Using Purple Up
- Thread starter lazluvtoo
- Start date
I am going to tag along. I have a bottle I won at my clubs raffle but have never used it. I have heard some pretty good things about. Any negitives?
chrisstankevitz
New member
Any what? Coraline algae?
I use Purple Up sometimes together with the in germany well known "Balling-Method" (combination of calciumchlorid, natriumhydrogencarbonat and NaCl free seasalt or mineral salt).
Purple Up contains ionic calcium for rapid increasing the Ca-Level, natural aragonit (a kind of calciumcarbonat wich is better soluble than normal unnatural calciumcarbonat) and iod.
The Purple Up has following idea. It is very fine sized calciumcarbonat wich goes after dosing to the surface of the live-rock and the livesand in your tank. There (on that surface) the pH-level is lower because of the filter-bacterias (they produce CO2 and other acids), wich lives there. So the aragonit is soluble there.
The positive effect is a little bit another than with ionic calcium dosing.
For increasing the Ca-level very fast iin a big tank it isn't possible with Purple Up. But to hold the level it is possible and more softer way for the corals than with the often aggressiv calciumchlorid and natriumhydrogencarbonat.
The Purple Up is like a natural liquid calciumreactor.
My corals loves the dosing of Purple Up and especially the red corallin algae (Halimeda) becomes more and more.
After the dosing Purple Up my SPS corals look great. So I dose it sometimes together with the ionic calcium methods.
I think in smaller tanks it could be the only product you need to increas the calcium level.
It is more effectiv than AragaMilk.
I dose one cup of this bottle a day in a 250 liter tank. I dose it at night or in the early mornig, when the light is off.
Sudad
Purple Up contains ionic calcium for rapid increasing the Ca-Level, natural aragonit (a kind of calciumcarbonat wich is better soluble than normal unnatural calciumcarbonat) and iod.
The Purple Up has following idea. It is very fine sized calciumcarbonat wich goes after dosing to the surface of the live-rock and the livesand in your tank. There (on that surface) the pH-level is lower because of the filter-bacterias (they produce CO2 and other acids), wich lives there. So the aragonit is soluble there.
The positive effect is a little bit another than with ionic calcium dosing.
For increasing the Ca-level very fast iin a big tank it isn't possible with Purple Up. But to hold the level it is possible and more softer way for the corals than with the often aggressiv calciumchlorid and natriumhydrogencarbonat.
The Purple Up is like a natural liquid calciumreactor.
My corals loves the dosing of Purple Up and especially the red corallin algae (Halimeda) becomes more and more.
After the dosing Purple Up my SPS corals look great. So I dose it sometimes together with the ionic calcium methods.
I think in smaller tanks it could be the only product you need to increas the calcium level.
It is more effectiv than AragaMilk.
I dose one cup of this bottle a day in a 250 liter tank. I dose it at night or in the early mornig, when the light is off.
Sudad
DrBDC
Active member
You might want to read these:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...=7276333&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/s...=7276333&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending
drummereef
Team RC
Purple up has been ripped apart in the Chemitry Forum by Randy, Boomer, and countless others. Yes, snake oil, but can also be very detrimental. Just use with caution imo.
Yes, I am sure that is what DrBDC is implying...just let your tank go naturally. It will seem slow at first but in six to eight months if your levels are right the purple corraline algae will be every where in your tank. So much so, you will try to scrape it off of the sides of your tank and realize what a pain in the a** it is to scrape off.
@ all
Ok, let me say something.
I have the same opinion that a lot of trace element products are wasted money, because the best way is to make often water changes with a high quality seasalt. That's the fact. Because to add trace supplements without testing the water could be dangerous - especially the metal elements (Mn, Co, Cu, Ni etc.)
But there are some products wich might be usefull.
To increase calcium and carbonat in a middle sized or big tank with SPS corals, it is impossible to increase it with Purple Up. You should take a calciumreactor or use ionic calcium products.
But the usage of the ionic calcium products expects a lot of experience and chemical knowledge from the user.
So Purple Up is much easier to use, because it contains only natural calciumcarbonat in the form of soluble aragonit, wich is mostly soluble at night. It works a little bit like a DSB or a natural calciumreactor in your tank.
In my opinion it is recommanded better for smaller tanks (smaller than 300 litres) or tanks with softcorals and without heavy skimming.
And this is exact the problem of Purple Up.
Most of the users, who tested the Purple Up in a "Berliner System Aquarium", reduced their concentration of aragonit by the skimmer before its solution. So they didn't see any positive effects of increasing calcium.
The concept behind Purple Up is to offer these typical calcium sediments of the natural reef, wich is easy to use by a lot of reef organizms. And these sediments are soluble by the time, especially at night, when the pH-concentration becomes low.
So I use Purple Up to stabilize the Ca- and Alk-Levels between the time of dosing the main ionic calcium products. The result is a constant calcium-level at everytime and a very stabil pH.
And I use it to offer my animals in tank these typical reef sediments, wich is used by a lot of fan worms, clams, snails and corallin algae. It speeds up the growing of Halimedas.
I have an DSB-System combined with a Berliner-System, but my skimmer is 4-5 hours off at night (because I dose other products like oyster eggs, aminos and phyto at night and to have better calcification-rates)
So it's not a must to use Purple Up, but it simulates with the calcium-sediments a part of the "natural reef system".
@lazluvtoo:
It is recommanded to dose one cup for 50 gl. per day.
I dose one cup every night for 60 gl.
So in your case I would dose one cup at night and another cup in the early morning, e.g. if you leave your house to go at work etc.
Sudad
Ok, let me say something.
I have the same opinion that a lot of trace element products are wasted money, because the best way is to make often water changes with a high quality seasalt. That's the fact. Because to add trace supplements without testing the water could be dangerous - especially the metal elements (Mn, Co, Cu, Ni etc.)
But there are some products wich might be usefull.
To increase calcium and carbonat in a middle sized or big tank with SPS corals, it is impossible to increase it with Purple Up. You should take a calciumreactor or use ionic calcium products.
But the usage of the ionic calcium products expects a lot of experience and chemical knowledge from the user.
So Purple Up is much easier to use, because it contains only natural calciumcarbonat in the form of soluble aragonit, wich is mostly soluble at night. It works a little bit like a DSB or a natural calciumreactor in your tank.
In my opinion it is recommanded better for smaller tanks (smaller than 300 litres) or tanks with softcorals and without heavy skimming.
And this is exact the problem of Purple Up.
Most of the users, who tested the Purple Up in a "Berliner System Aquarium", reduced their concentration of aragonit by the skimmer before its solution. So they didn't see any positive effects of increasing calcium.
The concept behind Purple Up is to offer these typical calcium sediments of the natural reef, wich is easy to use by a lot of reef organizms. And these sediments are soluble by the time, especially at night, when the pH-concentration becomes low.
So I use Purple Up to stabilize the Ca- and Alk-Levels between the time of dosing the main ionic calcium products. The result is a constant calcium-level at everytime and a very stabil pH.
And I use it to offer my animals in tank these typical reef sediments, wich is used by a lot of fan worms, clams, snails and corallin algae. It speeds up the growing of Halimedas.
I have an DSB-System combined with a Berliner-System, but my skimmer is 4-5 hours off at night (because I dose other products like oyster eggs, aminos and phyto at night and to have better calcification-rates)
So it's not a must to use Purple Up, but it simulates with the calcium-sediments a part of the "natural reef system".
@lazluvtoo:
It is recommanded to dose one cup for 50 gl. per day.
I dose one cup every night for 60 gl.
So in your case I would dose one cup at night and another cup in the early morning, e.g. if you leave your house to go at work etc.
Sudad
newreefbishop
Premium Member
I dose it once a week.....and not a cup mor elike a cap full or so...and look at my tank pics....you will see extensive coraline growth.....4 month period
@lazluvtoo
I mean a cap of that small bottle of purple up not a cup
My english isn't so good - sorry. I wrote cup
@DrBDC
It is soluble (believe me) at night and especially on the surface of the liverocks and on the ground of the tank, where filter-bacterias produces a lot of CO2, wich reduces there the pH. There it is soluble and because it is aragonit, a better soluble form of unsoluble calciumcarbonat it works.
How should work a Aragonit Deep Sand Bed, when it would be not soluble? This is the concept behind a "Deep Sand Bed" wich looses more and more sand by the time. The aragonitsand is soluble by the time because of the CO2 produced by the bacterias.
Purple Up is this aragonitsand of a DSB, but very small grain sized and better soluble than the aragonitsand of DSB.
It is not recommanded to test your Ca-level a few hours after dosing. That's right.
Sudad
I mean a cap of that small bottle of purple up not a cup
My english isn't so good - sorry. I wrote cup
@DrBDC
It is soluble (believe me) at night and especially on the surface of the liverocks and on the ground of the tank, where filter-bacterias produces a lot of CO2, wich reduces there the pH. There it is soluble and because it is aragonit, a better soluble form of unsoluble calciumcarbonat it works.
How should work a Aragonit Deep Sand Bed, when it would be not soluble? This is the concept behind a "Deep Sand Bed" wich looses more and more sand by the time. The aragonitsand is soluble by the time because of the CO2 produced by the bacterias.
Purple Up is this aragonitsand of a DSB, but very small grain sized and better soluble than the aragonitsand of DSB.
It is not recommanded to test your Ca-level a few hours after dosing. That's right.
Sudad
DarthBaiter
New member
One cup or one cap? I thought it was one cap for every 50 gal? I gotta re read the bottle when I get home...
DrBDC
Active member
A deep sand bed can loose VERY VERY small amounts due the the depth of the sand bed. Where the anoxic zones are there is a build up of H2S which is an acid. That occurs deep in the sand bed. There is also anaerobic bacteria which play a part in that as well.
Even so the buffering of aragonite substrate is none to minimal at best. So minimal that it really doesn't matter if you use it or not and many will use regular old play sand.
You can't reinvent chemistry laws.
Even so the buffering of aragonite substrate is none to minimal at best. So minimal that it really doesn't matter if you use it or not and many will use regular old play sand.
You can't reinvent chemistry laws.
@DrBDC
My deep sand bed looses regulary about 2-3 cm depth in one year and this is a volume of nearly 15 liters aragonit sand. This should be normal for a DSB which is working well. Otherwise something goes wrong with the deep sand bed system. I know some users (SPS tank users), who loose about 3-4 cm depth in one a year.
So, I have to put a 9 Kg bag of aragonit sand in my tank every year to hold the depth of my sand bed. I don't know wether it is less or not for you.
So this 9 Kg aragonit sand have been solved - however. I didn't found it in my skimmer. And this, although I dose ionic calcium and hydrogen carbonat products every day.
The magnesium level should be between 1300-1400 mg/l or little higher could simplify the solving process.
For longer days ago I used only normal crushed coral sand with a grain size of 2-3 mm and without a deep sand bed system. I didn't loose any sand. So the material, the system and the grain size seems to be important for the solving process.
Sure, it's not so effective like a real calcium reactor with CO2 dosing facilities, but it works great for soft coral tanks and LPS tanks. And in SPS tanks it helps to stabilize the alkalinity.
But now we are not discussing about deep sand beds.
We are speaking about Purple Up.
Purple Up is a combination of an aragonit milk and ionic calcium. And so it should do its job well.
Sudad
My deep sand bed looses regulary about 2-3 cm depth in one year and this is a volume of nearly 15 liters aragonit sand. This should be normal for a DSB which is working well. Otherwise something goes wrong with the deep sand bed system. I know some users (SPS tank users), who loose about 3-4 cm depth in one a year.
So, I have to put a 9 Kg bag of aragonit sand in my tank every year to hold the depth of my sand bed. I don't know wether it is less or not for you.
So this 9 Kg aragonit sand have been solved - however. I didn't found it in my skimmer. And this, although I dose ionic calcium and hydrogen carbonat products every day.
The magnesium level should be between 1300-1400 mg/l or little higher could simplify the solving process.
For longer days ago I used only normal crushed coral sand with a grain size of 2-3 mm and without a deep sand bed system. I didn't loose any sand. So the material, the system and the grain size seems to be important for the solving process.
Sure, it's not so effective like a real calcium reactor with CO2 dosing facilities, but it works great for soft coral tanks and LPS tanks. And in SPS tanks it helps to stabilize the alkalinity.
But now we are not discussing about deep sand beds.
We are speaking about Purple Up.
Purple Up is a combination of an aragonit milk and ionic calcium. And so it should do its job well.
Sudad
Last edited:
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