is there anything that eats bubble algae?

[loyalty]

the problem isn't bad, but i want to nip it in the bud. thanks

 

[DOTZ]

Emaerald crabs eat it. I had a very small prob of it, so I bought a emerald and it went away within a month. I can't say it was the crab that did away with it for sure though, because I never actually seen him eat it.

 

[NeveSSL]

SOME emerald crabs eat it. Some won't. Specifically, mine won't!

Brandon

 

[Mikeyjer]

I had that problem pretty bad at one point when it was just everywhere. I bought Emerald Crabs, it went away some, then I got a Foxface lo, then the problem seems to gone way down. I have actually witness the Foxface eating it.

 

[Siffy]

It depends how bad it is. Emerald crabs will (most of them) eat it when it's small. Larger ones they skip over, you'll have to remove by hand (if a fish isn't an option). Now if it gets this bad,

You're about SOL. That tang is ~3". Worst I'd ever seen, so I had to snap a pic with my phone.

 

[rsteagall]

I witnessed bristle worms eating it in my tank :O

 

[fishdoc11]

FWIW I've had bubble algae for years and have managed it quite well with emeralds, water quality(it can live in nutrient poor conditions but it will grow much faster with more nutrients) and occasional mechanical removal.
All emeralds won't eat it and you will get the occasional (maybe 1 or 2 out of 10) that will pick at corals. How much the tank gets fed past what the fish consume also seems to effect the "eagerness" of the emeralds to eat it.
Fish, no matter what species/type, are hit and miss from what I have seen and read.
I have heard sailfin (Z. desjardinii) tangs sometimes will work well. I have also seen Siganus virgatus(I think that's the correct rabbitfish) work but I have also seen them wipe out a large zoanthid collection in a few weeks.

hth, Chris


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[SRT80]

before we moved my brothers 80 to my house, he had bubble algae bad. We went to AC and picked up a emerald crab. It took awhile but that one crab got rid of all the bubble algae. There's no more in the tank. Unfortunatley the crab went missing not long after. I had bubble algae in my 20 and a emerald ate it all too. I have had this emerald awhile now. I guess it's still alive because it's eating the razor caulerpa too. So I have been successful twice with emeralds. I just hope if I get a few more they will control the razor caulerpa in my tank.

Steve

 

[gflat65]

My purple tang was known to munch on it, too.

 

[cee]

My desjardini doesn't touch the stuff. Also, I learned this week that there are very few Red Sea fish coming into the States these days. So, just like what is happening with the Hawaiian exports, the prices of the purple, yellow, and desjardini tangs are going way up.

 

[Pickupman66]

I hired some emerald crabs. I had some hair issue abuot the same time and they went to that first then to the bubble after I added some hermits to demolish the hair. I had 4 in the tank, and havent seen them in months. then again, I only have a few bubles here and there at this point.

 

[Abiathar]

I have had good luck with emerald crabs eating it. If you've already added them they may help as I've heard some people say they had some that wouldn't touch the stuff.

Steve

 

[loyalty]

thanks for the replies, i guess i'll make a run for some emerald crabs and hope for the best