Help me turn my rocks purple/pink please!!

[penske38]

I currently have live rock in my tank and would like to get it to turn from its brown/green color (algae) to purple/pink. I have fish in my tank as well, so it's not a reef tank. I also have used copper in the past, once three or four years ago, since then I have been using carbon, chemi-pure to filter water. I know that the purple/pink color is coraline algae, so will it grow in my tank post the copper treatment with the addition of calcium additives? That's my question. Help please!

 

[tru conch]

it should grow. but to have it spread depends on a few things. first you need to have a rock w/coraline already on it. if you do, you can put it near a powerhead or a return with will help spread it. also add calcium a&b or some purple up to you tank. and the lights you have, the more powerful, the better, ie t5, pc, vho or mh will help accelerate the growth. hth

 

[penske38]

I have T5 lighting too and will try adding calcium a and b, then see what happens.
Originally Posted by tru conch
http:///forum/post/3077279
it should grow. but to have it spread depends on a few things. first you need to have a rock w/coraline already on it. if you do, you can put it near a powerhead or a return with will help spread it. also add calcium a&b or some purple up to you tank. and the lights you have, the more powerful, the better, ie t5, pc, vho or mh will help accelerate the growth. hth

 

[tru conch]

the lights you have will work. the cal a&b will get any coralline you have grow. just remember that it is a calcium based algae so it will need the calcium or consistent w/c to keep the calcium levels up. good luck!

 

[flower]

Originally Posted by penske38
http:///forum/post/3077377
I have T5 lighting too and will try adding calcium a and b, then see what happens.

I know you want coraline algae but please do not dose your tank with anything you don't have a test for. The levels have to be right, not just present.
400-450 is the calcium level you need. To far above that or too far below and it won't grow. So you NEED to test first.
Coraline is many colors, red, orange, pinks, purples, blues and green. Also it grows on more than just the rock...everything plastic like the power heads and tubes. The glass, you will have to keep the front glass very clear. If you allow it to grow on anything it will be like rock and you won't be hardly able to get it off with a chisel.
Happy reefing

 

[tang4me]

Originally Posted by tru conch
http:///forum/post/3077279
it should grow. but to have it spread depends on a few things. first you need to have a rock w/coraline already on it. if you do, you can put it near a powerhead or a return with will help spread it. also add calcium a&b or some purple up to you tank. and the lights you have, the more powerful, the better, ie t5, pc, vho or mh will help accelerate the growth. hth
I've found my purple coraline algae preferred less light. My rocks looked the deepest purple before I ugraded to T-5's.

 

[detane]

get a razor, scrape a rock with the purple already on it, spread the purple by a power head. You will see it grow in a few short weeks. I keep my calcium in the 500-700 range just like SEAWORLD and EPCOT. I have a lot of purple. lol

 

[kaingers]

Originally Posted by TANG4me
http:///forum/post/3077742
I've found my purple coraline algae preferred less light. My rocks looked the deepest purple before I ugraded to T-5's.
Agreed, My coraline grows crazy in my PC tank and so so in my MH + PC tank. If you have good flow, and a couple rocks with coraline already on them, you should see growth on the glass and PH's first (usually 3-5 months after establishment if all of your parameters are good)

 

[evanjah]

ive found it took me years to finallyy grow coralline and all it took was to start using ro water

 

[snap32]

I just make sure i do a water change every week to help with balance of chemicals and i already have the purple stuff on my back glass and my tanks only been up for about 2 months!!

 

[jtt]

my entire back wall of my nano is completely purple, like you cant even see the original color anymore, and my magnet float cleaner is also totally covered. honestly I dont know what I did right, but whatever I did, I keep doin it because it keeps growing like you wouldnt believe. my rocks are all purple too, its a friggin purple tank. heck, I guess sometimes people get lucky?

 

[bmkj02]

Lets see if this starts a stir but when I first started doing this I wanted the same. I use Purple Up and boy did that work. My rocks and back wall looked great. Once I got it there I didnt use it anymore. I was thinking of using it again in my other tank to get it the same way. What are your inputs on Purple Up?

 

[windlasher]

Originally Posted by penske38
http:///forum/post/3077179
I currently have live rock in my tank and would like to get it to turn from its brown/green color (algae) to purple/pink. I have fish in my tank as well, so it's not a reef tank. I also have used copper in the past, once three or four years ago, since then I have been using carbon, chemi-pure to filter water. I know that the purple/pink color is coraline algae, so will it grow in my tank post the copper treatment with the addition of calcium additives? That's my question. Help please!
I wish I could give you some of mine. my 90 is all purple and I hate it.

 

[bmkj02]

Originally Posted by windlasher
http:///forum/post/3078701
I wish I could give you some of mine. my 90 is all purple and I hate it.
Get some Sea Urchins. They will strip your rocks of that. I had a few and got rid of them. One morning I looked and my rocks were clean and white how clean they striped it.

 

[windlasher]

Originally Posted by bmkj02
http:///forum/post/3078745
Get some Sea Urchins. They will strip your rocks of that. I had a few and got rid of them. One morning I looked and my rocks were clean and white how clean they striped it.
really - excellent. I will try that. I know purple is all the rage, but yuck.