bubble alge infestation!!!
- Thread starter diaman
- Start date
Duff Man
New member
I've been fighting it for some time myself. I have had some success by manually picking it out. Be careful not to break it. If one is really stuck, I just leave it and try again next time. Some say that emerald crabs will go after it, but I have never seen either of my 3 even look at the stuff.
spleify
Premium Member
I have had some luck with manual removal. But the stuff multiplies like crazy. I have also heard a lot of mixed reviews about emeralds. I've never tried them, so I cant comment on success or failure.
Thank the saltwater gods, It hasn't made its way to the display yet though, it stays in the refugium and sump/frag tanks.
Here is a pick from a few months ago, It was like a massive bloom, it seemed like in a week this all of a sudden happened. It took like 3 hours to pick this much out by hand, and finally I had enough and tore down the sump and took it out back and hosed it out. That seemed to help.
HTH
Spleify
Thank the saltwater gods, It hasn't made its way to the display yet though, it stays in the refugium and sump/frag tanks.
Here is a pick from a few months ago, It was like a massive bloom, it seemed like in a week this all of a sudden happened. It took like 3 hours to pick this much out by hand, and finally I had enough and tore down the sump and took it out back and hosed it out. That seemed to help.
HTH
Spleify
Thanks for all the replies everyone. I read somewhere about being able to siphon it out during water changes. I am going to take the gravel siphon attachment off & just us python hose & see if the suction is strong enough to pull the little buggers off.
I will report my findings next week.
I will report my findings next week.
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
Mine story is pretty much the same as "sjm817's" My 58 was over run with the stuff. Water, flow, etc. was great. Ended up taking all all the live rock and starting over. Cleaned out the sump too, the whole nine yards. Best thing I ever did. Still have a few bubble in the overflow that I couldn't get too. Once in a great while I will notice one or two in the main display, but my emeralds take care of them. I have found that they work when you have a few, but if the tank if overrun they can't keep up.
BA is a pain. Manual removal along with good water parameters is the surest way to remove it.
Emerald crabs are nocturnal and tend to eat the smaller bubbles. Once the bubbles get past a certain size, Emeralds leave them alone.
I have a Two Bar Rabbit fish that eats BA in my tank, but I think it's a lucky chance that it does.
Quiet1
PBITAWA
Emerald crabs are nocturnal and tend to eat the smaller bubbles. Once the bubbles get past a certain size, Emeralds leave them alone.
I have a Two Bar Rabbit fish that eats BA in my tank, but I think it's a lucky chance that it does.
Quiet1
PBITAWA
I was lucky and only had it on a couple rocks and in a couple large groups. I grabbed 3 emerald crabs and not one of them was ever seen near, on or eating the stuff:lol: Then one day my Naso decided that he liked it and I have not seen another bubble in over two years.
Obviously I don't recommend a naso for a 125, but another tang may be a reasonable choice. Otherwise I think that sjm817 had the right idea. Maybe not the idea you were hoping for, but a good idea nonetheless.
Obviously I don't recommend a naso for a 125, but another tang may be a reasonable choice. Otherwise I think that sjm817 had the right idea. Maybe not the idea you were hoping for, but a good idea nonetheless.
andrewkw
Active member
I tore my tank down several months ago. One of the things I did was manually remove 1000s and 1000s and 1000s of bubble algae a lot more then in the above bucket.
Things looked great for a while but now a few months in its back with a vengence. I change phosban every 2 weeks use a lot, RO/DI 0TDS, weekly water changes good flow ect this stuff will grow in good conditions.
Once you have an infestation i think its too late.
Things looked great for a while but now a few months in its back with a vengence. I change phosban every 2 weeks use a lot, RO/DI 0TDS, weekly water changes good flow ect this stuff will grow in good conditions.
Once you have an infestation i think its too late.
This reference only states, "Vegetative propagation via fragmentation probably occurs"
This is interesting and supportive of the argument but isn't scientifcally valid.
Another scientific reference that states, "The species also reproduces sexually by freeing flagellate reproductive cells through pores in the walls of the vegetative cells of the thallus." This would seem to confirm although this seems to be a "it takes two to tangle"
Anyway, just wondered if this was a myth. Although I can't find (didn't spend a ton of time) exact confirmation, at least one scientific and one otherwise would be supportive of that postiion.
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