RED BUBBLE/RED Valonia/botryocladia skottsbergii algae

cdr2us · 01/06/2012, 10:52 AM

I'm looking for ideas please. I have an infestation of RED BUBBLE/RED Valonia/botryocladia skottsbergii algae in my current tank. I would like not to move this nuisence algae into my new tank.

Current set-up 29 gal, with HOB filter, skimmer, hydor powerhead. New set-up will be 40 gal with 20 gal sump. Water tested levels using API drip tests are as follow,
ammonia=zero
nitrite=zero
nitrate=10ppm
high range ph= 8.2
phosphate= zero
The tank is coming up on 1 year old in 2 weeks, i have 45lbs of live rock, live sand, 1 randall shrimp goby,1 pygmy angelfish, 2 percula clowns, 4-5 nasaious snails, 4-5 mixed hermit crabs, misc zoas. I feed Limpets twice a week, 10k & acetnics are on 5 hours a day,moonlights the rest of time. I have had emerald crabs but it started to eat my torch coral and xenia. Neither the crab nor those coral are currently in this tank. What is the best way to rid myself of this algae? How have some of you guys handled this type of algae? was it a long term solution?

Sugar Magnolia · 01/06/2012, 11:16 AM

You also have some hair algae. Manual removal is 100% effective. Biological control is hit or miss. You can try a mithrax crab.

cdr2us · 01/06/2012, 12:44 PM

Yeh, i've pulled the hair out, and in the new tank there will be a sump and phosban reactor, so that should help. I've had the emerald crab but he tore up a torch coral and some xenia, so he was removed. just looking to see if anyone had other ideas for the bubbles. Manual removal SUCKS and you end up breaking some and no matter how good you rinse the rocks off there ends up being some that gets into the water column and spreading the problem more. But maybe thats the ONLY thing i can do and try another crab (lol which of course pops the bubble spreading the spores right).

brandon429 · 01/06/2012, 12:54 PM

join our pest algae challenge thread and we will cure your tank in two days

really

baddest manual removal in the west:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...2082359&page=4

seapug · 01/06/2012, 12:56 PM

manual removal works best. Scrub all the rocks with a toothbrush in a bucket before you transfer them to the new tank. That said, once you have bubble algae in your tank, you'll probably never completely get rid of it.

brandon429 · 01/06/2012, 12:58 PM

the cool thing about peroxide is it destroys the organism so that no fragments can regenerate. including spores. it is harmless to anything in the reef when used as a spot treatment per the thread.

brandon429 · 01/06/2012, 01:05 PM

a few re treatments are usually required, but its from mass spread around the tank and in the rocks. You can't believe how amazing peroxide is for this problem you have, its the best method Ive ever seen since I started reefing. now hundreds use the technique per the linked threads...

01/06/2012, 10:52 AM	#1
cdr2us Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Slinger, Wisconsin Posts: 9	RED BUBBLE/RED Valonia/botryocladia skottsbergii algae I'm looking for ideas please. I have an infestation of RED BUBBLE/RED Valonia/botryocladia skottsbergii algae in my current tank. I would like not to move this nuisence algae into my new tank. Current set-up 29 gal, with HOB filter, skimmer, hydor powerhead. New set-up will be 40 gal with 20 gal sump. Water tested levels using API drip tests are as follow, ammonia=zero nitrite=zero nitrate=10ppm high range ph= 8.2 phosphate= zero The tank is coming up on 1 year old in 2 weeks, i have 45lbs of live rock, live sand, 1 randall shrimp goby,1 pygmy angelfish, 2 percula clowns, 4-5 nasaious snails, 4-5 mixed hermit crabs, misc zoas. I feed Limpets twice a week, 10k & acetnics are on 5 hours a day,moonlights the rest of time. I have had emerald crabs but it started to eat my torch coral and xenia. Neither the crab nor those coral are currently in this tank. What is the best way to rid myself of this algae? How have some of you guys handled this type of algae? was it a long term solution?

01/06/2012, 11:16 AM	#2
Sugar Magnolia Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Northern VA Posts: 17,691	You also have some hair algae. Manual removal is 100% effective. Biological control is hit or miss. You can try a mithrax crab. __________________ Adrienne The only thing to fear is fear itself....and spiders.

01/06/2012, 12:56 PM	#5
seapug Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: 4980 ft. Posts: 7,954 Blog Entries: 1	manual removal works best. Scrub all the rocks with a toothbrush in a bucket before you transfer them to the new tank. That said, once you have bubble algae in your tank, you'll probably never completely get rid of it. __________________ insert clever saying here. Current Tank Info: 200 gallon custom Marineland DD peninsular tank. LPS dominated mixed reef. Previous 90 gallon mixed reef TOTM April 2009.

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01/06/2012, 12:44 PM	#3
cdr2us Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Slinger, Wisconsin Posts: 9	Yeh, i've pulled the hair out, and in the new tank there will be a sump and phosban reactor, so that should help. I've had the emerald crab but he tore up a torch coral and some xenia, so he was removed. just looking to see if anyone had other ideas for the bubbles. Manual removal SUCKS and you end up breaking some and no matter how good you rinse the rocks off there ends up being some that gets into the water column and spreading the problem more. But maybe thats the ONLY thing i can do and try another crab (lol which of course pops the bubble spreading the spores right).

01/06/2012, 12:54 PM	#4
brandon429 Registered Member. Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3,460	join our pest algae challenge thread and we will cure your tank in two days really baddest manual removal in the west: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...2082359&page=4

01/06/2012, 12:58 PM	#6
brandon429 Registered Member. Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3,460	the cool thing about peroxide is it destroys the organism so that no fragments can regenerate. including spores. it is harmless to anything in the reef when used as a spot treatment per the thread.

01/06/2012, 01:05 PM	#7
brandon429 Registered Member. Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3,460	a few re treatments are usually required, but its from mass spread around the tank and in the rocks. You can't believe how amazing peroxide is for this problem you have, its the best method Ive ever seen since I started reefing. now hundreds use the technique per the linked threads...