Algae on zoa rock

kpnosal · Feb 2, 2016

What should I do about this bubble-like algae? There are also some soft green perhaps algae as well.

Lenny_S · Feb 2, 2016

Don't pop it whatever you do, it will release its spores and you'll have a lot more. If you can take the rock out, do that and see if you can scrape it off fully in tact. If it does burst, at least it's out of the tank and you can just give the rock a good rinse before you put it back in the tank.

Waters · Feb 3, 2016

Lenny_S said:
Don't pop it whatever you do, it will release its spores and you'll have a lot more. If you can take the rock out, do that and see if you can scrape it off fully in tact. If it does burst, at least it's out of the tank and you can just give the rock a good rinse before you put it back in the tank.

I think that might actually be a myth......there are a few threads recently about this subject. Emerald crabs certainly don't swallow the bubbles whole

tankstudy · Feb 3, 2016

That is the biggest bubble algae I have ever seen...

Smite · Feb 3, 2016

Waters said:
I think that might actually be a myth......there are a few threads recently about this subject. Emerald crabs certainly don't swallow the bubbles whole

I always thought they popped them, spores were released and they just maintained the growth from there.

I'll have to do a search for that thread. I'd love to learn more about it, as I have a few myself.

To the OP. If you can't remove the rock try and peel it off during your next water change. Hold you hose/syphon (or have a friend hold it) in the area incase you pop it. That way most of the debris ( or spores if that's indeed true) are sucked out of your water column.

Edit:

You may want to make up some kalk paste, or buy some aiptasia - x to treat those as well. I let mine get out if hand and they have multiplied like crazy. I regret that for sure. You can also look for Berghia nudibranch as well.

Lenny_S · Feb 3, 2016

Waters said:
I think that might actually be a myth......there are a few threads recently about this subject. Emerald crabs certainly don't swallow the bubbles whole

It may be a myth, but there is plenty enough evidence pointing to this that IMHO it is not worth the risk.
Here is a pretty good article from Reefkeeping magazine http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/
As far as emerald crabs go, many believe they can actually make the situation worse because they pop the bubble, releasing the spores, as they eat it.
I can't say there is hard scientific evidence either way, but that goes for a lot of things in this hobby.
As far as bubble algae goes, I personally would not take the chance that spores being released when they are popped is just a myth. But that's me.