Bubble algae

[Miss McGee]

Hi guys this is my first post! So pardon my amateur/noob question. I spotted my first two little bubble algae and I'm wondering what's the best way to get rid of it aside from getting an emerald crab? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Timy10110]

Well you could try plucking them off with a tweezer and CAREFULL!!! not to pop any cause that would release spores onto the water and create more bubble algae. Personally I got myself that emerald crab but people say it's a hit or miss, you could also try urchins...but have not seen urchins eat green bubbles

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[Tom39]

What is the location of the BA? Are you able to remove the rock it is on and manually remove the BA? I had gotten a frag that developed some BA and it eventually spread to an adjacent rock. In the end, I found that manual removal worked the best. When going with the manual removal method, be careful not to rupture the balls as it is my understanding that it can release spores that can result in the spreading of the BA. But if you do, my recommendation would be to rinse the rock in SW before returning the rock to the DT.
As for emerald crabs, in my experiences with emerald crabs they are hit or miss whether they will actually eat the BA and with the ones I had, they were all misses.

Additionally, here is a good video that I found helpful when I was dealing with BA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeqtPe3XukM

I hope that helps,
Tom

 

[Timy10110]

What is the location of the BA? Are you able to remove the rock it is on and manually remove the BA? I had gotten a frag that developed some BA and it eventually spread to an adjacent rock. In the end, I found that manual removal worked the best. When going with the manual removal method, be careful not to rupture the balls as it is my understanding that it can release spores that can result in the spreading of the BA. But if you do, my recommendation would be to rinse the rock in SW before returning the rock to the DT.
As for emerald crabs, in my experiences with emerald crabs they are hit or miss whether they will actually eat the BA and with the ones I had, they were all misses.

I hope that helps,
Tom

By any chance you know of any species of tangs eat bubble algae?

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[AlSimmons]

Just remove as many of the bubbles as you can before each water change. Don't worry about popping them. The key to beating this stuff is to stay ahead of it. Good luck!

 

[Tom39]

By any chance you know of any species of tangs eat bubble algae?

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I don't but I would imagine that others will post and may have a suggestions for you.
Good luck
Tom

 

[Timy10110]

I don't but I would imagine that others will post and may have a suggestions for you.
Good luck
Tom

Thanks

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[A sea K]

You might get lucky with a foxface as they are quite aggressive algae eaters but still no guarantee on their effectiveness. Otherwise as mentioned, aggressive manual removal is the best course of action.

 

[homer1475]

Just pull them out, and don't worry about popping them.

Put it this way, emerald crabs are known to eat them(hit or miss), but they pull them off with their claws, popping them before stuffing in their face and yet they don't spread.

My last bout with bubble algae was a small patch that hitchhiked in on a frag, pulled them all out(yes I popped them), and have had 0 bubble algae since nearly a year later.

 

[Miss McGee]

Hey Tom the two bubbles are formed on a rock that's touching one of the stems of my flowerpot coral which is causing that one to not open it seems. If I take it out to manually remove will the coral be okay?

 

[AlSimmons]

I doubt the bubbles your seeing are the problem here, especially with a Goniopora. These corals are probably one of the hardest ones to keep long term, so you might want to look elsewhere for a solution. Check your parameters, make sure the coral is getting enough food etc. The links below might help.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/12/inverts

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-10/nftt/index.php