I think might have messed up...

[lferg]

I just read that using Purple Up every day might actually be a really bad thing. I have a few and I mean a few corals (2 GSP frags, 2 Zoa Polyps, Few Mushrooms) but I saw my Coraline starting to grow so I thought Purple Up was a good idea. I dont have a calcium test. I just read that Purple Up every day can be a very bad thing... Any suggestions?

[got2envy]

have u tested the calcium in your tank? no need to add if the calcium is good..to much calcium can be a bad thing..also what else is in purple up? does it have additives for Ph also?

[mcsassy]

I used to use it but it makes the tank too cloudy...I use Sea Chem now...it adds calcium along with strontium and magnesium without offsetting pH.

[kay-bee]

...I dont have a calcium test. I just read that Purple Up every day can be a very bad thing...

Probably not a good idea to use additives which will modify parameters which you can't or haven't tested.

Adding Purple Up may or may not be a bad thing, it all depends on the rate of consumption in the tank of what ever Purple Up contains (calcium, magnesium, iodine, strontium, etc). The rate of consumption will vary from tank to tank.

[Amphiprion]

Adding PurpleUp increases iodine concentrations, as well as calcium ion concentration. It also contains powdered aragonite.

Added iodine is usually not necessary because most actually add quite a bit of it through foods. Daily feeding adds more iodine regularly than the recommended amount of supplement does. Not to mention things like shrimp and other crustaceans get the needed iodine through foods, not the water column.

Of particular interest, however, is the fact that it adds powdered aragonite, an unstable form of calcium carbonate. The funny thing is that the solubility of calcium carbonate in seawater is almost zero--it might as well be, since it is nigh infinitesimal. However, short of not dissolving in your tank, it goes beyond that. These finely ground particles are not coated with a biofilm or anything else, making them wonderful nucleation sites for more calcium carbonate deposition. This process, called abiotic precipitation, results from the introduction of a nucleation site in a super saturated solution of calcium and carbonate (the same can be done with any super-saturated solution). This causes an actual, overall decrease in the available levels of calcium and carbone (alkalinity). That is why you dont' really want to use it at all.

If you want to encourage coralline growth and proper calcium/alkalinity/magnesium levels, get the corresponding tests, first. For maintenance I recommend a good two-part solution for Calcium and alkalinity. You can use calcium chloride and baking soda to boost them separately when needed. Magnesium supplements, such as Kent's Tech M are balanced and are good when mag levels need a boost.

Hope this clears things up a bit.