red bubble algae..how to control/eliminate

JPotter · #1 03-25-2009, 11:36 PM

J&L suggested a rock amount and I took considerably more than that. Most of the tank has rock. I do not have red slime (cyan) I have red bubble algae on the rocks and at the base of some coral. The sand is clear white and about a year old.

mseepman · #2 03-26-2009, 05:13 AM

Can you post pictures of this algae?

JPotter · #3 03-28-2009, 05:01 AM

I scraped a lot off today but expect it will grow back.

mseepman · #4 03-28-2009, 06:29 PM

Would still love to see a picture of the algae you are struggling with.

SeaShell · #5 03-29-2009, 01:20 AM

I have successfully dealt with bubble algae in the past.... I had a 20 gallon nano that was totally infested with it. The problem is that bursting the bubbles results in it spreading. What I did was to chisel the end of a turkey baster. I sucked up the pieces as I chiseled the bubbles off the rock. Eventually this method completely solved the problem.

Hope it, or something else, works for you.

JPotter · #6 03-29-2009, 04:02 AM

I tried a dental scaler and the bits I could reach came off well. Unfortunately I expect I ripped open a lot of them in the process! as a newbie I have put my rock too close to the edges, have lots of overhangs etc --> make it next to impossible to reach with a baster. I shall see what happens

midgetwaiter · #7 03-29-2009, 06:25 AM

Keeping a decent sized tubastrea is going to be tough in a Bio Cube, you need to feed it too much. IME nitrate is usually the culprit with big valonia outbreaks, this matches up with what you've been seeing.

Consider what your situation is going to be post removal if you go after it now, all that nitrogen is going to end up feeding something and you probably won't like whatever it is. The valonia is comparatively easy to manage. Get the nitrate issues solved before you start removing the valonia aggressively.

RuGlu6 · #8 03-29-2009, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPotter

J&L suggested a rock amount and I took considerably more than that. Most of the tank has rock. I do not have red slime (cyan) I have red bubble algae on the rocks and at the base of some coral. The sand is clear white and about a year old.

More rock then 25% of tank volume will lead to:
1-Lack of circulation
2-Dead zones with no O2
3-Po4 phosphates accumulation as well as No3.

Solution:
1-Remove some live rock
2- Go bare bottom or 1" inch sand bed at max.
3- increase circulation with propeller type pumps for wider flow pattern (not impeller)
4- Get rid of Po4, phosphates are main cause of algae.
Live rock and sand are "Home Depot" size source of Po4.