PurpleUp question

[EpicVegas]

My live rock is covered with green hard algae. I've got several spots of purple Coraline but the majority of my rock has the hard green algae. Reading the forums it seems the green algae is a form of coraline as it is not hairy and my phosphates are at 0. Would adding Purpleup help the purple coraline compete with the green algae?

I started my tank about ten months ago with BRS dry rock.

[dixiedog]

The general consensus is that Purple Up is snake oil. Never tried it myself though.

[downbeach]

No, I wouldn't waste your money. If your Ca, Alk and Mg are where they should be, and you have some in your tank already, your coraline will grow. You'd be better off adding some kalk to your top off water.

[sanababit]

Purple up is a waste of money, bought it back when i first stated in 2007 and never did anything to the tank, so save your money, balance the BIG MAC (mag, alk, cal) and you will be all set to grow nice purple coralline

Sana

[EpicVegas]

Thanks that will save me some money. My tank is a FOWLR so I hate to admit I haven't tested my mag, alk or cal lately. I did have low cal last time I tested and picked up some Brightwell reef code A & B. Unfortunately at the time I was also fighting brown diatom so I stopped adding the reef code. Should I start adding the reef code if my MAC are low?

[downbeach]

Coraline will need the same proportions of Ca and Alk, so if those numbers are below the minimum, I would use the supplements. What is your WC schedule? What salt mix, and SG?

[Timfish]

Purple up is a liquid form of Aragamight which is a balanced calcium and buffer supplement so it should help both the green and the purple coraline equally. It is my prefered supplement and the primary supplement this system below is getting, the other very random and infrequent dosings of superbuffer. In an interview in Coral in 2005 Richard Perrin states aragamight is the only supplement used by his company, Tropicorium which is one of the oldest coral aquaculture facilities in the US ( Tropicoriuminc.com )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFxUSRFRp24

[EpicVegas]

I do a 10 gallon biweekly WC as well as having a RODI ATO running on my 15 gallon sump/refug. I use instant ocean reef crystals and maintain a 1.023-1.025 SG.

Ill have a better idea where my tank MAC stand when I test them after work. I also recently did a massive WC as the Caulerpa in my refugium went sexual a few days ago ( fun stuff..). Hopefully the reef crystals increased the CA lvl a bit.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Originally Posted by downbeach

No, I wouldn't waste your money. If your Ca, Alk and Mg are where they should be, and you have some in your tank already, your coraline will grow. You'd be better off adding some kalk to your top off water.

Agreed. Keep your alk, calc and mag up within their optimum ranges and the coraline will grow. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.htm

[KafudaFish]

Originally Posted by Timfish

Purple up is a liquid form of Aragamight which is a balanced calcium and buffer supplement so it should help both the green and the purple coraline equally. It is my prefered supplement and the primary supplement this system below is getting, the other very random and infrequent dosings of superbuffer. In an interview in Coral in 2005 Richard Perrin states aragamight is the only supplement used by his company, Tropicorium which is one of the oldest coral aquaculture facilities in the US ( Tropicoriuminc.com )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFxUSRFRp24

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/7/chemistry

From the linked article:

Recently, several products have come onto the market that consist of calcium carbonate intended to be used without a reactor. These include AragaMIGHT (a fine powdered form of aragonite, which is itself just a crystalline form of calcium carbonate) and AragaMilk (a slurry of aragonite in water) made by CaribSea, and Kent’s Liquid Reactor (a slurry of fine calcium carbonate in water).

"Some have suggested that these particulate products (whether dry or as a slurry in water) can be added directly to an aquarium to provide calcium and alkalinity. Unfortunately, that method does not work well. Calcium carbonate is already substantially supersaturated in seawater and in reasonably maintained reef tank. Consequently, adding more solid does not lead to dissolution. On the contrary, since the water is already supersaturated, addition of solid calcium carbonate can actually lead to a decline in calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, and pH.

[jerpa]

Originally Posted by Timfish

Purple up is a liquid form of Aragamight which is a balanced calcium and buffer supplement so it should help both the green and the purple coraline equally. It is my prefered supplement and the primary supplement this system below is getting, the other very random and infrequent dosings of superbuffer. In an interview in Coral in 2005 Richard Perrin states aragamight is the only supplement used by his company, Tropicorium which is one of the oldest coral aquaculture facilities in the US ( Tropicoriuminc.com )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFxUSRFRp24

It is mostly a fine aragonite sand with trace elements. It does not dissolve under the conditions found in our tank anymore than the rock or sand we use. It can skew test results if suspended in the water column giving elevated readings for calcium and alkalinity.

Whether the trace elements they add encourage coralline growth is anyone's guess.

[Dissy]

Originally Posted by EpicVegas

My live rock is covered with green hard algae. I've got several spots of purple Coraline but the majority of my rock has the hard green algae. Reading the forums it seems the green algae is a form of coraline as it is not hairy and my phosphates are at 0. Would adding Purpleup help the purple coraline compete with the green algae?

I started my tank about ten months ago with BRS dry rock.

.

If you give it enough time, and change your water often enough, the purples starts to show up around the green anyway. I think eventually it will overtake it. In one lower light spot, I have green, pink, purple, and a tinge of blue all competing for the same space.