Bubble algea = the devil

mr_alberta · #1 08-13-2006, 02:46 PM

<rant>

Grr, this stuff just won't go away. You pick and pick and pick and pick at it and it still comes back. My emerald crab is faulty as well. I think I need to return it *ahem RYAN or RUSS*

</rant>

Mind you, my tank maintanance has gone downhill this summer so its 100% my fault, but shhhhhhh, no one needs to know...

Delphinus · #2 08-13-2006, 02:53 PM

Once it gets a pretty good foothold it can be a nightmare.

I got lucky though, I found out my desjardini makes pretty quick work of it. So any rock that gets out of hand in another tank gets moved into his tank. Now if only I could find something to decimate caulerpa I'd be set. It feels like years after removing it a little stand of it can pop out of nowhere.

saltaddict · #3 08-13-2006, 04:11 PM

Bubble algae is like crack to my Foxface Rabbitfish. Ill put a new frag in my tank with bubble algae attached and the algae is gone within seconds.

christyf5 · #4 08-13-2006, 04:13 PM

Bleh, its the first thing non-reefers see in the tank "is that a marble?"

I have quite the plague myself, at least it isn't caulerpa

Chin_Lee · #5 08-13-2006, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saltaddict

Bubble algae is like crack to my Foxface Rabbitfish. Ill put a new frag in my tank with bubble algae attached and the algae is gone within seconds.

how much for rent? I would love a foxface like yours. I too have the bubble plague.

Delphinus · #6 08-13-2006, 05:13 PM

I went through almost a dozen emeralds in my quest to keep the stuff under control. They weren't very useful at it. Frankly I wonder if the problem is that it's a little like trying to drain a lake with an eyedropper. Perhaps you can eventually get "lucky" and get one with a ravenous apetite for valonia but the methodology of buying them again and again in the hopes you'll find that one seems pretty ineffective to me.

I think if something like a rabbitfish or a tang isn't an option then realistically the only option is aggressive manual removal. When removing from rocks, take the rock out of the tank to prevent the stray scruboffs from floating away. As far as the glass is concerned, I guess remove carefully from there and try to get every last bubble that gets away. Any equipment that gets it, same deal as the rocks, take it out, don't try to clean it in place. I learned this the hard way and it actually was a deciding factor for me to take down my 90g a couple months ago, I just couldn't keep up. I even had these gargantuan mobile/roving colonies of valonia (turned out to be astrea snails underneath).

Those big marble ones seem to be not too bad, it's the little ones that only get to a couple mm in size that are a serious problem. I'm not sure if it's a different species or what, but it's the little ones you really need to panic about. Seriously, once it gets past a threshold you'll find yourself fighting a losing battle so don't let it get away from you.

Maybe another option is to see if you can find someone with a valonia eater and temporarily (or permanently) trade rocks or something like that.

Good luck!!

PS. I found that for equipment like heaters, powerheads, seios, whatever, etc. etc. -- soak them in vinegar for a little bit. Works like a breeze!!!

sprinter · #7 08-13-2006, 05:28 PM

I have no problems with calerpa or any other algae since I added a rabit fish and foxface to my 250 gal tank. I have to feed them at least once a week calerpa from my refugium. One large hand full will fill them up for a day. I have 1 blue tang and an emperor angel also that eat the calerpa and any other algae that goes into the tank. I have a 250 gal reef tank and no algae problem.

Beverly · #8 08-16-2006, 03:25 PM

Here's an article on valonia. Removal methods are about halfway down the page....

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...ture/index.php

The method I use, from the article, is pretty much as follows, taking great care to remove a piece of rock that the valonia is attached to and not to rupture any of the valonia....

Quote:

My weapon of choice ought to be a small stainless-steel flathead screwdriver, sharpened to wicked excess, and used to gouge out the offenders at the anchorage, even including a thin veneer of rock.

Funky_Fish14 · #9 08-16-2006, 05:31 PM

Thats the way I've always taken it out... manually digging out underneath it.. Blowing it up is horryfying! Haha.

Good luck with the removal Harvey!

Chris

Canadbis · #10 08-16-2006, 09:42 PM

I grabbed some emeralds shortly after I noticed it starting and so far they are gone, (cross my fingers). I thought I would try that before the screwdriver method. Working so far!!
Gl