Question about Purple Up

[that fish guy]

I know Mray just asked something about Purple Up, but I have a question too. I was wondering if the stuff actually works. I know people who will swear by it, but I also know people who have used it and had nothing but disasters. One person I know who doesn't like it told me that his alkalinity went above 30 after using the correct dosing once. He told me that he lost all of his corals and fish from the alkalinity being that high. If anyone can reccomend me something to use either purple up or something different because my reef tank is over 3 years old and I barely have any coraline algae.

 

[michaelm2431]

What it does is add a lot of Alk. to your tank. Your friends tank probally had the proper Alk. level in the first place, then adding purple up, raised it too high. How is the Alk level in your tank? You might be running it too low for coraline.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

2 part. that allows you to adjust cal and alk by themselves.

 

[that fish guy]

The alk in my tank is 13

 

[michaelm2431]

I would dose 2 part like Chief suggested. Bring your alk down to somewhere in the 9's and keep your Calc. in check too. Keeping your pars. in check will be a big help in growing coraline.

 

[that fish guy]

My calc is at 500 ( I have a few clams) and my alk is at 13. I have a reef aquarium book that says keeping ur alk at 13 will help grow coraline algae and help ur corals grow

 

[mray]

Any more calcium and you will see it precipitating out of your water. I don't use purple up; I got it for free and I accidentally found that it was an interesting way to kill flatworms (outside of my tank).

 

[michaelm2431]

I can't compete with a reef book but I can give you my experience of 30 years on keeping reef's.
Natural sea water has an Alk of 8 dKH. I've kept my Alk there for years. Everything was doing fine. When I kept it in the 9 range, everything was doing a lot better and more colorfull. I raised the Alk even more and Calc. even more like people suggested and colors started fading and corals weren't as happy. I now keep my Alk in the low 9's and Calc around 450.

I also noticed that the coraline under my 400watt Halides is close to nothing but under my 250's it's plentyfull, and in my sump with lower light, it grows like crazy.

 

[Thatguy96]

Purple up is terrible!!!
I have a whole bunch of Red slime because of it

 

[Chris5]

I used to swear by this stuff on my first tank (36 bow ) used to dose it every night (lack of experience I kno) and it was ok growth, some yes, explosion no

Since than i tried it minimally on my larger tank (65g) and didn't have growth really at all, actually had a cyano problem for awhile but that maybe another issue...(the presence of phosphate and adding things to the tank for coral/coralline growth sake doesn't really mix sometimes)

Fast forward to this year and my new nano, with regular water changes (20% every week religiously) using I/O Salt and using absolutely NO ADDITIVIES or dosing anything my coralline is exploding, started off on the rocks and now its all over my equipment not only the purple colors as well ...

My theory with regular water changes, a consistent calcium level, as well as water paramters in check and some good bulbs on the bluer side (old bulbs usually bring out the cyano) coralline should show its colorful face at some point in your tanks mature life ... just give it some time ... you don't have to use anything to make it blossom, my tank as well as others are living proof!