Red bubble algae eating fish?

[jarrod13]

So I've been battling red bubble algae for a LONG time. I know everybody's first answer will be fix the problem that is causing the algae but believe me I've tried and I'm tired of changing everything for this stupid problem. So I'm just wondering what fish everybody has had that will eat this crap. I've had a red sea sailfin tang that would go to town on the stuff but my tank is a little small for one of these big boys. I'm assuming the fish that would eat it are mostly tangs. Any help appreciated

 

[NinjaBum]

Red bubble as in the form of Botryocladia that creeps along rock instead of forming branches of grapes? I'd think a Tomini tang would be your best bet depending on the size of the tank, or a Rabbitfish. What size is your tank? I bet there are also urchins out there who would demolish it.

 

[jarrod13]

Yup that's the stuff

 

[GrendelPrime76]

have u tried emerald crabs? i had green bubble in my tank and emeralds took care of the problem

 

[Jasanden]

I had a Powder Brown Tang make short work of the stuff.

 

[jarrod13]

Ya emerald crabs don't seem to touch it, it's different than the green bubble algae.

Thanks jasanden, did he get it completely or did it come back?

 

[Jasanden]

Yeah he got it all. I haven't seen it since and I no longer have the tang. I can't imagine he got every last bit. But him and good params and no more bubble algae.

Good luck

 

[Jasanden]

Yeah he got it all. I haven't seen it since and I no longer have the tang. I can't imagine he got every last bit. But him and good params no more bubble algae.

Good luck

 

[jarrod13]

Cool thanks! I should have just replaced the rocks when I recently switched tanks but I scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed and thought I nipped it in the butt... Sure enough a week later it showed it's ugly disgusting face again. I might try the powder brown, I've always liked them anyways

 

[NinjaBum]

Lol I'd take those rocks off your hands. Would be a fun experiment to see which outgrows which, creeping Botryocladia, or creeping Caulerpa Racemosa. I'd imagine it would look pretty interlaced, but I'm a macro guy. I love things that make reefers cringe.

 

[phishsauce]

I just pop them and siphon them out before they float away.
Of course the powerheads are turned off during this.
After I finish, I just do a water change, then leave the lights off for a few days.
That way I have manually removed it, on top of preventing any spores that survived, to thrive again.

 

[phishsauce]

It's hard to trust an emerald crab as they grow very quickly and can consume your fish while they're sleeping. It's happened...

 

[jarrod13]

I've tried manual removal so many time it isn't funny. Like I said I just scrubbed the crap out of the rocks very recently but I guess I didn't get every last little piece and it's coming back to haunt me again.

Ninja, I don't consider myself a "reef guy" yes I keep corals but that's not what my tank is centered around. I've always kept a combo of coral, macro, anemones, and sponges. As for your experiment, I'd skip it. You don't want this stuff anywhere near your tanks. Funny enough this problem actually started off in my macro tank. I was keeping multiple different kinds of calupera, halymenia, and a few other fast growing species but this stuff grew faster than anything. I wouldn't wish this algae on anyone!

 

[jimroth]

My foxface really likes the red bubble. I let it grow on frag disks in a raceway so he can have treats. The powder blue tang likes it too.

 

[jarrod13]

So only tangs? Nobody has had anything else that will touch it?

 

[Stumped]

Ive got an urchin that loves it. In fact he loves any algae (especially any red stuff). I'll try to find a picture of him online because I have no clue what they are called. He has mostly white and orange spines with a purplish body.

 

[cmaxwell39]

+1 on the foxface. I had one that absolutely destroyed the stuff.

 

[jarrod13]

Foxface lo (Siganus vulpinus) or One Spot Foxface (Siganus unimaculatus)?

Thanks a ton for the responses guys!

 

[jarrod13]

Bump

 

[NinjaBum]

I would grab the foxface. I loved mine. He even ate varieties of Caulerpa that tangs didn't like. Angels might, but they are iffy with corals a lot of the time and are weird when it comes to what they will eat.