Can Bubble Algae live without light?
- Thread starter jasper24
- Start date
JimKelly12203
New member
To a varying degree of sensitivity, no algae can live w/o light. I have heard Emaralds are a good solution. But it's tough to get the right balance of crabs for your bubble algae. Get too many crabs, and they may become mischevious once they destroy all the algae. Get too few crabs, and the algae will out grow their rate of consumption. try 3 of them for your 58G to start out. It should be enough. If your problem is really bad, maybe get a few more. I think Dr. Foster's and Smith's algae attack pack for a 70G tank comes with 5 emeralds. But that's just their pitch and not necissarily the correct number to get.
They're cool little critters. I never had an issue with them. But i have heard stories of them getting aggressive. Then again i only have 2 of them in a 29G and no really delicate specimens for them to go after.
They're cool little critters. I never had an issue with them. But i have heard stories of them getting aggressive. Then again i only have 2 of them in a 29G and no really delicate specimens for them to go after.
Folks I have tried Emerald Crabs 3 different times and they will not touch the stuff. Not the small bubbles or the big bubbles. I bought 3 emeralds a month ago and watch them constantly. They will actually hold on to the bubbles with their feet while cleaning other parts of the live rock. Whoever started the emeralds eat bubble urban legend is a bad bad person! 
Emeralds do in fact eat bubble algae. I have battled with it for years to one extent or the other. The only effective way to keep it under control is with a natural predator along with manual removal and nutrient reduction. It's almost impossible to totally get rid of. Besides emeralds sailfin tangs and some rabbitfish will eat it but that doesn't help with a 58. Fish are hit and miss and some emeralds don't do much...but most will eat it. The key to getting emeralds to help is to not give them anything else to eat.
hth, Chris
hth, Chris
xtm
Active member
It's a hit or miss with Emerald Crabs..
Best method IME is manual removal. Use a long plastic rod to dismantle them, taking care not to poke the bubbles.
To answer your question, YES they will live w/o light for about a month, then they will fade into a clear bubble then die out. I stored some LR in a rubbermaid (no lights) and after 3 weeks the valonias still look healthy.
Best method IME is manual removal. Use a long plastic rod to dismantle them, taking care not to poke the bubbles.
To answer your question, YES they will live w/o light for about a month, then they will fade into a clear bubble then die out. I stored some LR in a rubbermaid (no lights) and after 3 weeks the valonias still look healthy.
pledosophy
Active member
Popping the bubbles is not as bad as most make out. Figure this, if the Emeralds are effective have you ever seen them eat the bubble algae, they pop the bubble first. 
IME the best way is when doing a water change, drain the water into a bucket, take the rock out of the tank, and then manually remove any bubble algae. Ya it may take you two hours or so, but it will save you months waiting for a biological solution to play out. If your tank is set up so that Emeralds are safe, remove then manually and then add the Emeralds, they are fun to watch.
JME
IME the best way is when doing a water change, drain the water into a bucket, take the rock out of the tank, and then manually remove any bubble algae. Ya it may take you two hours or so, but it will save you months waiting for a biological solution to play out. If your tank is set up so that Emeralds are safe, remove then manually and then add the Emeralds, they are fun to watch.
JME
Frick-n-Frags
New member
valonia sucks! mega -worst-pest-algae ever.
I am also doing routine valonia patrols, painstakingly on every fragrock that I couldn't swap out, when I changed all my LR out
a couple weeks ago. the bubbles just keep appearing, so i'm sure a retarded quantity of spores were released by the raging mass before and I just have to weather the trail off of that.
but, yes, they will die with a good cooking.
The "dark" part is key, as in pitchblack dark, not corner of the basement dark. that crap can live on very very little light, or at least idle until it gets brighter
I am also doing routine valonia patrols, painstakingly on every fragrock that I couldn't swap out, when I changed all my LR out
a couple weeks ago. the bubbles just keep appearing, so i'm sure a retarded quantity of spores were released by the raging mass before and I just have to weather the trail off of that.
but, yes, they will die with a good cooking.
The "dark" part is key, as in pitchblack dark, not corner of the basement dark. that crap can live on very very little light, or at least idle until it gets brighter
