Best one-time clean up and ongoing control for Bubble Algae?

[Singspot]

I added 3 emerald crab .. they are working already on the bubble algae .... will keep an eye on their opportunistic behavior.... (hope my Melanerous does hurt the crabs).

Will keep all posted

I added 6 more .. then found 1 dead ... should have 8 still alive .. have not seen big dent to the bubbles yet

 

[ClownSchool]

I am looking for direct specific treatment for "Bubble Algae". This is an ask for knowledge sharing from anyone have personally tried and killed/ eradicated bubble algae in large mixed reef tank with lots fishes.

I understand water parameters is the real-solution. I am looking for treatment and management solutions for Bubble Algae.

Months back, I had Cyano and the Hair Algae - @SamsReef and Reefco (LFS in NJ) suggested using Chemiclean for Cyano and Flux RX for hair algae - the suggestions are 100% spot on and works fully. There may be other options but I use these since they work.

Looking for similar solution for Bubble Algae:
1. one-time clean-up/ wipe out treatment?
2. ongoing control/ management?


Any experience with acanthurus tang (which works best and is hardy?)?
Emerald crab for ongoing is likely not going to work - the crab is too slow to fix a 8 ft tank and I worry crab may hurt my other animals - shrimp/ corals/ small fishes

Also, does anyone with experience with Vibrant vs. Reef HD Reef Flux?

(Reference thread on Reef HD ... https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/killing-bubble-algae-with-reef-hd-reef-flux.353069/ would like to understand if is it safe to use 4x doze of an anti-fungal for algae)

I manually popped all I could and added emerald crabs and have not seen it return to any place the crabs can reach. Those few other places out of the crabs’ reach - on power heads and overflow - I can easily target by hand.

 

[ClownSchool]

My one spot foxface and emerald crabs aren’t doing anything to my bubble algae. Been fighting it for several months, spending a couple of hours each weekend scraping and siphoning.

That’s usually a sign of over feeding.

 

[Joe.D]

That’s usually a sign of over feeding.

I’ve cut back on feeding a bit. Pellets once per day (down from twice per day) and frozen once.

 

[ClownSchool]

I’ve cut back on feeding a bit. Pellets once per day (down from twice per day) and frozen once.

It’s hard to say whether that’s enough without knowing the amount fed versus your bio load.
Skipping days between feedings is a very common practice.
I have skipped multiple days when taking weekend trips without any problem.
I usually feed frozen and pellets daily.
When I feed pellets, I use the same pinch I’d use for salting my own food (very small).
When I feed frozen, I put a splash of R/O water in a tiny tuperware, put a cube of frozen food in and refrigerate. Then, each day, I use a 1/4 tsp (1 ml) measuring spoon, stir it up, and add about 5 spoon-fulls to the tank.
I have a 90 gallon system full of corals, 10 fish, two small anemones, 8-10 emerald crabs, about 15 hermits, 2 conchs, 10 snails, and a very modest amount of cheato in my refugium.
I add a squirt of Oyster Feast to my frozen food and broadcast feed ReefRoids once a week to keep PO3 up.

 

[Uncledd]

I have the same issue. What I’m doing is manual removal and using a Uv sterilizer to kill off any spores that may be released. I’m gonna try adding a foxface too.

 

[ClownSchool]

I have the same issue. What I’m doing is manual removal and using a Uv sterilizer to kill off any spores that may be released. I’m gonna try adding a foxface too.

A recent publication confirmed the fluid inside the bubbles do not contain spores.

I attached the curved applicator needle found in an aiptasia treatment kit to the python hose of my water change tube with a rubber band and scraped the bubbles with it during a water change.
It did a good job of sucking up the algae as it broke loose.

I hope that helps.

 

[ClownSchool]

It’s hard to say whether that’s enough without knowing the amount fed versus your bio load.
Skipping days between feedings is a very common practice.
I have skipped multiple days when taking weekend trips without any problem.
I usually feed frozen and pellets daily.
When I feed pellets, I use the same pinch I’d use for salting my own food (very small).
When I feed frozen, I put a splash of R/O water in a tiny tuperware, put a cube of frozen food in and refrigerate. Then, each day, I use a 1/4 tsp (1 ml) measuring spoon, stir it up, and add about 5 spoon-fulls to the tank.
I have a 90 gallon system full of corals, 10 fish, two small anemones, 8-10 emerald crabs, about 15 hermits, 2 conchs, 10 snails, and a very modest amount of cheato in my refugium.
I add a squirt of Oyster Feast to my frozen food and broadcast feed ReefRoids once a week to keep PO3 up.

PO4…sorry.

 

[Joe.D]

It’s hard to say whether that’s enough without knowing the amount fed versus your bio load.
Skipping days between feedings is a very common practice.
I have skipped multiple days when taking weekend trips without any problem.
I usually feed frozen and pellets daily.
When I feed pellets, I use the same pinch I’d use for salting my own food (very small).
When I feed frozen, I put a splash of R/O water in a tiny tuperware, put a cube of frozen food in and refrigerate. Then, each day, I use a 1/4 tsp (1 ml) measuring spoon, stir it up, and add about 5 spoon-fulls to the tank.
I have a 90 gallon system full of corals, 10 fish, two small anemones, 8-10 emerald crabs, about 15 hermits, 2 conchs, 10 snails, and a very modest amount of cheato in my refugium.
I add a squirt of Oyster Feast to my frozen food and broadcast feed ReefRoids once a week to keep PO3 up.

That’s good insight! Thanks!

I have a 75 gallon display with 9 fish and maybe 10 corals. I do a small pinch of pellets and approx 1/2” cube of frozen per day. Nori every other or third day.

 

[DaScubaSteve]

Best thing for algae in the display is to try and grow algae in the sump/refugium/turf scrubber. I added a 20 gallon long refugium and run the lights at night opposite the main display (also good at keeping ph stable) Just have to clear out the algae every so often as it competes for nutrients with my corals. Then let nature take it's course. Clean up crew will clean the DT while the algae grows like wild in the sump. You can manually remove as much bubble algae as you can at first then let nature take it's course.

What I have learned from the past three years of reefing is to let the tank balance its self out. You will start to get a good feeling of you tank based on the coral colors and green film algae on the glass.

Just be patient it will go away

 

[Idoc]

Emeral crabs didn't work for me.

Vibrant took care of the problem in a few weeks. Then work on maintaining better nutrient levels and stability.

 

[DaScubaSteve]

Just be careful of vibrant read up on the forum regarding it. Was found to be algaecide. It will work but there could be collatera

 

[ClownSchool]

That’s good insight! Thanks!

I have a 75 gallon display with 9 fish and maybe 10 corals. I do a small pinch of pellets and approx 1/2” cube of frozen per day. Nori every other or third day.

…I meant PO4…I’ve been making that mistake a lot lately and don’t know if it’s me, of if I did it once and auto-correct started changing it on me since.
But, based on your bio load, that seems like too much frozen. A cube diluted in R/O usually lasts me 4 or 5 days.

 

[ClownSchool]

Just be careful of vibrant read up on the forum regarding it. Was found to be algaecide. It will work but there could be collatera

Yes. Vibrant is turning into the product to avoid.
A quarter-, to half-dose, of ChemiClean over a couple weeks is much safer. But, some avoid it because they don’t like how it can make their protein skimmer go crazy like a science project volcano.

 

[ryshark]

This worked for me years ago in my 180-gallon. Completely cleared out a bad bubble algae problem.

1. Purchased 50 mexican red-leg hermit crabs from bluezooaquatics. I got this idea from another reefer which also had a bad bubble algae problem and also beat it.

2. Purchased 6-emerald crabs from various places

3. I purchased a Scribbled Rabbitfish (S. Doliatus)

4. I scraped the bubble algae off the rocks with a metal spoon. I'd say that about 50% of the rocks I scraped underwater and the other 50% I was able to take out of the tank and scrape the bubbles off in the backyard, then I would pour a little tank water over the rock before putting it back in the tank. While doing this the bubbles were exploding everywhere, shooting liquid all over me including in my eyes and in my mouth.

5. I took a net and caught as much algae as I could which was floating in the water column. Although I tried to scoop out as much as I could with the spoon, there was a ton which I was not able to get out and just scraped away at it while it floated away or fell to the bottom. My sandbed had bubble algae all over. (All pumps off during this process)

The Doliatus Rabbitfish was eating the left over bubble algae, right out of the water column. He was going after it like a tang goes after food. Then after he ate it all, he started picking remnants of bubble algae off the rock too.


I think all the crabs helped to prevent it from coming back.

 

[sfin52]

A foxface

 

[Jesterrace]

Same here. Any bubble algae that even thinks of popping up in my DT is devoured with glee by my One Spot Foxface.

 

[Singspot]

Found the solution to Bubble Algae - Blond Naso Tang!

Thanka @SamsReef for the suggestion.

Of course you have ensure the Naso is QT well, give some bubble algae infested rock in QT for Naso to fet trained, add Naso to main tank well so the Naso not beat up ... it took me 30 days of QT and 1 week of acclimatization in main tank with a divider...

The result is sweet:
https://youtube.com/shorts/ctQEcPDvOWE?feature=share

(Emerald crab with nibble but not enough to control/ remove all of the algae ..

 

[penguinexdeus]

I never had luck with emerald crabs. They always went after coral. I have had good luck with pithos crabs though and I find them a lot more reef safe and fun to watch than emeralds. Got mine from reefcleaners https://www.reefcleaners.org/aquarium-store/tank-cleaners/pitho-crab-detail

 

[jackson6745]

Anyone try dosing Brightwell Razor?