Question about Bubble Algae spores

[Saldarya]

It is the common belief that If you break the bubbles of bubble algae, that the spores that are released can seed more algae. Although I have not been able to find any proof that this is the case, I am curious as to whether a UV would kill off any of these spores that may be released into the water.

So your thoughts please as to whether this may be an effective way of ridding bubble algae.

Thanks!!

 

[taillonjohn]

I've been researching bubble algae like crazy, and I came up same as you, no proof that breaking the bubbles will result in spores being released into the system. Its an unknown

Don't know about the UV though.

 

[SPC]

This is what I go by for the science behind this subject :http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php .

My common sense (and IME) tells me that valonia must spread in some way. I have seen whole bubbles reattach when knocked loose, but this does not explain the micro valonia that appears to grow from spores on the rocks.

As I said in another thread, I have had valonia in my 6 year old 180 gallon reef from day one. The tank has never been without Mithrax sculptous crabs (averages 4 or 5 at all times) and yet I have never seen one of them eat valonia. How some reefers are able to rid their systems of valonia through the use of these crabs is beyond me, unless, they are using a different species of crab than I do.

BTW, it is my understanding from divers in the Keys (where the Mithrax sculptous crabs are found), that valonia will grow on the pristine reef where no other nuisance alage is found.

Steve

 

[mayor10]

On the general subject, but slightly different. Does anyone know the size of the spores in bubble agae? Would they be filtered by a 100 micron filter sock?

The reason I ask is I often siphon detritus around my rockwork by using a siphon tube from the display into my sump through a filter sock (with return pump on). So I was think of trying to pluck some valonia off with the siphon tube, and if the bubble pops the spores would get siphoned into the filter sock.

Thanks, and sorry Saldarya, I can't answer your question about UV and don't mean to jump your thread.

 

[mikekman]

If someone has access to a good microscope, take a bubble algae and pop it onto the slide and then put it under the microscope and see if you can see spores.

Someone please do that and let us know!

 

[Aquarist007]

Re: Question about Bubble Algae spores

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10155187#post10155187 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Saldarya
It is the common belief that If you break the bubbles of bubble algae, that the spores that are released can seed more algae. Although I have not been able to find any proof that this is the case, I am curious as to whether a UV would kill off any of these spores that may be released into the water.

So your thoughts please as to whether this may be an effective way of ridding bubble algae.

Thanks!!

Yes:
http://www.emperoraquatics.com/whatisuvsterilization.php

 

[BugBug]

As for an effective way of ridding.....emerald crabs worked for me. I has a serious problem, added 6 emerald crabs (to a 75 gallon tank) and in no time it was almost impossible to find any left. Now it's impossible to find the emerald crabs.....maybe that was all I had that they could eat - at any rate the bubble algea hasn't returned though occassionally I'll find an individual bubble which I always attempt to remove without breaking.

 

[Aquarist007]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10202012#post10202012 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BugBug
As for an effective way of ridding.....emerald crabs worked for me. I has a serious problem, added 6 emerald crabs (to a 75 gallon tank) and in no time it was almost impossible to find any left. Now it's impossible to find the emerald crabs.....maybe that was all I had that they could eat - at any rate the bubble algea hasn't returned though occassionally I'll find an individual bubble which I always attempt to remove without breaking.

don't worry emerald crabs are the masters of camouflage---I can lure one out late in the evening by dropping a piece of fresh shrimp on the bottom.

 

[Philwd]

There are different species of mithrax crabs. Some seem to eat valonia and some don't. I finally found a group that did. They ate the small ones before they matured. Cleaned up my infestation in 4 mos.

Downside is by eating all that they got HUGE! 2-3" across. And became carnivorous. The 2 left ate all my shrimp(cleaner and pistol), an urchin and started attacking sleeping fish. So one is out and as soon as I can coax the other out into a trap he's gone too.

 

[Tang Salad]

I've been battling valonia for almost a year now. Tried mithrax, manual removal, massive water changes, better skimming, feeding less, increasing flow, and shortened photoperiod.

Now I've given up. There's more than ever and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm hoping some day it will just go away on its own. It really, really sucks. Never had a problem like this in my reef before.

 

[mikekman]

Tang salad, don't give up on the hobby of reefkeeping though! Lots of people have bubble algae but don't let it make you quit.

We as hobbyists keep wanting to have the perfect tank.......no algae, no pests, etc but thats incredibly hard. Just be happy with what you have. I have bubble algae in my nano tank and though it kind of makes the tank look bad, I don't let it get to me. I siphon some out that are stuck on the back of the walls and slowly there is a lot less now.

Can you show a picture of your tank? I'd like to see it.

Also why don't you set up like a tiny 10 gal tank with simple filtration and some sand and toss a bunch of mithrax crabs in there. Then toss bubble algae into that tiny tank. Feed nothing else. See what happens and see if some of the crabs will eat it or not. The ones that eat it, keep them and toss them into your main tank, the ones that don't well send them back to the store.

Also from what I have seen, I don't see bubble algae growing in areas of high flow.

 

[Big E]

Also from what I have seen, I don't see bubble algae growing in areas of high flow.

I've had bubble algae grow right on the output port of power heads & return nozzles.............right on inside where the flow is blasting out.

 

[mikekman]

Big E, I see all the buble algae in areas of low flow in my tank. Weird that they are growing inside the nozzles. The spores must really have a tight hold if they can do that.


I wonder if there are fish that love bubble algae?

 

[Kannin]

i love my bubble algai. i three or four that are so big, you could play marbles with them. They are so big, my emeralds are afraid of them. It's fun to see what new people will say first when viewing my $3000 perfect little ecosystem... "Oh look... it's Nemo" or "what are those neet little shiny green balls"?

 

[Philwd]

Kannin - I get that all the time. My MIL always comments on how she likes the green balls. This year she asked where they all went.

 

[Dell2go]

I bought Emerald crabs and problem solved.

 

[tdwyatt]

Just curious, any of you see the red variant of bubble algae? They seem to grow on a short little stalk attached to the rock instead of the bubble itself as a means of attachment, and it has almost a stippled look to the surface as it grows older. This is actually not a Valonia spp., rather Botryocladia skottsbergii. I have had a resurgence of this algae (from an old piecce of rock evidently from one of the curing vats here), nd I'm lookling for something that eats it...

For a primer on the bubble algae and some more detailed info, see Horge's article : http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php

 

[Peter Eichler]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10246316#post10246316 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tdwyatt
Just curious, any of you see the red variant of bubble algae? They seem to grow on a short little stalk attached to the rock instead of the bubble itself as a means of attachment, and it has almost a stippled look to the surface as it grows older. This is actually not a Valonia spp., rather Botryocladia skottsbergii. I have had a resurgence of this algae (from an old piecce of rock evidently from one of the curing vats here), nd I'm lookling for something that eats it...

For a primer on the bubble algae and some more detailed info, see Horge's article : http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php

My Red Sea Sailfin Tang eats them like they're candy. I'd imagine other Zebrasoma tangs would eat them as well as other herbivores.

 

[loosecannon]

Spore`s are not in bubble alage, PIX`S are. magic pix`s.

 

[Fishbulb2]

I will be getting a UV sterilizer soon and will try to see if it helps. I plan on popping every bubble and ripping out as much as possible while running the UV full blast for a week or so. Then I'll try adding the mythrax crabs to clean up the rest. I hate bubble algae but this is what i'm now down to. It's absolutely impossible for it to come back any worse unless it starts growing on itself. I'm very optimistic about the UV and manual removal though.