Surprisingly Effective Aptasia Killer

[ricosuave]

I know this will sound dumb but I've been adding purple up to my 75 for about 5 weeks now. I just noticed that all aptasia are gone. Not a trace. Let me tell you I had a'plenty of them. Joe's juice did OK if I kept treating every week, but then they would come back. I tried my own version with a kalkwasser paste and same result.

Dosing purple up according to directions has done the job. Could raising calcium to around 650 really be the culprit? alk and ph have remained constant(thanks no doubt to Aquacraft ME)

If I stop dosing purple up do you think the aptasia will come back?

[ChuckG]

I think you should stop dosing Purple up simply because you don't need your calcium at 650.

[ricosuave]

I knew you'd be the one to say that. I was trying to encourage coralline growth. You remember that every pic from my tank had aptasia in it? I guess I'll settle for minimal coralline and no aptasia.

What would be the harm in leaving calc high?

[ChuckG]

I give up - what?

[ChuckG]

What kind of substrate do you have?

[DaveK]

In time, you'll find that coralline algae to be just another nuisance algae. Maybe not as bad as cyano or green hair algae, but another pain in the neck to deal with. You'll end up scraping coralline off of everything in the tank.

If you still want to encourage coralline, about all you need to do is to make a few scrapings from your live rock, and let them settle on other rock in the tank.

Purpleup isn't really needed, and I recommend you save your money.

[ricosuave]

Originally Posted by ChuckG

What kind of substrate do you have?

Caribsea Bimini pink aragonite

Originally Posted by davek

In time, you'll find that coralline algae to be just another nuisance algae. Maybe not as bad as cyano or green hair algae, but another pain in the neck to deal with. You'll end up scraping coralline off of everything in the tank

I was under the impression that coralline was a good thing, a sign of a healthy tank. I read somewhere that if coralline grows on something then other nuisance algaes cant take a hold there.

Originally Posted by davek

Purpleup isn't really needed, and I recommend you save your money.
Yesterday 11:46 PM

I like saving money, but....
Biggest concern is the aptasia returning. Do you think they are dead for good or just hiding out waiting to return once the water is back to how they like it?

[ChuckG]

Without researching (which I don't have time for) I remember something to the effect of a high calcium level contributing to the effect of turning an aragonite substrate into a solid block of concrete. This happened to me once and I "think" I was told that it was a high calcium level that fused my substrate together.

You will see both opinions concerning coralline and you are correct that nuisance algae will have a harder time attaching to coralline than to just rock. I believe MDP even says that in the long run it is more of a nuisance algae than a benefit.

If live rock is your filter and water needs to flow in and around this rock to be effective then what happens when the rock's pores get completely clogged up with coralline growth?

Will your aptasia come back if you stop dosing purple up?
Who knows - only one way to find out.

[L.Baldrey]

My tank was infested with Aiptasia...Kalk Kalk kalk cause joes juice is too expensive for a tank load of anemones...i have 2 left...the key is to keep killing...and theyll never come back...

[ricosuave]

I've decided to do a little experiment inspried by Chuck's comments. I'm goning to stop dosing Purpleup and see if they come back. If they do I'll start dosing again and see if they go away again. Not very scientific but it'll get results...I hope.