is this a myth?
- Thread starter rick12
- Start date
fishysteve
New member
I think it is BS. Otherwise, if you popped just one there would be a hell of a lot more in the tank afterwards. I have never experienced that happening in 10 years in the hobby.
zigzag1
New member
Not sure if true or not, but I would lean toward myth. IMO, I think it matters 'when' they are popped also. I get a few that show up in my tank and grow very slowly. I'll try not to pop them when removing them, if possible. But, I'll pop them if that's what it takes to get them out. I figure, that if can't get it out, it will eventually pop itself when it's ready, and I'd rather get it when it's not ready.. Even popping them when necessary for removal, I still have some of the interior contents typically, which seems to be better than just leaving them. Manual removal (by any means necessary) and nutrient control seem to keep mine well under control.
I also like when people state to remove them by hand and not pop them so no spores are released.
Later another suggestion is adding emerald crabs to eat the BA.
Wouldn't the crab pop the bubble flooding the tank with spores?
Later another suggestion is adding emerald crabs to eat the BA.
Wouldn't the crab pop the bubble flooding the tank with spores?
cloak
New member
Even if popping a bubble does release spores, just do a water change right after and limit the concentration. There's no doubt in my mind that you can remove them faster than they can grow. If you do this every week it should be pretty easy to get rid of them IMO.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php
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fishysteve
New member
The emerald crabs miraculously suck up the spores when they pop them. 
jeff@zina.com
New member
The emerald crabs miraculously suck up the spores when they pop them.
Yes that must be it.
Getting a 404 error. Cliff notes?
noahm
Active member
Here is a quote from the article if you can't read it.
"Much has been said about the danger of liberating spores when popping the vesicles of bubble algae. This is particularly true for members of Order Valoniaceae, but even then, the vesicles are said to be a sporulant risk only when having reached at least a third of their full size. Even if spores escape when you botch the job of vesicle-removal ('vesectomy', anyone?), those escapee spores have to run the gauntlet of herbivorous filter feeders, filtration equipment, and the wild lottery of hitting a good, unoccupied spot to settle and grow. Those spores will eventually be released anyway if you don't remove the vesicles."
I would guess that as for the emerald crabs, once they have eaten them through a cycle, they would be eating only younger, non-spore, alagae, and thus not spreading them. If they couldn't keep up though, they would be more prone to popping spore-laden bubbles. Those crabs are very surgeon-like and I doubt the amount of spore emitted by a crab eating it is anything close to that from a finger popped bubble.
"Much has been said about the danger of liberating spores when popping the vesicles of bubble algae. This is particularly true for members of Order Valoniaceae, but even then, the vesicles are said to be a sporulant risk only when having reached at least a third of their full size. Even if spores escape when you botch the job of vesicle-removal ('vesectomy', anyone?), those escapee spores have to run the gauntlet of herbivorous filter feeders, filtration equipment, and the wild lottery of hitting a good, unoccupied spot to settle and grow. Those spores will eventually be released anyway if you don't remove the vesicles."
I would guess that as for the emerald crabs, once they have eaten them through a cycle, they would be eating only younger, non-spore, alagae, and thus not spreading them. If they couldn't keep up though, they would be more prone to popping spore-laden bubbles. Those crabs are very surgeon-like and I doubt the amount of spore emitted by a crab eating it is anything close to that from a finger popped bubble.
Toddrtrex
Premium Member
Just my experience with them -- the larger ones are going to have spores inside them (( at least the inside "water" is green )), whereas the smaller ones do not (( clear "water" inside )). As for emeralds, mine have only touched the smaller ones, which would be spore free.
Moort82
New member
Could the spores just be taken care off by say the skimmer for instance. I would have thought that out of the thousands or hundreds of thousands of spores, by the time the equipment, corals etc have got them only a few are left. Since your likely see some come back wouldn't this mean that it kinda makes sense.
allsps40
New member
Yes they release spores when popped. I started out with a few and was just popping them. Then it got really bad. I started to suck them out and break them with a small hose every water change. I have since gotten it well under control. As for the low chances of spores living and growing even with the chances of being eaten, skimmed out, removed by a water change or killed by uv some still live. If they all died from all these dangers then we would not get bubble algae or any for that matter. A small few live and grow even after all that then same goes for life in the ocean for any spore or larva.
LifeAquatic
New member
Lets call Mythbuster.
