Purple up

[sean112280]

Has anyone used this? Is it any good? Is it worth buying? I have a black long spine urchin and he ate a lot of my coraline algae. I want to grow it back. Any ideas or advice?

thanks
Sean

 

[melosu58]

You dont need it. Just keep your Alk, calcium and magnesium in check with frequent PWC`s and your Corraline will be fine.

 

[Fishguy2727]

In my opinion if you know enough to call it coralline then you can handle more advanced supplementation. Test the parameters listed above and add specific supplements if needed.

 

[SnowZz]

Any links to arcticles on advanced supplementation?

 

[Fishguy2727]

In general simply test Ca, Alk, and Mg daily. If needed add supplements for the ones you need as needed. Many people focus on Ca and Alk and use two part supplements (A and B type additives) but completely forget Mg. One tank may never need supplements, one tank may need very little or only one, some tanks will need lots of supplementation of all three. It will vary based on how fast these chemicals are used in the tank by corals (and acids in the case of Alk) as well as by the type of salt used and how large and frequent the water changes are. In the same tank weekly water changes with a high quality salt with supplemental levels of Ca, Alk, and Mg will go a lot further than monthly water changes with a cheaper salt or one that simply matches natural seawater's Ca, Alk, and Mg concentrations.

 

[sean112280]

ok awesome. thank you for the help. I appreciate it.

 

[bavass]

it caused and cyano out break in my tank. Just do like Melosu said.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

... I have a black long spine urchin and he ate a lot of my coraline algae. I want to grow it back. Any ideas or advice? ,,,

It will grow back on its own without the PurpleUp, as others have mentioned. But as long as that urchin is in there, he'll keep eating it...

 

[ccCapt]

Any links to arcticles on advanced supplementation?

The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[SnowZz]

ive generally havent dosed any chemicals in my tank except once i did a 2 part SeaChem p1 p2 calcium dose in which was probably worthless. Im finding all of this information to be well unless you have a 150g+ u dont need to dose chemicals at all and a PWC bi - weekly provides all the correct balance?

 

[SnowZz]

By the way +1 for reefkeeping.com ccCapt - awesome information factory. thank you

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

... Im finding all of this information to be well unless you have a 150g+ u dont need to dose chemicals at all and a PWC bi - weekly provides all the correct balance?

It all depends on the salt you use, your calcium demand, and how much or little of a swing in calcium you're willing to deal with between water changes. It really doesn't have to do with tank size, or even if the tank has LPS or SPS. It all depends on what your testing tells you.

 

[Ziggy953]

I would stick with PWCs on a frequent and regular basis to replenish any trace elements that may be used up by you system. Until you have a heavily coral stocked tank you aren't going to need dosing of any kind.

 

[Fishguy2727]

We can't really recommend what to do without Ca, Alk, and Mg tests, that is why you are getting completely different recommendations. Every tank runs differently and needs different things. What works for people and their tank is what they will recommend, and as you can see that varies immensely.

 

[Ziggy953]

Bottom line...get rid of the Urchin, he will do it again. From what I see in the pic of your tank you do not need to be dosing anything. When and if you get to the point of having a lot of corals in your system then you are going to want to test CA, Alk and Mg levels but basic PWCs will replenish those levels without issue as your tank is now.

 

[sean112280]

Thank you for the information. You all have been a good help to me.

 

[SAAVE853]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here for purple up.

I do water changes of about 10-15% bi weekly on my 55 and was having a hard time crowing coraline, had a friend tell me about purple up (give me some) and within a week my coraline started to take off!!

Every tank is very different!!!!

 

[ccCapt]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here for purple up.

I do water changes of about 10-15% bi weekly on my 55 and was having a hard time crowing coraline, had a friend tell me about purple up (give me some) and within a week my coraline started to take off!!

Every tank is very different!!!!

It's your money and you are free to waste it as you please.
Purple Up is nothing more than a very weak mixture of ground up aragonite sand(calcium carbonate), calcium chloride, maybe a miniscule amount of iodine and water. It adds absolutely nothing more that a water change alone adds.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Actually... I think the iodine component is more than "miniscule". If it were, I don't think you'd hear about folks ending up with an overdose of iodine from using the stuff constantly.

 

[Ziggy953]

Coraline will grow like mad and then die back and come back full force. It all depends on the calcium use of other things in the tank. When I had very few corals in my system everything and I mean everything was purple. When I added corals and clams and things that sucked up calcium the coraline faded back. Dosing a 2 part like B-ionic would give far better results than using purple up.

Yes every tank is different but there are some basic things that remain the same.