What type of tang would eat bubble algae?

[Mightyfish]

I have a very bad bubble algae problem. I read that foxface and tang would eat them. However after reading many posts to say that foxface also eats zoa so only leave with tang option. Does anyone know what type of tang would eat bubble algae and dont eat zoa?

 

[hotelbravo]

We had a foxface in the frag tank at my lfs. He never touched zoas but after all the algae was gone he did nip at acans.

 

[pinnatus]

Emerald crabs supposedly eat bubble algae.

 

[ca1ore]

None of my tangs ever ate bubble algae. Emerald crabs have worked the best for me.

 

[airtime23]

Foxface Lo is your best bet to eat bubble algae. They're hit or miss when it comes to zoas. Mine doesn't even look at zoas, much less eat em.

 

[nvladik]

+1 to Emerald, and much cheaper.

 

[jlanger]

My One Spot Foxface devours bubble algae and leaves all of my zoanthids alone.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Emerald crabs have worked the best for me.

Can they live in a bare bottom tank or do they need sand?

 

[ca1ore]

Can they live in a bare bottom tank or do they need sand?

Mine spend all their time up in the rocks so, no, I do not think they need sand.

 

[ThRoewer]

My emerald crab female is eating algae but as far as I can tell hasn't touched the bubble algae yet.
The male got kicked out because he found corals to be tastier than algae.

 

[Mightyfish]

When foxface fish eats bubble algae wouldn't it pop bubble algae which leads to more algae to regrow?

 

[CoralsAddiction]

Mine spend all their time up in the rocks so, no, I do not think they need sand.

I bought one last night because a smaller rock in my tank had about 10 or so bubbles. Not a huge outbreak but I wanted it gone. This morning only 4 bubbles are left. The crab is doing its job already.

 

[mfinn]

When foxface fish eats bubble algae wouldn't it pop bubble algae which leads to more algae to regrow?

so does the emerald crab.

 

[Dmorty217]

Manual removal is best to keep the bubble algae from spreading. Some have luck with large angels eating bubble algae but if your tank is not overstocked and well fed I doubt anything will eat it. I have tried emerald crabs in the past with no luck.

 

[snorvich]

Manual removal is best to keep the bubble algae from spreading. Some have luck with large angels eating bubble algae but if your tank is not overstocked and well fed I doubt anything will eat it. I have tried emerald crabs in the past with no luck.

I agree. I siphon it out using a tube with a sharp end. I pop and suck and it is all gone. Emerald crabs sometimes work, sometimes not.

 

[CoralsAddiction]

In less than 24 hrs my little rock rubble went from this:

To that:

 

[edog45]

I had some bubble algae in my tank so i got an emerald crab. It did not touch it but did pester the hell out of a frog spawn for some reason. I added a yellow tang not for the purpose of eating bubble algae but it did develope a taste for it and ate it. I also have a foxface lo in a different tank with no bubble algae but lots of zoas and sps and it does not even look at them. So I would say it's the luck of the draw with anything that is supposed to eat something specific.