How to physically remove bubble algae?

[Xirxes23]

DO i just pinch at the base with tweazers and yank? WIll it "pop" if i dislodge it from the rockwork? If so, is the "popping" dispersing billions of gametes?

I have 5-6 pea--->quarter sized green globes that i want to physically remove... one is so big a large-ish colony of Xenia is growing ON TOP of it!

I tried the mithrax crabs, they kept it down, but they both got huge and started to eat the corals, so BYEBYE CRABBIES.

 

[DaveBrader]

I have removed the bubble many times without breaking it. The bubbles are only attached at a small spot on the base. But, set up a small siphon tube, and while you are picking the bubble off the rock, if it pops, siphon all the water inside it, that is where the spores are.

The bubbles are actually fairly tough, they don't break real easy. Over 90% come out without breaking if you work it loose carefully.


Dave

 

[Buster4900]

My experience is they do remove fairly easy and are hard to braek like DaveBrader said. My problem is they just keep growing back. I finally took the rock out of the tank and let it dry out for a month, scrubbed it very good and stuck it back in. Success!!

It was funny when the bubble algae was put in the hot sun the bubbles started popping. Kind of like popcorn.

 

[davocean]

I've removed them w/out breaking them using a wood shishkabob skewer, and picking very close too the base.
If you can though, I'd rec pulling rock out while doing this just in case.

 

[DaveBrader]

I have never had them so bad it required anything as drastic as taking rock out of my display. A couple Mithrax Crabs keep them under control pretty much. The crabs like the young tender bubbles better than the larger tough ones. So if a few get by the crabs, and get big enough, I just pull them out. Actually I like having a few in there, people always notice them, and say, hey what are those.... LOL Diversity of life in the reef doesn't bother me, I just don't like them getting out of control. With proper levels of nutrients, and some gardening and pruning, most things can be kept well under control without having your reef devoid of all life except SPS LMAO

Dave

 

[carman9941]

I took a peice of pvc and cut it on an angel so it almost comes to a point and put a piece of flexable tubeing on the end and when I do my w/c I fust scrape the bubble algea off and it gets siphoned out at the same time works great in the hard to get to places also