Suggestions for green bubble algae

bamf25 · 02/12/2013, 10:03 AM

I have a 120 g system that I am running gfo, carbon, and a small 15 g fuge with cheato in. My phophate levels are near zero, as proof my glass will stay almost clean no scraping for at least 5 or 6 days. I do not have any hair algae or any of the other algae I could have issues with. I do get a occasional recurrent minor cyano issue, but I think that is realted to a flow issues (my power heads need tweeking), and the system does get some natural light despite being 10 feet from any window (my wife loves open the shades in the tank room regardless of how many times I close them). My big issue is green bubble algae. I have done everything to control my phosphate. I manually remove and vacuum the algae when I do water changes. I have done light off cycles in the past, but the bubble stuff just keeps coming back. Any ideas?

ptreef · 02/12/2013, 11:56 AM

bubble algae seems to be a tough battle. Best bet is to pull the rock it on and break of that section before it spreads.

Many say emerald crabs do good work on it.

teo241 · 02/12/2013, 12:06 PM

Short of removing all of your rock and scrubbing it/drying it, I don't know if you can completely eliminate it. I have a minor issue with it as well (came in on my live rock).

I have one small emerald crab which hasn't made much difference. I manually remove big pieces and I've come to accept a few small bubbles here and there, looks natural to me.

BigAl2007 · 02/12/2013, 12:20 PM

The sooner you get rid of it the better off you are. When you start seeing it pop up in your tank you'd be surprised how many you're NOT seeing.

I always prefer to get the rock OUT and scrub it in old tank water. Then do a dip in more old tank water to try and remove any spores hanging around.

If it's on a rock you can't ( or won't) remove I've had good luck in coating the entire bubble with super glue gel and then removing the whole "mass" in-tack.

I wish emeralds were 100% but they are hit & miss just like just about every other "remedy" in this hobby.

bamf25 · 02/12/2013, 01:22 PM

This is a long battle at this point, feeling defeated.

cordell · 02/12/2013, 01:30 PM

While they are certainly hit-or-miss, emerald crabs have worked for me several times in the past. I had quite a crop of bubble algae forming in my tank about 4 months ago. I put in 5 emerald crabs and they wiped it out over the following month or so. There's not a single bubble left that I can find now..

The only problems are that the emerald crabs have grown (a lot!) and they knock over every darn thing that isn't glued down (frags) and they haven't touched a single bit of hair algae that is growing in my tank. At least they haven't eaten any of my corals... I think they will be traded in at the LFS soon.

keithhays · 02/12/2013, 01:32 PM

Phase I
1. Pull out everything with Bubble algae on it
2. Put it in a bag in the trunk, and drive very far away
3. Dig a very deep hole, put the bag into the hole and light the hole on fire with gasoline
4. Fill in the hole with lead
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until no Bubble algae exist

Phase II
1. After you build your new system as now nothing is left of the old one
2. Don't use live rock or sand that you didn't make live
3. QT everything that goes into your tank for at least 10 weeks
4. Don't buy anything from the place that sold you bubble algae

jdm1114 · 08/23/2013, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keithhays

Phase I
1. Pull out everything with Bubble algae on it
2. Put it in a bag in the trunk, and drive very far away
3. Dig a very deep hole, put the bag into the hole and light the hole on fire with gasoline
4. Fill in the hole with lead
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until no Bubble algae exist

Phase II
1. After you build your new system as now nothing is left of the old one
2. Don't use live rock or sand that you didn't make live
3. QT everything that goes into your tank for at least 10 weeks
4. Don't buy anything from the place that sold you bubble algae

Reef Frog · 08/23/2013, 02:33 PM

Considering a coral seller has had thousands of frags/colonies rotate through his tanks over the years, and the typical reefer may have used dozens of coral vendors to stock his tank, exposure to bubble algae is very likely. It a wonder more people don't have it.

I'm resolved to doing physical removal a few times a year. It's really no big deal anymore. Even with low controlled nutrients, it can still grow. Light depravation makes little difference as it grows in shady spots.

I do believe that it spreads by spores or similar method through the water column. I've always thought a UV light reactor might significantly slow down, but probably not eliminate, the spread of bubble algae.

If I were to start from scratch again, I'd consider using dry rock, quarantine, peroxide dips, UV & removing all original frag plugs & LR immediately before introducing them into the quarantine tank (also a good precaution against the introduction of coral parasites).

rrasco · 08/23/2013, 03:11 PM

I don't know how, but I starved it out of my reef. I used to have it everywhere. Now that I am thinking about it, I have not seen any in awhile. I did have emeralds, but they always eventually die off. I don't have any right now. I'm not really a fan of adding animals to tanks to remedy a problem, because even if they do eat it all, what will they eat after that?

02/12/2013, 10:03 AM	#1
bamf25 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central NJ Posts: 1,419	Suggestions for green bubble algae I have a 120 g system that I am running gfo, carbon, and a small 15 g fuge with cheato in. My phophate levels are near zero, as proof my glass will stay almost clean no scraping for at least 5 or 6 days. I do not have any hair algae or any of the other algae I could have issues with. I do get a occasional recurrent minor cyano issue, but I think that is realted to a flow issues (my power heads need tweeking), and the system does get some natural light despite being 10 feet from any window (my wife loves open the shades in the tank room regardless of how many times I close them). My big issue is green bubble algae. I have done everything to control my phosphate. I manually remove and vacuum the algae when I do water changes. I have done light off cycles in the past, but the bubble stuff just keeps coming back. Any ideas?

02/12/2013, 12:06 PM	#3
teo241 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: wisconsin Posts: 339	Short of removing all of your rock and scrubbing it/drying it, I don't know if you can completely eliminate it. I have a minor issue with it as well (came in on my live rock). I have one small emerald crab which hasn't made much difference. I manually remove big pieces and I've come to accept a few small bubbles here and there, looks natural to me. __________________ 360, 75, 45

02/12/2013, 01:30 PM	#6
cordell Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 655	While they are certainly hit-or-miss, emerald crabs have worked for me several times in the past. I had quite a crop of bubble algae forming in my tank about 4 months ago. I put in 5 emerald crabs and they wiped it out over the following month or so. There's not a single bubble left that I can find now.. The only problems are that the emerald crabs have grown (a lot!) and they knock over every darn thing that isn't glued down (frags) and they haven't touched a single bit of hair algae that is growing in my tank. At least they haven't eaten any of my corals... I think they will be traded in at the LFS soon. __________________ 75gal, ~120lb LR, started January 15, 2012. Probably mixed tank, only softies and couple LPS now. (2) 250w MH, 10g sump, 10g fuge, 10g QT Current inhabitants: 2 Ocellaris Clowns, few nassarius, cerith, and nerites; QT: Tricolor Wrasse and Firefish (both added 4/11)

08/23/2013, 03:11 PM	#10
rrasco Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: South Texas Posts: 2,159	I don't know how, but I starved it out of my reef. I used to have it everywhere. Now that I am thinking about it, I have not seen any in awhile. I did have emeralds, but they always eventually die off. I don't have any right now. I'm not really a fan of adding animals to tanks to remedy a problem, because even if they do eat it all, what will they eat after that? __________________ -You had me at PWM

02/12/2013, 11:56 AM	#2
ptreef Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 746	bubble algae seems to be a tough battle. Best bet is to pull the rock it on and break of that section before it spreads. Many say emerald crabs do good work on it.

02/12/2013, 12:20 PM	#4
BigAl2007 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Waynesville, NC USA Posts: 1,737	The sooner you get rid of it the better off you are. When you start seeing it pop up in your tank you'd be surprised how many you're NOT seeing. I always prefer to get the rock OUT and scrub it in old tank water. Then do a dip in more old tank water to try and remove any spores hanging around. If it's on a rock you can't ( or won't) remove I've had good luck in coating the entire bubble with super glue gel and then removing the whole "mass" in-tack. I wish emeralds were 100% but they are hit & miss just like just about every other "remedy" in this hobby.

02/12/2013, 01:22 PM	#5
bamf25 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Central NJ Posts: 1,419	This is a long battle at this point, feeling defeated.

02/12/2013, 01:32 PM	#7
keithhays Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Tennessee Posts: 1,259	Phase I 1. Pull out everything with Bubble algae on it 2. Put it in a bag in the trunk, and drive very far away 3. Dig a very deep hole, put the bag into the hole and light the hole on fire with gasoline 4. Fill in the hole with lead 5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until no Bubble algae exist Phase II 1. After you build your new system as now nothing is left of the old one 2. Don't use live rock or sand that you didn't make live 3. QT everything that goes into your tank for at least 10 weeks 4. Don't buy anything from the place that sold you bubble algae

08/23/2013, 02:33 PM	#9
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	Considering a coral seller has had thousands of frags/colonies rotate through his tanks over the years, and the typical reefer may have used dozens of coral vendors to stock his tank, exposure to bubble algae is very likely. It a wonder more people don't have it. I'm resolved to doing physical removal a few times a year. It's really no big deal anymore. Even with low controlled nutrients, it can still grow. Light depravation makes little difference as it grows in shady spots. I do believe that it spreads by spores or similar method through the water column. I've always thought a UV light reactor might significantly slow down, but probably not eliminate, the spread of bubble algae. If I were to start from scratch again, I'd consider using dry rock, quarantine, peroxide dips, UV & removing all original frag plugs & LR immediately before introducing them into the quarantine tank (also a good precaution against the introduction of coral parasites).