Pizzapro83
Well-Known Member
I have had alot of buuble alega showing up lately. I have tried to pick it out but it just comes back. What makes this stuff grow? Also is there any animal to help keep it under controll? Thanks
Bubble alega
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Emerald Crab 
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Pizzapro83
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Man your the saltwater god:bigsmile: Will they pick at my corals?Emerald Crab
Emerald Crabs are great bubble algae (valonia) eaters and don't bother anything else.
I beg to differ my emerald crab clawed my tyree bgm 4 times in a row and messed it up pretty bad if you have high dollar stuff dont put one in your tank find a alternate method.
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Pizzapro83
Well-Known Member
What other methods are there?I beg to differ my emerald crab clawed my tyree bgm 4 times in a row and messed it up pretty bad if you have high dollar stuff dont put one in your tank find a alternate method.
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Hand removal, which is what I am doing. You will never get it all unless you are in the tank like 20 minutes a day.. even then, it usually comes back.
revhtree
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Can I ask all of you a question?
Let me fist set up the question.
When an emerald crab eats bubble algae, which they do, they bust the bubble and eat the shell.
So why are we so against busting the bubbles our self?
The crabs don't bust them quick and suck the juice out! LOL!
BTW caught an emerald picking on thew skin of my scoly a couple times. Banished him to the sump!
Let me fist set up the question.
When an emerald crab eats bubble algae, which they do, they bust the bubble and eat the shell.
So why are we so against busting the bubbles our self?
The crabs don't bust them quick and suck the juice out! LOL!
BTW caught an emerald picking on thew skin of my scoly a couple times. Banished him to the sump!
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Great point that I have also wondered about....
I've seen emeralds pop and eat bubbles, and I've seen them eat the whole bubble depending on the size of the crab, and the algae.
Now, angry with algae rage.. I wire brushed all my bubble algae off.. now I have mini colonies where they once sat. I've removed them with a siphon during a WC and the one that popped, still left babies.... I just destroy them every now and then.... meh.
Crabs are hit and miss like any of the natural methods. I have never had problems with Emeralds in a heavily stocked SPS dominated system or in my nano but thats not to say you won't. I would try one until the bubble is gone then give it away or sell it back to the LFS. I do the same with nudibranchs so they don't starve once they have done their job. Once the crab eradicates the bubble and gets bored he starts looking for ways to irritate you!
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Well, I would love to believe that it is all hit or miss.... but a crab is a crab is a crab.....
NanoNano
Active Member
Eh you sure about that? I've heard of lots of people having trouble with their emeralds.
They do eat Valonia and sometimes GHA too though. Mine has been reef safe so far as I know, he only comes out in pitch black.
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Pizzapro83
Well-Known Member
So are you saying just pop them in the tank and suck them out?
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Just sharing my experiences. Neither of them actually fixed the problem. Just repainted the problem.
Paintguru
In need of tank
I HATE the small variety of bubble algae. Best eater of it I've found is a Desjardin Tang from the Red Sea. He took it all out in my larger tank when I had it there, but now it is in my nano and obviously he can't go in there. Stuff is about as annoying as any "pest" out there.
