Does Purple Up work on dry rock?

Kate098

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 16, 2020
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I know it jump starts algae growth but what happens if you don't have the algae to begin with or don't know if you have it? Will adding purple up or coralline algae work? I started my tank 6 months ago and all I have are 2 clown fish and dry rock, which I added a week or two ago. Im not sure if I even have the algae so should I invest in this stuff. I can't go outside to get some purple rock either.
 

ScottR

Surfing....
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2019
Messages
8,365
Reaction score
28,233
Location
Hong Kong
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I know it jump starts algae growth but what happens if you don't have the algae to begin with or don't know if you have it? Will adding purple up or coralline algae work? I started my tank 6 months ago and all I have are 2 clown fish and dry rock, which I added a week or two ago. Im not sure if I even have the algae so should I invest in this stuff. I can't go outside to get some purple rock either.
You must have coralline in your tank for this to work. And I’m not even sure if it’s useful. It’s basically elements. If you’re doing water changes and/or dosing (at least checking alk, Ca, Mg) it will do the same thing. Easiest way to get some coralline is to get a frag, a snail or a rock that already has a piece on it.
 

Kershaw

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 11, 2015
Messages
2,436
Reaction score
1,473
Location
sacramento, ca
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I personally wouldn’t. Yes you need to introduce coralline algae. Purple up really isn’t needed if your water parameters are good, and you introduce the algae.
I love the way it looks but I hope I never get it again. Once I got it, my maintenance had to be increased dramatically. Mine was starting to look like corals and covering the sides of my glass.

Best way to get it is to by a rock or coral that has some on it.
 
OP
OP
K

Kate098

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 16, 2020
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I personally wouldn’t. Yes you need to introduce coralline algae. Purple up really isn’t needed if your water parameters are good, and you introduce the algae.
I love the way it looks but I hope I never get it again. Once I got it, my maintenance had to be increased dramatically. Mine was starting to look like corals and covering the sides of my glass.

Best way to get it is to by a rock or coral that has some on it.
I bought some rock a couple of months ago from a local fish store, they were purple, and I put them in my tank that already had like 20 pounds of dry rock. The dry rock looked like it was starting to grow algae but some other stuff was also growing. It looked like worms. I took it out and asked the store and they said that the rock might have not been the best and that it probably had pests in it. I had to throw away 20lb of dry rock because of this fish store, so is there anyway I can buy this algae in bottle instead of going back to the same fish store? There are no other closer alternatives in terms of fish store.
 

cshouston

Hoopy Frood
View Badges
Joined
Sep 17, 2020
Messages
1,296
Reaction score
2,309
Location
Gainesville, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I bought some rock a couple of months ago from a local fish store, they were purple, and I put them in my tank that already had like 20 pounds of dry rock. The dry rock looked like it was starting to grow algae but some other stuff was also growing. It looked like worms. I took it out and asked the store and they said that the rock might have not been the best and that it probably had pests in it. I had to throw away 20lb of dry rock because of this fish store, so is there anyway I can buy this algae in bottle instead of going back to the same fish store? There are no other closer alternatives in terms of fish store.
Looked like worms or actually was worms? Worms aren’t necessarily a bad thing, and if it was just something that looked wormy, it’s probably still in your tank. You probably shouldn’t start over or get all new rock, but if you already have I’d just get your tank up and running stably before worrying about coralline.
 

92Miata

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 26, 2020
Messages
1,523
Reaction score
2,485
Location
Richmond, VA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Purple up is powdered aragonite sand in a bottle. If you want to add coralline - and don't want to use rock - Arc Reef Helix is corraline spores.


You threw out rock? For real?
 

jda

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Messages
14,325
Reaction score
22,134
Location
Boulder, CO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just wait until you get film algae and order some Cerith or Astrea snails from the Florida Keys. They have all kinds of purple and red coralline algae on them.

Don't be too hasty for coralline... you will hate the stuff one day.
 

mijan

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 17, 2019
Messages
769
Reaction score
5,701
Location
Boynton Beach, FL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Purple Helix or Pink Fusion has coralline algae in it.
 

Cell

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Apr 20, 2019
Messages
14,116
Reaction score
21,727
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Eh...you did not need to throw that rock out. You could have cleaned it up and reset it with minimal labor if it even required it.

I'd recommend either buying some snails with coralline on their shells or using the ARC products.
 

Tamberav

7500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 4, 2014
Messages
9,550
Reaction score
14,629
Location
Wauwatosa, WI
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I bought some rock a couple of months ago from a local fish store, they were purple, and I put them in my tank that already had like 20 pounds of dry rock. The dry rock looked like it was starting to grow algae but some other stuff was also growing. It looked like worms. I took it out and asked the store and they said that the rock might have not been the best and that it probably had pests in it. I had to throw away 20lb of dry rock because of this fish store, so is there anyway I can buy this algae in bottle instead of going back to the same fish store? There are no other closer alternatives in terms of fish store.

I would never throw away rock because of worms (most are beneficial) and you will generally always run into some pests if you stock corals. There are many ways to deal with these. If we tossed our rock every time we got a pest. We would get no where.

I would not use purple up as it is just calcium and elements.
 

Kershaw

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 11, 2015
Messages
2,436
Reaction score
1,473
Location
sacramento, ca
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
;Vomit I hope never again....

DA3788DC-50AA-4560-A018-B26E2BA0F919.png
 

Javlaviking

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 31, 2019
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I bought some rock a couple of months ago from a local fish store, they were purple, and I put them in my tank that already had like 20 pounds of dry rock. The dry rock looked like it was starting to grow algae but some other stuff was also growing. It looked like worms. I took it out and asked the store and they said that the rock might have not been the best and that it probably had pests in it. I had to throw away 20lb of dry rock because of this fish store, so is there anyway I can buy this algae in bottle instead of going back to the same fish store? There are no other closer alternatives in terms of fish store.
Hmm...if you threw away 20lbs of dry rock instead of first researching what you could’ve done instead ..I hope I’m wrong, but honestly speaking..you might not be ready for this hobby.
 
Back
Top