Any thought on Bubble Algea (valonia) predators?

[Amphiprion]

Nothing is 100% reliable besides your fingers. Mark, I am unaware of another green colored Mithrax/Mithraculus. I tend to think that collection location (hence algal availability) and individual preference play a larger role, as it does with fish.

 

[MiddletonMark]

Let me dig that up. I swear I have a book somewhere [at home] that lists more species of Mithrax than M. sculpus. Given some `emeralds' are grey, reddish, etc that I've seen sold ... but I'll track that down [Sunday or whenever I get to spend time at home].

 

[roons]

well, petsolutions,that doesnt look like a rabbitfish to me, rather ugly id say

 

[dwillingm]

try more emerald crabs. i had success with them.

 

[Travis]

I've had a lot of spells of bad luck with valonia eaters myself. First was the emeralds that were dropped into the tank and 2 out of 4 of them immediately crawled over onto sps corals and started plucking polyps. I've heard a lot of people have success with emeralds but that is most likely when they are still young. When they get older they get larger and will eventually develop a taste for meat. For me, I won't touch them again with a ten foot pole.

Then there was the sailfin tang (Zebrasoma veliferum). This fish loved valonia, that's for sure. But after about 4 years in captivity it all of a sudden decided that it also loved acropora polyps.

Then there was the foxface rabbitfish (Siganus vulpinus). This was a great fish that loved valonia but also pooped more than anything I've ever seen. The poop was barely even digested too so it was definitely a "dirty" fish to have in an aquarium. This fish was great, although overly timid. My first problem with it was that it killed about 9 tridacnids before I found out what was going on. I loved the fish so I set up a tank just for the clams. The next problem developed when the foxface decided that sps skeletons tasted good. It was wreaking havoc swimming around the tank munching on the edges of monti caps and the tips of acros. So it was removed.

I decided to just stick with manual maintenance, which was a lot of work but I was able to keep it in check. Then I had a dictyota outbreak and added a blonde naso. This fish took care of all the dictyota and valonia in short order. Of course, there will always be some in the crevices where the fish will not get at. I've had this fish for about 8 months now and it has been a model citizen so far. The only problem is that it will outgrow my 280 in a few years and will need to find a new home if I have not upgraded to a larger tank by then.

 

[brentp]

A lot of people report success with an animal eating valonia and then you will hear someone else with the same fish, crab, etc, report that their animal would not touch valonia. Earlier someone mentioned collection location/diet as one factor which makes sense. One thing I have also noticed is that there seems to be multiple species of bubble algae.

Someone just gave me a rabbitfish that cleared his tank of valonia (I had tried a rabbitfish previously with no success). While it cleared the valonia off of one of my clams it did not do much if anything to the valonia on the rocks. The valonia that was on that single clam seemed to be smaller, shinier, and less prone to spread around the tank.

 

[aiko670]

I copied and pasted my reply to another thread about bubble algae.

"My tanks been running for 12 yrs and I recently had a huge bubble algae outbreak.

I resolved it by doing a combination of things.

1)20% weekly water changes with ro/di water for a month to reduce phosphate as well as nitrate

2)Kent marine phosphate reactor with rowaphos
3)Raised CA and ALK to the proper levels CA-450 ALK 10.2DKH
4)I added 6 emerald crabs(This was probably a little overboard I think a few crabs have died since there is a lack of food now.

If I had the room I would have probably added a fuge with cheato instead of the phosphate reactor.

2 months later no more algae... Period!

Good luck!"

I've also heard great things about rabbit fish.

 

[Amphiprion]

Sorry I wasn't more clear on that, Mark. You are right, there are about 7 species between Mithrax/Mithraculus. However, none really have the same greenish coloration like M. sculptus.

 

[roons]

so which is the proper species to look for , m.sculptus?


and 8 for a 120? i have a 120, that seems like alot to me

 

[Amphiprion]

Yes, this species is generally accepted as a "bubble algae" grazer. However, as in one of my previous posts, you may find that not all specimens will feed on it (from what I believe to be differing collection locations, individual preferences, etc.).

 

[papagimp]

And how exactly are you all "picking" the bubbles off by hand? I pop everyone I get near. The 2 emeralds I have in my 55 don't seem to like the stuff.

 

[Amphiprion]

The best way is to pick at the base. Most should just roll off.

 

[bond007069]

Thanks for the response,

from what i have heard/read valonia (bubble algea) thrives in a clean nutrient poor environment, so i guess that is a positive thing

I have been doing manual removal, but that is always not successful,

i will probably try a few some Emeralds, from various LFS around town and add either a Scribbles Rabbit, or maybe the Des. Tang, i already have a meat loving purple tang.

 

[JDS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7353857#post7353857 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by papagimp
And how exactly are you all "picking" the bubbles off by hand? I pop everyone I get near. The 2 emeralds I have in my 55 don't seem to like the stuff.

I suck them up with a siphon hose. Of course some of the bigger ones will get stuck in the beginning of hose but that's easily rectified by just breaking them. I doing it this way because even if they do break your sucking up most everything anyways.

 

[papagimp]

siphon hose! why the heck didn't I think of that <slap to the forhead!>