If you had a bubble algae problem...

Urbs · 01/02/2014, 10:19 PM

Algae came in on one piece of rock when I started the tank a 11 months ago. I've tried emerald crabs w no luck. I was able to contain it and keep up with it until the damn crabs popped them in the tank. Had I known this I would have tossed the rock in the beginning lol.
I've added a gfo and with the Hanna tester before gfo I was reading .o4 or .4 lol sorry I'm now confusing myself but not a horrible reading anyway. I've upgraded my skimmer to a Omega 130. These two items seemed to help in the last three weeks. I don't see them getting worse just not getting better. I'm running carbon and changing it out every two weeks.
I have just enough that I'm thinking about removing my corals from the rocks pulling rock from the tank and scrubbing them in a tub of salt water with wire brush to remove algae then rinse them in two other buckets to remove spores. Then clean out over flow. Will this work? Anyone have a solution to share please. Starting to become defeated...

ReefCowboy · 01/02/2014, 10:33 PM

Im going to be honest, but dont take my experience as the way to approach this pest. I bought an sps colony from a member from a forum here in NY, and the rock it came with was full of bubble algae. I had never had that in my tank, so i didnt think it would be uncontrolable since i had no experience and thought it would be treatable.

The bubble was all over the cracks and holes of the rock, which was only about 5x5". Soon after other rocks started having it and i tried doing everything to erradicate it. I ended up removing the rock and colony since it contaminated my tank! I removed most of it and have almost rid my tank of it, but i still once in a while see these pests around.

Crabs(emerald) will not eat it in the same rate they grow. As they pop more spores flow and anchor elsewhere to then become new strands... Very complicated pest to rid of. Sorry not being helpful, but im being honest you need to do a dramatic change to stop this thing from taking the beauty from your tank.

Good luck

ingtar_shinowa · 01/02/2014, 11:37 PM

My black tang loves it. He has eradicated it from everywhere but my overflows and inside my vortechs. Depending on tank size a Zebrasoma sp. tang may do the trick for you.

emerald crab · 01/02/2014, 11:59 PM

I learned that I can't defeat them.

My fox face eats quite a few of them, but only where it has very good access. The good part is it eats them whole. The bad part is that I have to many.

ingtar_shinowa · 01/03/2014, 12:13 AM

the long nose gives my black an advantage. He spends hours a day sticking his nose inside my pumps and every time i see it i cringe!

iliriano6 · 01/03/2014, 01:29 AM

best bet,it work for me, just keep on top of it, I did change the size of the tubbing to 3/4 id and attack a redsea nidle with rubber ban and scrape away, don't give then a chance to pop, if you sea a few go after then.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeqtPe3XukM

Urbs · 01/03/2014, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ingtar_shinowa

My black tang loves it. He has eradicated it from everywhere but my overflows and inside my vortechs. Depending on tank size a Zebrasoma sp. tang may do the trick for you.

Thank you for sharing. Your the second I've heard w success w tangs. I have a blue eye kole tang who eats around it lol. So I'm gonna remove him add a purple tang. My tank is a 65 hope he stays happy.

Urbs · 01/03/2014, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by emerald crab

I learned that I can't defeat them.

My fox face eats quite a few of them, but only where it has very good access. The good part is it eats them whole. The bad part is that I have to many.

Thanks I've added a Fox face because I've heard he could help my pest problem. I do think he's helping I just don't see him eating them just picking at it. Fingers crossed lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iliriano6

best bet,it work for me, just keep on top of it, I did change the size of the tubbing to 3/4 id and attack a redsea nidle with rubber ban and scrape away, don't give then a chance to pop, if you sea a few go after then.

Thanks I'm gonna give this a try too. See if I can round up a buddy to help.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeqtPe3XukM

vette.tech · 01/03/2014, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbs

Thank you for sharing. Your the second I've heard w success w tangs. I have a blue eye kole tang who eats around it lol. So I'm gonna remove him add a purple tang. My tank is a 65 hope he stays happy.

I hope your kidding about a purple tang, and even a foxface, in a 65....do even the quickest, dirtiest, laziest google search on tangs and tank size

MondoBongo · 01/03/2014, 07:55 AM

my yellow tang is hit or miss with it.

i have been fighting the long, hard slog against it for a while now. it seems that i make progress, but then another path pops up somewhere else.

i was rearranging rocks about two weeks ago and uncovered a path that had been growing in the dark cave between two rocks. i walked away to clean up some equipment and was going to come back and siphon it out. by the time i got back 20 minutes later, someone had eaten it.

yet for some reason the 3 other patches around the tank, no one will touch. :P

maybe that one was just extra tasty or something?

discocarp · 01/03/2014, 09:37 AM

I just pry them off in tank now with a small flat head screwdriver, siphon what I can, and don't worry about it. If you leave them they'll burst anyway. Repeated manual removal (it will always be around imo) is the best option if you don't have a fish that snacks on it.

IMO the spore concern is overblown and its a pretty easy to manually remove, at least as far as algaes go.

As far as a tang and a foxface in a 65g... I try to stay out of these discussions but man, that's not a good idea imo. You don't have the space for one, much less two. And you just added a ton of bioload which is not going to help with algae problems.

ReefCowboy · 01/03/2014, 09:48 AM

What i hate about these algae is they start clogging the overflow grids. I tried reaching the back of the overflow in my tank and caught lots of these pests clogging the water flow there. God i hate these things.

sn4265 · 01/03/2014, 10:00 AM

My new Bicolor Foxface (about 3 months in the tank now) has become my absolute favorite fish. He has completely eradicated the bubble algae that was driving me crazy. I also had a bit of hair algae that he was doing a number on but lately he seems to have lost his taste for the stuff. He's still awesome, but I really wish he would come back around to chowing down on the hair algae. When I first put him in the tank he was like a lawnmower to the stuff, but now he just ignores it.

jda · 01/03/2014, 10:20 AM

IMO - emerald crabs from the Florida Keys will destroy it. Emeralds from other places, not so much. Find a direct supplier from the keys and get some good Emeralds... it is too much of a risk to get them from a supplier who has no idea (who will not tell you) where they came from. One single emerald from there can clear a softball sized live rock covered with bubbles overnight. Google for "florida keys direct emerald crabs" and have a look.

BTW - same with peppermint shrimp. Keys peps will destroy aiptasia while other ones will be so-so.

discocarp · 01/03/2014, 10:34 AM

Emeralds are hit or miss with bubble algae, and they can be coral eaters when they get bigger. I don't think location matters. Mine have ALWAYS been from the keys and I've pretty much given up on them as an effective bubble algae control.

I also completely disagree with the keys peppermints being the only ones that eat aiptasia.

KafudaFish · 01/03/2014, 10:42 AM

Of the nuisance algae that we deal with ba is one of the easier ones to beat or at least control.

Manual removal is easy using a screw driver as mentioned above or a bamboo skewer works well too. Turn your pumps off, and pry up then catch the algae with a simple fish net.

As far as people complaining about spore release they aren't always present.

It will take time and can come back but ba isn't as bad as others.

Good luck.

puggsli1 · 01/03/2014, 12:48 PM

If you can pull the rock out of the tank and pour peroxide on the bubble algae it will kill it right out of the bottle. Or you can pour it in to a spray bottle and spray the rock. Just make sure to rinse the rock off before putting it back in the tank. Shrimps will not like it. This has worked for me still have one more rock to do. If you have coral attached to the rock be careful not to get the peroxide on it.

patsfan1130 · 01/03/2014, 01:14 PM

Hydrogen peroxide has only been a band aid for me - It comes back 10 fold - I have done this 3 times on my 180 - Emeralds and manual removal have been the best methods for me. 3 months now *knocks wood*

puggsli1 · 01/03/2014, 02:11 PM

Before I tried peroxide I did manual removal with a dental pick removing all bubble algae, while the rock was out of the tank. Then rinsed the rock in new salt water did this about 3 times. No luck for me it would just come back until i tried peroxide. My rock is pukani.

ryeguyy84 · 01/03/2014, 02:32 PM

I battled bubble algae for months. I did weekly water changes with a 1/4 rigid airline cut to a point. then I would pry up the bubbles and either suck them through the airline or pull them out with my fingers. it sucked, but I would go from the left side to the right side then start over with the new growth. eventually I was able to get it under control with only some small patches.

a 3 day lights out period seemed to do nothing to limit the growth. Toward the end I could pull it off in sheets.

before:

almost gone:

I don't have a picture of the tank when it was just a few patches but you get the point.

Reef Frog · 01/03/2014, 03:38 PM

Does anyone out there run UV in a system with bubble algae? Has it slowed it down?

It seems as if it spreads through the water, presumably via spore reproduction. If that's correct than it seems consistent physical removal while running UV might control its spread, though probably not totally eradicate, bubble algae.

Opinions or experiences? BA is a tough customer. It persists through low nutrients and will gladly grow in the shade.

ryeguyy84 · 01/03/2014, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reef Frog

Does anyone out there run UV in a system with bubble algae? Has it slowed it down?

It seems as if it spreads through the water, presumably via spore reproduction. If that's correct than it seems consistent physical removal while running UV might control its spread, though probably not totally eradicate, bubble algae.

Opinions or experiences? BA is a tough customer. It persists through low nutrients and will gladly grow in the shade.

Hmm Interesting, I hadn't thought of that. following along.

puggsli1 · 01/03/2014, 03:44 PM

I have a emperor aquatics smart uv 25 watt and it did not do any thing for bubble algae.

emerald crab · 01/03/2014, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ReefCowboy

What i hate about these algae is they start clogging the overflow grids. I tried reaching the back of the overflow in my tank and caught lots of these pests clogging the water flow there. God i hate these things.

Can you shed your overflow? Brig in the eternal night, it works.

Reef Frog · 01/03/2014, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by puggsli1

I have a emperor aquatics smart uv 25 watt and it did not do any thing for bubble algae.

Thanks for the response.

I wouldn't expect UV to do anything for existing, established BA.

But did you try several sessions of almost complete BA removal by hand while running your UV? I was thinking that once the rocks were stripped of parent plants & most spores again and again, the UV might begin to make a difference on new growth. Just a theory though....

Or did your BA first appear WHILE you were running UV? That would certainly suggest that it was totally useless assuming you had a fresh bulb & correctly sized pump.

01/02/2014, 10:19 PM	#1
Urbs Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Missouri Posts: 55	If you had a bubble algae problem... Algae came in on one piece of rock when I started the tank a 11 months ago. I've tried emerald crabs w no luck. I was able to contain it and keep up with it until the damn crabs popped them in the tank. Had I known this I would have tossed the rock in the beginning lol. I've added a gfo and with the Hanna tester before gfo I was reading .o4 or .4 lol sorry I'm now confusing myself but not a horrible reading anyway. I've upgraded my skimmer to a Omega 130. These two items seemed to help in the last three weeks. I don't see them getting worse just not getting better. I'm running carbon and changing it out every two weeks. I have just enough that I'm thinking about removing my corals from the rocks pulling rock from the tank and scrubbing them in a tub of salt water with wire brush to remove algae then rinse them in two other buckets to remove spores. Then clean out over flow. Will this work? Anyone have a solution to share please. Starting to become defeated...

01/03/2014, 07:55 AM	#10
MondoBongo Obligate Feeder Obsessed Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 4,061	my yellow tang is hit or miss with it. i have been fighting the long, hard slog against it for a while now. it seems that i make progress, but then another path pops up somewhere else. i was rearranging rocks about two weeks ago and uncovered a path that had been growing in the dark cave between two rocks. i walked away to clean up some equipment and was going to come back and siphon it out. by the time i got back 20 minutes later, someone had eaten it. yet for some reason the 3 other patches around the tank, no one will touch. :P maybe that one was just extra tasty or something? __________________ [Citation Needed] "You don't use science to show that you're right, you use science to become right" - xkcd Current Tank Info: A rectangular shaped money pit.

01/03/2014, 10:00 AM	#13
sn4265 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 570	My new Bicolor Foxface (about 3 months in the tank now) has become my absolute favorite fish. He has completely eradicated the bubble algae that was driving me crazy. I also had a bit of hair algae that he was doing a number on but lately he seems to have lost his taste for the stuff. He's still awesome, but I really wish he would come back around to chowing down on the hair algae. When I first put him in the tank he was like a lawnmower to the stuff, but now he just ignores it. __________________ First saltwater tank setup 11/6/10: 80 lbs LS and 150 lbs LR, Aquamaxx EM200 skimmer & Phosban Reactor Photon 48 LED pH 8.0, Temp 78, NO3 ~0, Mg 1400, Ca 420, Alk 7.5 Current Tank Info: 120 gal with 40B sump with fuge, pair of black Occellaris Clowns, purple Firefish, Coral Banded Shrimp, Foxface

01/03/2014, 12:48 PM	#17
puggsli1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Socal Posts: 201	If you can pull the rock out of the tank and pour peroxide on the bubble algae it will kill it right out of the bottle. Or you can pour it in to a spray bottle and spray the rock. Just make sure to rinse the rock off before putting it back in the tank. Shrimps will not like it. This has worked for me still have one more rock to do. If you have coral attached to the rock be careful not to get the peroxide on it. __________________ Equipment: Leemar 48x24x20 rimless, Bubble King 180 Double cone skimmer, ATI 6 Bulb PM, Vortech mp40's, Ac Jr, Eheim 1262 return.

01/03/2014, 01:14 PM	#18
patsfan1130 Premium Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Woburn, Ma Posts: 2,010	Hydrogen peroxide has only been a band aid for me - It comes back 10 fold - I have done this 3 times on my 180 - Emeralds and manual removal have been the best methods for me. 3 months now knocks wood __________________ My cat's breath smells like cat food Member of the Boston Reefers Society Current Tank Info: 75g lps, 90g sps, 120g mixed, 180 nem tank, 300g reef, 600g up & coming reef

01/02/2014, 10:33 PM	#2
ReefCowboy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 1,742	Im going to be honest, but dont take my experience as the way to approach this pest. I bought an sps colony from a member from a forum here in NY, and the rock it came with was full of bubble algae. I had never had that in my tank, so i didnt think it would be uncontrolable since i had no experience and thought it would be treatable. The bubble was all over the cracks and holes of the rock, which was only about 5x5". Soon after other rocks started having it and i tried doing everything to erradicate it. I ended up removing the rock and colony since it contaminated my tank! I removed most of it and have almost rid my tank of it, but i still once in a while see these pests around. Crabs(emerald) will not eat it in the same rate they grow. As they pop more spores flow and anchor elsewhere to then become new strands... Very complicated pest to rid of. Sorry not being helpful, but im being honest you need to do a dramatic change to stop this thing from taking the beauty from your tank. Good luck

01/02/2014, 11:37 PM	#3
ingtar_shinowa Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Billings MT Posts: 1,610	My black tang loves it. He has eradicated it from everywhere but my overflows and inside my vortechs. Depending on tank size a Zebrasoma sp. tang may do the trick for you.

01/02/2014, 11:59 PM	#4
emerald crab Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 131	I learned that I can't defeat them. My fox face eats quite a few of them, but only where it has very good access. The good part is it eats them whole. The bad part is that I have to many.

01/03/2014, 12:13 AM	#5
ingtar_shinowa Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Billings MT Posts: 1,610	the long nose gives my black an advantage. He spends hours a day sticking his nose inside my pumps and every time i see it i cringe!

01/03/2014, 01:29 AM	#6
iliriano6 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: NY,NY Posts: 78	best bet,it work for me, just keep on top of it, I did change the size of the tubbing to 3/4 id and attack a redsea nidle with rubber ban and scrape away, don't give then a chance to pop, if you sea a few go after then. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeqtPe3XukM

01/03/2014, 09:37 AM	#11
discocarp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 2,707	I just pry them off in tank now with a small flat head screwdriver, siphon what I can, and don't worry about it. If you leave them they'll burst anyway. Repeated manual removal (it will always be around imo) is the best option if you don't have a fish that snacks on it. IMO the spore concern is overblown and its a pretty easy to manually remove, at least as far as algaes go. As far as a tang and a foxface in a 65g... I try to stay out of these discussions but man, that's not a good idea imo. You don't have the space for one, much less two. And you just added a ton of bioload which is not going to help with algae problems.

01/03/2014, 09:48 AM	#12
ReefCowboy Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island, New York Posts: 1,742	What i hate about these algae is they start clogging the overflow grids. I tried reaching the back of the overflow in my tank and caught lots of these pests clogging the water flow there. God i hate these things.

01/03/2014, 10:20 AM	#14
jda Dogmatic Dinosaur Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 6,256	IMO - emerald crabs from the Florida Keys will destroy it. Emeralds from other places, not so much. Find a direct supplier from the keys and get some good Emeralds... it is too much of a risk to get them from a supplier who has no idea (who will not tell you) where they came from. One single emerald from there can clear a softball sized live rock covered with bubbles overnight. Google for "florida keys direct emerald crabs" and have a look. BTW - same with peppermint shrimp. Keys peps will destroy aiptasia while other ones will be so-so.

01/03/2014, 10:34 AM	#15
discocarp Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Winter Park, FL Posts: 2,707	Emeralds are hit or miss with bubble algae, and they can be coral eaters when they get bigger. I don't think location matters. Mine have ALWAYS been from the keys and I've pretty much given up on them as an effective bubble algae control. I also completely disagree with the keys peppermints being the only ones that eat aiptasia.

01/03/2014, 10:42 AM	#16
KafudaFish Cyprinius carpio Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 4,496	Of the nuisance algae that we deal with ba is one of the easier ones to beat or at least control. Manual removal is easy using a screw driver as mentioned above or a bamboo skewer works well too. Turn your pumps off, and pry up then catch the algae with a simple fish net. As far as people complaining about spore release they aren't always present. It will take time and can come back but ba isn't as bad as others. Good luck.

01/03/2014, 02:11 PM	#19
puggsli1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Socal Posts: 201	Before I tried peroxide I did manual removal with a dental pick removing all bubble algae, while the rock was out of the tank. Then rinsed the rock in new salt water did this about 3 times. No luck for me it would just come back until i tried peroxide. My rock is pukani. __________________ Equipment: Leemar 48x24x20 rimless, Bubble King 180 Double cone skimmer, ATI 6 Bulb PM, Vortech mp40's, Ac Jr, Eheim 1262 return.

01/03/2014, 02:32 PM	#20
ryeguyy84 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,753	I battled bubble algae for months. I did weekly water changes with a 1/4 rigid airline cut to a point. then I would pry up the bubbles and either suck them through the airline or pull them out with my fingers. it sucked, but I would go from the left side to the right side then start over with the new growth. eventually I was able to get it under control with only some small patches. a 3 day lights out period seemed to do nothing to limit the growth. Toward the end I could pull it off in sheets. before: almost gone: I don't have a picture of the tank when it was just a few patches but you get the point. Last edited by ryeguyy84; 01/03/2014 at 02:38 PM.

01/03/2014, 03:38 PM	#21
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	UV and BUBBLE ALGAE Does anyone out there run UV in a system with bubble algae? Has it slowed it down? It seems as if it spreads through the water, presumably via spore reproduction. If that's correct than it seems consistent physical removal while running UV might control its spread, though probably not totally eradicate, bubble algae. Opinions or experiences? BA is a tough customer. It persists through low nutrients and will gladly grow in the shade.

01/03/2014, 03:44 PM	#23
puggsli1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Socal Posts: 201	I have a emperor aquatics smart uv 25 watt and it did not do any thing for bubble algae. __________________ Equipment: Leemar 48x24x20 rimless, Bubble King 180 Double cone skimmer, ATI 6 Bulb PM, Vortech mp40's, Ac Jr, Eheim 1262 return.