How to get rid of Bubble Algae?
- Thread starter rykwong
- Start date
InTr4nceWeTrust
Member
Note that emerald crabs only eat green bubble algae. If you've got red bubble algae, you're out of luck. As far as I know it's got to be removed by hand without bursting it.
Todd March
Premium Member
Most work great at bubble algae--but I have had duds that won't touch it...! They do well with all types of algae and leftover food, and have never really seen them to be a big problem in my tanks, though like a good reefer friend says, any crab is a risk...
But when you're battling valonia, they are very tempting and I have always gotten at least two to help me keep this algae under control when it crops up (always seemed to be an issue with Marshall Island rock...?)
But when you're battling valonia, they are very tempting and I have always gotten at least two to help me keep this algae under control when it crops up (always seemed to be an issue with Marshall Island rock...?)
JN Reef
Member
I thought that when a crab sinks its pinchers into a bubble algae... then this causes the bubble algae spores to be released, thereby producing more bubble algae elsewhere.
The surefire way to get rid of bubble algae is to take the LR and flick off the bubble. Then carefully rinse off the area where the bubble was on.
The surefire way to get rid of bubble algae is to take the LR and flick off the bubble. Then carefully rinse off the area where the bubble was on.
InTr4nceWeTrust
Member
That's right, they do. But it's kind of like keeping green hair algae under control with snails.
Captain Quirk
New member
Shouldn't matter; once they molt they get them back... At least IIRC.
Captain Quirk
New member
When I see it I carve out the rock where it's attached and pull it off that way. No breaking of the bubble, etc. Seems to work pretty well thus far...
glaudds
New member
I was dealing with a generalized outbreak of valonia. These were the small sized ones, not the bigger ones you can pry off.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1305331&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
It became a pain trying to use tweezers to get the little ones out from the nooks and crannies of the rock. So I got nine emerald crabs two weeks ago.
The crabs seem to be working as I not seeing anymore new bubble algae cropping up on the rock and the existing bubble algae I couldn't get to are gone. The crabs are also removing the remnants of the tough red wirey algae that my tangs mow down. The rock surface looks clean and bare and the coraline is growing back over the infested areas. We'll see if there are any negatives over the long run.
Here are couple picts of the hard workers....
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1305331&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
It became a pain trying to use tweezers to get the little ones out from the nooks and crannies of the rock. So I got nine emerald crabs two weeks ago.
The crabs seem to be working as I not seeing anymore new bubble algae cropping up on the rock and the existing bubble algae I couldn't get to are gone. The crabs are also removing the remnants of the tough red wirey algae that my tangs mow down. The rock surface looks clean and bare and the coraline is growing back over the infested areas. We'll see if there are any negatives over the long run.
Here are couple picts of the hard workers....
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Todd March
Premium Member
IME, this is not a fair statement. Perhaps it might hold true if you had a large valonia outbreak with the bubbles that grow huge, but when you have smaller sized bubbles, spread out, but the problem is not out of control, I think the Emeralds can really honestly help to eradicate if you are also watching PO4 levels. I too have heard that they can spread the spores when popping the bubbles, but I haven't seen this happen in real life in my tanks--or the crabs keep up with new growth anyway. I never saw the bubbles a couple of weeks post crabs, and that's what I was after.
Where as I have had very few snails go after hair algae, let alone help keep it under control. My last tanks have been ZEO, so algaes weren't much of a problem at all post 3 months of setting up--but as with all Marshall Island live rock I have ever used, mild valonia did crop up, but with three Emeralds in a 90g, and getting PO4 down to unreadable levels, it was soon gone.
powderbluu
Member
Emerald crab did it for me, but it did bother my birdnest. Also, you can try to suction it out without breaking it
