Rconde Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Hello everyone my tank is being over run with bubble alge, was wondering what or how is the best way to get rid of it??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbo662 Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I've heard emerald crabs really like the stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Emerald crabs supposedly do the trick. I'd also probably reduce the photocycle of the lights and reduce nutrient input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnM Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Some peppermint shrimp eat it too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShawnM Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 Seen sailfin tangs destroy some bubble Algea populations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rconde Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 I've got a 29BC so a tang is prob out of the question Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reburn Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 I hate to be the bearer of bad news but in a tank that small. Manual removal is going to be your best bet. I have tried emerald crabs in the past with little success. Your tank is really too small for a fox face which would be my perfered method. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sascha D. Posted February 8, 2016 Share Posted February 8, 2016 Reduced photoperiod does not work on Valonia sp. Bubble algae will often grow on the underside or deep in holes of the rock. Lowering the amount of nutrients typically doesn't work like it would on GHA. The larger bubbles don't die in a low nutrient system and the spores will grow as long as there is light. However, lowering the nutrients will slow down the growth rate of existing bubbles. Emerald crabs would work if it were the only food source in the aquarium. Emerald Crabs will seek the easiest source of food, which is normally uneaten fish food. If you had several crabs in a refugium or separate aquarium and transferred one rock from the display then they would clean it. They will not eat the spores though. I agree that manual removal is your best bet. You could remove one rock at a time and pull the algae off, trying not to pop any. My preferred method is to use a siphon to suck the bubbles out. The good thing about the siphon is that you also get the spores if you happen to pop one. I would do it once a month during the water change. If you don't want to do a wc, then put a filter bag into the sump and siphon water from the display into the filter bag. It's painfully slow process of beating bubble algae because you have to keep removing it until all of the spores have grown. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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