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06-01-2006, 02:19 PM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Spanish Shawl Nudibranch
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oak Park, Illinois
Posts: 84
Karma: 16
 |  Question about Purple Up
Hello! Last week, I started dosing with PurpleUp by CaribSea to help promote coralline algae growth on the few pieces of live rock I have. I was wondering if...
1) Anyone else has used this stuff and to what out come
2) Should I stop dosing with Kent calcium, iodine & S&M since PurpleUp boasts that it contains "super sea calcium", and "also replenishes iodine" and contains "strontium, magnesium, and carbonate"? (taken from PurpleUp bottle)
I know it's possible to overdose calcium, but can you overdose iodine and S&M? What happens if calcium levels are too high? Iodine? S&M?
Thanks in advance!
Jason D. 
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37 Gallon marine tank. 20 lbs. live sand, a few pieces of live rock. TidePool 125 gallon filter, Coralife Super Skimmer, Coralife combo lighting (acitinic, 50/50, 10K (65 watt)), standard in tank heater.
1X Percula Clownfish
1X Purple Tang
1X Pebbled Butterfly
6X Conical shaped snails
3X Blue Leg Hermit Crab
4X Cerith snails
1X Sand Sifting Conch
1X Flower Anemone
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06-27-2006, 06:28 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | Pajama Cardinal
Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: berwick, PA,Pennsylvania
Posts: 1,445
Karma: 108
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I never used purple up, but a good alk and calcium level will help promote corraline alge. So with the purple up and steady levels your corraline might take off pretty well. _________ karla  75 gall, 80 lbs sand, 110 lb lr, 10k pcs, atinics, emperor 400, prizm skimmer, hagen and maxi jet powerheads | |
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06-27-2006, 11:01 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Meriden, Connecticut Age: 44
Posts: 3,949
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I use Purple up with much success!!!!Alot of corraline algae in my tank, however, you have to have good lighting as well as good water flow to grow coralline algae!!!! Moreover, with Purple up, you have to have some coralline algae in your tank already for it to work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As for calcium levels and overdosing or having too much in your tank-my level is always over 550 which is alittle high, but if your alkalinity is ok and everything is doing well-you are ok...
Strontium is hard to overdose but if you do overdose it your alkilinity will go down I believe. I've never heard of anyone supplementing with magnesium so I wouldn't worry about it.
Iodine is another story! You don't want to overdose iodine as it is toxic in high concentrations. If you are going to dose iodine-I would suggest dosing less than what the directions suggest and also purchase a TEST KIT to make sure your level is ok...Iodine does tend to become depleted rather quickly in a tank, however, to be safe-test frequently!
I would still dose with (LUGOL'S etc.), however, dosing with calcium and strontium and magnesium may be redundant-especially if you are performing water changes often and using the "Purple Up".
These are my opinions and do not relect the views and opinions of the management her at 3reef_hhhaaaaaaaahahhahahehehehe Just kidding-stck with the "Purple Up"-I think it is very beneficial to a saltwater tank
Good luck! _________ 125gal.w/Mag9.5 return(dual megaflow)>Mag7 pump Aqua Cev180skimmer.Wave2k Hamilton Reefstar(2)250watthqi(mh)pend.a Yellow, Naso Tang Red Lip Blenny Percula Clown Demoiselles Niger Trigger F. Wrasses Ceriantharia Orn.Shrimp and Stars Hermits Queen Conch asst. snails> Stars Zoos shrooms Montipora Brains Gorgonians Favia Turbinaria(large+small polyp) Acropora Xenia Tridacna (CroceaMaximaSquamosa) Leathers <35+75gal.reef tank as well> 
"IF THE PHONE DOESN'T RING...IT'S ME"  jb  | |
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06-27-2006, 11:18 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Pataskala, OH
Posts: 20
Karma: 1
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I agree with coral reefer. I have used purple up for 3 months and my live rock has had pretty good coralline growth. When i started, i had about 3 spots of coralline. After 3 months, half of my live rock is covered in coralline and the back wall is starting to spot with pink.
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20 gallon mini-reef
Fluval 204 canister filter(Media: carbon and phos-ban)
Aqua C Remora protein skimmer, 20 lbs. of live sand
35 lbs. of live rock, Satelite 50/50 compact lighting
Livestock: percula clown, six line wrasse, fire red shrimp, sand sifter starfish, 12 turbo and astrea snails, 1hermit crab(huge)
Additives: purple up, kent essential elements and coral vite, marine snow.
Coral: fungia, 2-finger leathers, colt coral, zooanthid colony rock, mushroom rock, button polyps | |
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06-27-2006, 11:29 AM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Eyelash Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lakeland, Fl
Posts: 1,294
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Quote: |
Originally Posted by coral reefer however, you have to have good lighting as well as good water flow to grow coralline algae!!!! | I have to respectfully disagree with that statement. I have grown lots of coralline with NO fluorescent bulbs. Sometimes corraline will bleach out with intense lighting 
Good Flow is a requirement without a doubt.
All the other stuff sounds like great advice  alk, ph, mag, iodine.
Have a good one.
Jim
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90 Gallon glass, 135#'s of rock and 2" sand. 2-250w 20k XM metal halides. 2-95 watt actinic VHO, 4 powerheads, Coralife skimmer. Maroon Gold Striped Clown, Blue Chromis, Kole Tang, Pygmy Angel, Serpent Star, Brittle Star,Gorgonians, Mushrooms, Yellow Polyps, Turbo Snails & Blue Legged Hermits. 20 gal sump with Caulerpa, Mag 7 return pump. | |
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06-27-2006, 11:42 AM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Scooter Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2005 Age: 26
Posts: 1,200
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Well I've heard different types of corraline prefer different types of lighting, so flow would probably be more of a concern for it to thrive. I dont dose strontium or manganese or magnesium, but I think I wanna start to help grow my corraline. After 1 year of running the tank with all chemicals in check, I only have a few baby spots of corraline that are really not growing at a fast pace.
Humm, I might consider using it for the strontium and magnesium trace. 
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30g reef tank, CPR CY192 filter w/ DIY plumb running Rio 17HF return, Coralife 3x 9w UV Sterilizer, 3 24W T5-Helios 10K Daylights/3 24W T5-Helios Blue lights, 2 Logysis blue meteor light strobes (moonlights/24 Blue LEDs).
Tiger tail cuke, asst. snails/hermits, asst. feathers, rainbow acan,zoos,shrooms,bubble,galaxea, asst. shrimp, 2 ocellaris,mandarin,zebrasoma xanthurum,pink-spot watchman,red-striped pistol. | |
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06-27-2006, 11:58 AM
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#7 (permalink)
| | Coral Banded Shrimp
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 387
Karma: 186
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I think I have been lucky, I do not dose my tank with anything and after 6 months my corraline has spread everywhere!
I have some large rocks that where not live rock and now you can't really tell the difference. The water flow in my tank is pretty good so maybe that helps.
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80gal with live rock (35kg/70lbs), 30gal sump, refugium with live rock, chaeto and DSB, Bullet-1 skimmer, Fluidized Reactor, T5 lighting (6 tubes), 4 x Koralia 3's. | |
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06-28-2006, 08:16 AM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Peppermint Shrimp
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: CT Age: 31
Posts: 416
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I used purple up before and I was happy with the results. The person who brings up the lighting and coralline is correct, sometimes it just will not grow in very high lighting situations.
Anyway, a good rule to follow is always test for what you dose your tank with. Iodine can be very dangerous and easy to overdose. Lugols is extremely concentrated and thus even easier to overdose. | |
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06-28-2006, 08:55 AM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Spanish Shawl Nudibranch
Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oak Park, Illinois
Posts: 84
Karma: 16
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Wow! Thanks so much for your input guys!!!!
One repeat theme I've noticed in all your postings is time. I've been dosing with Purpleup now for just about a month - 1 cap-full everyday. Most of you guys are talking 3 months or more. I just need to be patient I guess?
However I am confused with the lighting situation. I have Coralife combo lighting (acitinic, 50/50, moon). Lights come on at 2:30 pm and are off by 8 pm. Is this too much lighting? Too little?
As far as water flow - I thought I had pretty good flow. I notice debris (when there is some) will usually move around on the bottom, suggesting to me that the water flow I do have is strong enough to agitate the entire tank, bottom included. What do you guys think? | |
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06-28-2006, 12:44 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Eyelash Blennie
Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Lakeland, Fl
Posts: 1,294
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It's not too much lighting
I'm sure there will be many people to dispute this, but I am going to say it anyway Most of the tanks that I see with LOTS of coralline are reef tanks. It seems like the FOWLR tanks have the least amount. My theory on this is that the FOWLR tank owners are less concerned with calcium, alk and iodine levels plus the fact that they usually have lots of fish and high phosphate levels because of all the fish poop and food. Not to mention they are less concerned with using RO/DI water.
Enjoy the hobby...
Jim
Last edited by Diver_1298; 06-29-2006 at 05:29 AM.
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