Purple Coralline

[KeysKid]

I have a 14G Biocube that has been running for like two months now. I have added a bunch of very purple live rock to it.

My friend suggested me to use Purple Up in my tank, so I have been using it every other day for about 2 weeks now.

I haven't seen any increase in purple, none on glass or back yet.

So my question is, How long until I should start seeing purple show up on the back and glass.

I'm guessing its different for every tank, but I just want an estimate.

I'm using the stock PC lighting, by the way.


I really couldn't decide where to post this, so I decided here.
Thanks.

 

[Ranchero]

Are you checking your calcium before you dose more?
It grows better in areas with flow and it takes time to grow sometimes up to 6 months especially in a new system
Try taking a piece of your rock and scraping off some of the Coraline with a razor.

 

[awilson500]

My coralline took off when I bought a rock that was covered with it.. It still took some time, but once it took off there was no stopping it..

 

[JTR0510]

As what ranchero said, when using purple up make sure to test your cal an alk when your doing that it can cause a spike ir your not careful with it. Scraping the coraline off the other rocks will help in spreading to other rocks and glass

 

[Cubeman]

I have found that every tank is different but usually noticeable (scraping it off the glass) growth appears for me around 4 months or so. I have had one tank that never grew any at all for 8 months despite carefull control of my calcium level. In frustration I finally resorted to dosing daily with Purple Up and I found it did exactly what it claimed; the glass and powerheads were covered 6 weeks later.

My experience has also taught me that it appears more quickly under PC lighting like your Biocube than it does under MH.

 

[capt85]

I had to wait until about 4 months until I saw any on the glass.

And that was with purple up and rck with coraline. So you have nothing to worry about just give it a couple more months.

Coraline algae is alot like shaving. When your young and want it, it takes forever to apear. Once you have it you get tired of taking care of it

 

[KeysKid]

Thank you guys for all the information.

To tell you the truth I haven't been testing for Calcium. The back of the Purple Up says "Use no more than once daily". So I figured using it less than what the bottle says will keep my levels from being too high.

Do you guys think I should use it every single day, or just keep it how I'm doing it? Or should I even do it less than I have been doing?

But I will buy a Calcium test kit right away now and start doing test. How often do you think I should do calcium test?

 

[dublo8]

In reality you should buy a test kit not only for cal. but for mag and alk as well. Be careful not to through off your params as that corraline may not grow at all if parameters are off. I found that dosing a 2 part solution to compensate for my corals using up the mag and cal. helped my tank go from some purple to everything purple within a month. coraline will take hold in due time, I'm sure you will hear this a million times but patients is key.

 

[robs.mark]

If you want my honest opinion id say ditch the purple up.. Waste of time. If you keep your alk and calcium in check then you be scraping it back before you know it. You need to have coralline in your tank before it will spread so buy yourself a nice rock with some on it! If you plan on letting it grow all over your glass etc then be aware that the more you have, the more calcium you will use, coralline loves the stuff..

 

[KeysKid]

Well I already have tons of live rock with purple covered in it.

Ill get the test kits asap. Thanks guys.

 

[RVANANO]

They should sell purple up in comics next to the sea monkeys.

 

[UWUALineman]

I agree with robs.mark. Get rid of the purple up and just maintain ideal parameters and the coraline will start. Putting your calcium through the roof won't help growing it any quicker. Its a living organism which needs both alkalinity and calcium to calcify.
It gets to be a pain after awhile anyways.

 

[noahm]

Coraline algae is alot like shaving. When your young and want it, it takes forever to apear. Once you have it you get tired of taking care of it

This is such a perfect analogy :lolspin:

 

[jeff@zina.com]

They should sell purple up in comics next to the sea monkeys.

Purple Up is just calcium and iodine dosing, and my corals love the taste of Sea Monkeys.

Jeff