I recently set up my 90 gallon reef as my old 75 gallon tank had an ammonia spike and my fish got marine velvet. I have never seen any bubble algae on my rocks or corals that i put into my tank. After cleaning the rocks used in my old 75 gallon, I placed them into my 90 gallon. Recently I noticed a small pack of bubble algae on a rock in my tank. I have a few emerald crabs, 2 or 3, but they don't really go up to the area where the bubble algae was located. Today I took a turkey baster and tried to manually remove the algae as I could not grab it with my hand. I ended up popping the algae and not being able to grab the skeletons. Does anyone have a suggestion for fish or inverts that will eat the algae. I've heard that foxfaces will eat it but aren't they too big for a 90 gallon system? I'm trying to keep my bioload low and I currently have only one bristletooth tang.
Bubble Algae!
- Thread starter BennJabb
- Start date
brad65ford
New member
Probably one of the toughest algae besides bryopsis to get rid of, I feel your pain.
Tradewinds
Well-known member
If bubble algae is popped, will it spread spores?
cloak
New member
Yes, but that's why you try to remove as many bubbles as you can "before" you do a water change. You'll be removing some of those spores.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php
rrasco
Active member
Emeralds do eat them, but it can take some time to make an impact depending on how much you have. Bubble algae is one of those ones I've had trouble keeping in check, most other algae disappear because of my ATS (assuming I keep it clean) but bubble algae seems unaffected. I threw some more emeralds in my tank and actually saw one of them eating a big area of infected LR. Then I started mulling around the tank noticing most of the other patches of BA were gone as well. Put in enough and they will find it. If it's annoying you, remove it by hand and let the ems clean up anything you left.
zakstrong
New member
the approach i took was to ignore it. they can be cool looking if they grow very large, and there is only two. i heard the same thing about them popping and such. so i left the couple i found and never bothered them until i tore down my tank.
you might try letting them grow large then removing them. much easier to twist off and remove intact
you might try letting them grow large then removing them. much easier to twist off and remove intact
greech
New member
Remove it before you have it everywhere would be my advise. Take a piece of tubing large enough in diameter to fit around the largest bubble. Cut the tip of the tubing at and angle and go at the cluster. Scrape the sides of the tubing along the rock the bubbles are attached too and suck the bubbles right off. They typically don't have a firm grasp and let go fairly easy. Keep it up and remove every bubble you see. The bubbles are hoping you'll be lazy 
.
.I am fairly certain people have tried doing everything to it. The problem is that it is a single celled organism; yep the entire bubble. Inject it all you want it, it doesn't affect the rest. It spreads by bursting and releasing microscopic versions of itself, though strangly most of the time, it will just make a bubble right next to itself via a rhizome like mechanism simliar to Iris. There is one species that is encrusting however. I think I my have read somewhere that it even takes up calcium.
You the aquarist, like the frog being cooked in cold water that is gradually cooked without knowing it, will frequently leave it where it is until it takes over a rock, and then the next. You then decide to go in with a surgical strike, but it ends up spreading them everywhere because there is no way to burst the bubbles and get all the copies out of the water.
You need to remove the rock without disturbing it. Put it in a plastic bag , seal it, and throw it away preferably in a HAZMAT trashcan.
You the aquarist, like the frog being cooked in cold water that is gradually cooked without knowing it, will frequently leave it where it is until it takes over a rock, and then the next. You then decide to go in with a surgical strike, but it ends up spreading them everywhere because there is no way to burst the bubbles and get all the copies out of the water.
You need to remove the rock without disturbing it. Put it in a plastic bag , seal it, and throw it away preferably in a HAZMAT trashcan.
