Bets on my "Emerald Guard" saving my macro?

[JoJosReef]

Put two emeralds in my 10g mixed reef office tank to combat the growing bubble algae plague. Beforehand, I cut and put in acrylic tubes around the Brotycladia and Gracilaria hayi to hopefully deter the emeralds from eating them. An overachieving Astraea still managed to get in (attached). Bit less worried about the Galaxaura (more calcareous) and Codium (fast grower, always trimming back).

What do you think? Will it work?

 

[sixty_reefer]

That’s a interesting idea, hopefully it will work

 

[JoJosReef]

That’s a interesting idea, hopefully it will work

So far emeralds haven't touched my red macro! They also haven't touched my bubble algae. But, I have lots of other nuisance algae in the tank like this green leafy stuff (ulva?) covering my galaxaura. Think I caught one of the emeralds chewing on it:

One of the emeralds has taken to harassing my RFAs when I feed them. Think it's trying to steal food out of the RFA's tentacles/mouth, even though it looks as if it is attacking the RFA. The RFA does not wothdraw, though, so I think it's just theft!