Purple Up actually not junk

[fwbfirearms]

I was at a store in Pensacola just to check it out and I figured since I dove 45 minutes that I might as well buy something. Knowing that most of the reef chemical are shear junk I figured go for a calium additive. I picked up some Purple-Up. YES it is junk based on what it is and far overpriced, just ground up aragonite. Here is my experience with it. I set up a 12 gallon nano reef for SPS and used Tropic Marin which is good salt, but as we know most don't give us as much calcium as we want. Well I read a report once and it was right on the money when I tested the water, my calcium and alk were low. So I added some Reef complete and other thing over time too boost it. It came up ofcourse. Here is the thing though. I stopped all the other additives before I was up to the higher levels. I was at Calcium level 285(alk was 1.5-2.5). Well after adding just about a 1/5 cap a day for a maybe two or three weeks, my Calcium is 450 and alk is 4meq/L. So while I doubted this method(rather than product) it actually works great.
You could say it works like a calcium reactor minus the CO2, but I would not doubt minus the capacity of it too.

I am not saying go buy it, but maybe give it a try.

It is advertised that the aragonite is physically located on the rock for the corraline algae but I think that they don't quite understand how algae assimilates calcium, because I sure don't(then again I am not getting rich selling sand in a bottle).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I disagree with your interpretation of the results you got.

There are a number of issues here, not the least of which is that fine aragonite in the water will yield false high readings as the solids dissolve during testing and look like soluble calcium and alkalinity.

But beyond that, let's look at the numbers. Purple up claims to contain both dissolved calcium and aragonite. And I expect it does. So a calcium rise does not imply it came from the aragonite.

But again, let's looks closer.

You added 1/5 cap a day for, say, 20 days. That is 4 capfuls, which according to their claim is 20 mL. If that were equivalent to the strongest calcium only supplements, like Kent Liquid Calcium, that 20 mL would boost your 12 gallon tank by 44 ppm. Not the 450-285 = 165 ppm that you report. There is no reason to think it even possible for Purple Up to be 4 times as potent as Liquid Calcium (and every reason to doubt it). So I am not convinced that the calcium boost that you are claiming has anything significant to do with the Purple Up. A much more likely explanation is calcium testing error. Such errors are incredibly common.

 

[fwbfirearms]

I can offically say that I kicked the scientific method out the door with this observation. This was more of a big "Perhaps"

My observation was only announced here to offer an idea for someone else to take it upon themselve to test with good equipment. We had much better equipment in the labs then I get from a Salifert Kit. (as in perhap we could grind up our own aragonite as a cheaper supplement alternative, calcium reactor results---without the equipment)

Just to clarify I still believe this product to be junk and there are far better ones out there.

With a noticable trend in the Salifert test seeming to show an increase in calcium levels as I used SeaChem Reef Complete, upon discontinuing use of that and just using Purple Up(sand in a bottle) my calium level are testing higher even though I did not use it on a regular basis.

Now I work so much that this might have been even six weeks that this occured over and I had used reef complete some during this time.( So basically this was the worst experiement ever)

What is your opinion on Calcium probes? The most exposure I had to probes was in Analytical Chemistry which were all pH probes.

 

[speakerguy]

Why doesn't someone start selling their corraline scrapings online? How long does it last bottled up? Sell the algae itself. Call it "Purple the **** up".

 

[fwbfirearms]

LOL, nice. I know that GARF place would sell their reef aquarium junk. Honestly there is not telling what they send, but I used to use a Urchin to help my corraline spread. They will make X's all over the existing but it does help it spread.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My observation was only announced here to offer an idea for someone else to take it upon themselve to test with good equipment.

I have tested the "dissolution" of fine aragonite with good equipment here:

Calcium Carbonate as a Supplement
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2002/chem.htm

What is your opinion on Calcium probes? The most exposure I had to probes was in Analytical Chemistry which were all pH probes.

I review the Pinpoint Calcium Probe here. It works, but is not left in the tank water 24/7 like a pH meter:

onic Calcium Monitoring
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-04/rhf/index.htm

 

[Ãœbermensch]

It sounds like everyone is speculating. If you want the definitive answer, analyze what's in a bottle of Purple Up.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It sounds like everyone is speculating. If you want the definitive answer, analyze what's in a bottle of Purple Up.

Already done, no speculation here. Did you read my article linked above where I did analyze the main ingredient supplied by the same manufacturer? It doesn't work as claimed.

 

[fwbfirearms]

Good to hear. I appreciate the links to your articles which I will read later tonight when I get some free time. I just got back from a store in Panama City Beach and I bought some B-Ionic by ESV. Any good? I also picked up a few good SPS deals. I have great respect for people that take the time to test all of these things so thank you again.

I still figured it came down to Le Chatelier's principles with dissolved aragonite.

 

[Billybeau1]

B-Ionic is a decent 2-part used by many with smaller tanks that do not require tons of supplementing.

 

[fwbfirearms]

How dumb of me... I didn't realize that I have been reading your articles off and on for the past 5 years. I always told the people at the stores that if you go to this site (Adv Aquar) and there are great water chemistry articles. I only ever read segments though, maybe I should finish one and learn a thing or two. I actually learned alot more with my classes thanks to you.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:lol:

Glad you like them!

FWIW, the B-ionic is a fine choice.

 

[Ãœbermensch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12712026#post12712026 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
It sounds like everyone is speculating. If you want the definitive answer, analyze what's in a bottle of Purple Up.

Already done, no speculation here. Did you read my article linked above where I did analyze the main ingredient supplied by the same manufacturer? It doesn't work as claimed.

Yes, I am familiar with your article.

I guess I must be missing something. I see where you've analyzed the effects of fine particulate CaCO3 in a reef aquarium using the products AragaMIGHT and Kent's Liquid Reactor. I don't see any reference to the quantitative analysis of a bottle of Purple Up. Perhaps you've done that analysis and you just haven't told us about it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Caribsea says the the 10 micron aragonite in Aragamight and Purple Up is the same material. There is no need to test it in every formulation that they come up with. It does what it does in seawater regardless of where it came from.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't see any reference to the quantitative analysis of a bottle of Purple Up.

Since you seem to think my analysis is defective, how would you suggest analyzing it? That is, exactly what tests would you use to show what the product provides to an aquarium?

I think you'll find that the sort of analysis that I did is what is necessary when there are solid materials in a product that (may not/will not) dissolve in seawater. A freshman chemistry breakdown of every ion in it is not useful, IMO, if they do not dissolve in seawater.

 

[vessxpress1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12708495#post12708495 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by speakerguy
Why doesn't someone start selling their corraline scrapings online? How long does it last bottled up? Sell the algae itself. Call it "Purple the **** up".

:lol: LOL!

 

[ginger7286]

I am not the chemist you all are and trust me I love learning from those who find an interest in something I need to know. I have a question about this "magic purple up" I have heard it raises your nitrates. Now I have used it and it seems to me it does indeed raise the nitrates but maybe I tested my water at bad times. So does PU raise the nitrate in our water?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've not heard before that it had an impact on nitrate.

What did you observe?

 

[Ãœbermensch]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12716715#post12716715 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Since you seem to think my analysis is defective, how would you suggest analyzing it?

Sorry if I ruffled your feathers. I never said that your analysis was defective. What I said was perhaps you did the analysis but didn't tell us about it, because the analysis of Purple Up doesn't appear to be mentioned in your article.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12716631#post12716631 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Caribsea says the the 10 micron aragonite in Aragamight and Purple Up is the same material.

That's the missing piece of information. If that information was mentioned in your article, then I must have missed it.

Is that fact published somewhere, or did you get that info in a personal communication? I didn't see that information disclosed anywhere in this thread or in your article.

 

[bertoni]

http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/add_buff.html