get you quality results. API works for beginners, but is a little to inaccurate for me.
ReeferRusty
Aquarium Advice Activist
I would recommend Instant Ocean Salt. The purple box. It is inexpensive and gives great results without the over-addition of elements. I suggest getting a new test kit if your going to be serious about keeping a reef. API will get you started, but seems to get more and more inaccurate as you use it and it ages. RedSea makes a great kit for the basic elements, and a good kit for Nitrate. If you have nitrates, generally your Ammonia and Nitrites are going to be Zero unless your adding something uncured to the tank, such as live rock that's dead, but was once live. Here are a few to look at.
RedSea Nitrate Pro Kit
Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro Ca/Alk/Mg Multi Test Kit
These two are worth every penny and i keep a very successful SPS Dominate Reef with them.
I use the purple regular Instant Ocean Salt mix, and I add calcium and alkalinity suppliments as needed using these REEF Products:
Seachem Reef Fusion Two Part System 1 & 2 Calcium and Carbonate Supplement - 4 Liter each
Now, There are smaller bottle available, I just buy these ones because I intend to use a lot of it. I do not have automatic dosers, so these work great for me. As you can see, my tank is about 7-8 months old, and im just starting to grow the coraline. So be patient, and you will be rewarded.
Here are a few to look at.RedSea Nitrate Pro Kit
Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro Ca/Alk/Mg Multi Test Kit
These two are worth every penny and i keep a very successful SPS Dominate Reef with them.
I use the purple regular Instant Ocean Salt mix, and I add calcium and alkalinity suppliments as needed using these REEF Products:
Seachem Reef Fusion Two Part System 1 & 2 Calcium and Carbonate Supplement - 4 Liter each
Now, There are smaller bottle available, I just buy these ones because I intend to use a lot of it. I do not have automatic dosers, so these work great for me. As you can see, my tank is about 7-8 months old, and im just starting to grow the coraline. So be patient, and you will be rewarded.
Thank you! I will look into those kits! And your tank looks very nice! Mine is pretty bare right now. Only 50lbs of rock. I came home last night and my tank was slightly a white cloud. And my three Kenya's were just flopped over... Tested everything and all came out fine... All my friends tell me the same.. Just wait.. Just wait. Be patient.. Lol it's killing me!! Lol
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
The API calcium test is off, as stated previously. Oceanic is high in calcium, but not that high. What kind of lights are they? LED flood lights?
mr_X
Aquarium Advice Addict
Did you happen to get any PAR readings from them? Where are you located?
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