Bubble algea ?

[bigsittingrock]

I have some (plavonia.. spelling?) its the really hard shelled bubble algae starting to show up all over my tank. It used to be just in a clump on a powerhead and its starting to spread fast. I have a emerald crab for a while now and its either not eating it or its spreading to fast. Does any one know of any thing else that eats it? My uncle had a major outbreak before and it smothered out some of his coral and he happened to get a naso and it ate it all up. Wondering if any one else has dealt with this before?

 

[Thurge]

The best advice I have heard is to use a piece of hard line tubing when doing waterchanges. The idea being that as you scrape the bubbles off they go straight into your water change bucket, spores and all. When an emrald crab eats then it still has to pop them, releasing the spores into the tank.

 

[reefkoi]

I used to have a few of those, emerald crabs didnt seem to make an impact on it. Now with so many tangs I have never seen it back. I'd recommend some grazing type tangs, yellows, sailfins, convicts if you have a large enough tank. I know Huhhhhh has to pop them with a syringe and draw out the fluid but they don't go away it's an ongoing process for him.

 

[Deuce67]

I gave up battling bubble algae. I pretty much just learned to live with it.

 

[Huhhhhh]

I've almost won that battle. You have to be persistent at it, whenever you see one get in there and get it. The rigid tubing works well when doing water changes as you can pop them and suck it all into your bucket. I can actually grab most of them and wiggle them loose and take them out whole. If I can't get them and they're big enough I stick them with a syringe needle and suck the juice out then tare off the shell.

It will be a major battle but I've kept at it and rarely see as many now. I do have a couple I need to get out now though and I have some big ones in the back I can't get to so I'm sure my battle isn't over yet.

 

[bigsittingrock]

I may try a grazing tang if it gets any worse. I try the siphon thing with water changes but I have to big of hose so by the time I do a couple I have a bucket full of water. I guess I need to get a smaller siphon tube.

 

[Thurge]

Since most of the bubbles I see are in one of my mantis' tanks, reaching in really isn't an option.

 

[GreenPuffers]

I pluck mine off. Most of my LR is easily removed from my tank though. But if you gently wiggle the piece around you can usually get it without popping it. Good luck.