Michael Brumit
Member
I was just wondering if anybody has used PurpleUp and how it worked. I got some lace rock i just wanted to give a little help to get going.
Purple up?
- Thread starter Michael Brumit
- Start date
sandalscout
New member
I've not used it, but I spoke with someone about it a while back, I think it's basically just a calcium supplement. When I considered using it, I was told to simply monitor my calcium levels, and was suggested that I "seed" with some crumbled up live coralline and skip the purple up. I haven't even really monitored my calcium all that well, honestly I think I got pretty fast growth, not sure that the purple up would have been much better.
Michael Brumit
Member
I will try that. I guess i could just be patient but where is the fun in that.
DMBillies
Active member
I believe it is mostly calcium with some other trace minerals. In short, it isn't like it is coralline algae that will latch on to your rocks and start growing. You'll still need to seed the tank with some.
So, in short, you're better off just monitoring your Ca, Alk, and Mg and doing regular water changes... patience, I suppose, is a virtue with coralline.
This does highlight an important issue in reefkeeping though (and perhaps in everything). I don't want to say a lot of products rely on false advertising to sell themselves to newbies, but that's essentially what it is. If you're armed with just one piece of information (that coralline algae is good algae compared with the other types), you'll see purple up and think you need it. If you already know about monitoring Ca or just follow the instructions on your Ca supplement, you tank will quickly be overdosed with Ca. Purple Up is not the only offender...
There are a ton of treatments and supplements that do not clearly state exactly what they do (or have in them) in terms that anyone can understand... especially new people. If you don't believe me, check out the labels on the bottles on the shelves of the LFS's.
I can only assume that this situation helps sell products (at least a few) to each new person that comes into the hobby and fails or gets fed up because of the millions of supplements someone told them they needed and that don't seem to be helping. It surely doesn't benefit the hobby by getting and retaining people.
Sure, it is on the hobbyist to educate themselves, but most people don't have the patience to spend six months learning everything they need to before even starting to collect equipment and supplies.
So, in short, you're better off just monitoring your Ca, Alk, and Mg and doing regular water changes... patience, I suppose, is a virtue with coralline.
This does highlight an important issue in reefkeeping though (and perhaps in everything). I don't want to say a lot of products rely on false advertising to sell themselves to newbies, but that's essentially what it is. If you're armed with just one piece of information (that coralline algae is good algae compared with the other types), you'll see purple up and think you need it. If you already know about monitoring Ca or just follow the instructions on your Ca supplement, you tank will quickly be overdosed with Ca. Purple Up is not the only offender...
There are a ton of treatments and supplements that do not clearly state exactly what they do (or have in them) in terms that anyone can understand... especially new people. If you don't believe me, check out the labels on the bottles on the shelves of the LFS's.
I can only assume that this situation helps sell products (at least a few) to each new person that comes into the hobby and fails or gets fed up because of the millions of supplements someone told them they needed and that don't seem to be helping. It surely doesn't benefit the hobby by getting and retaining people.
Sure, it is on the hobbyist to educate themselves, but most people don't have the patience to spend six months learning everything they need to before even starting to collect equipment and supplies.
Michael Brumit
Member
Good to know i have never even researched into it. Thats a shame that they advertise it as such. I was wondering how they kept it alive on a shelf in a bottle. Thanks for the imput.
I have used purple up for awhile now. About 4 months. Can't really say that it has improved coraline but I will say this for the stuff. For some reason my softies seem to love it. It has iodine and magnesium in it and a couple of other things.
They don't advertise it as coraline algea. It is suppose to help it along. There is no algea in the bottle but it is suppose to provide the correct supplements to promote coarline algea growth when coraline is present in a tank.
That being said I can't say that it has done that much in my tank. However like I said my softies perk up when I dose the tank with it.
Levels in my tank pretty much standard good levels for calcium, iodine, magnesium and such.
Thanks,
rfman
They don't advertise it as coraline algea. It is suppose to help it along. There is no algea in the bottle but it is suppose to provide the correct supplements to promote coarline algea growth when coraline is present in a tank.
That being said I can't say that it has done that much in my tank. However like I said my softies perk up when I dose the tank with it.
Levels in my tank pretty much standard good levels for calcium, iodine, magnesium and such.
Thanks,
rfman
