Bubble algae?

[Jakejtown]

Yesterday I was shocked when I looked at tank and saw all these bubbles on the sand bed. I have been reading everything I can as this is my first saltwater tank. I remembered reading about bubble algae so I started reading everything I could find on bubble algae. (Worried at this point as it seems to be hard to get rid of). This morning first thing I looked at tank and no bubbles? How can that be? It was confined to Small area of the sand bed. Now nothing! Did my crabs take care of it? Or really is to still there just to rear it’s head again soon?

This is mt 13.5 fluval evo AIO
2 clowns
2 large snails
Approx 10 crabs of different sizes. (Lfs supplied them) not sure what type
Tank started in November 23
Mixed reef -all corals seem healthy with great color. Clove polyp gas lots of new growth and my zoas are beautiful.
Dosing b-ionic calcium buffer no 1 and 2
Water temp 77.9 currently.
Ca 440
Alk 10.5. Working on slowly bringing it down with very small dose adjustment
Ammonia 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 8.2
Phosphate .20
Carbon in chamber
Salinity 1027

I know I can’t be that lucky! I’m attaching pictures of algae yesterday afternoon and pictures this morning of tank. 2 pictures of algae last picture of tank this morning

 

[mues]

Hard to tell from your pics due to blue lights, but bubbles on sand bed can also be bacteria forming. I would say normal part of your new tank

 

[Crabs McJones]

Looks like air bubbles getting trapped under cyanobacteria. bubble algae is typically green or red

 

[Mschmidt]

with your N at 0, it could be diatoms. I'd bring that up to about 10, and I'd take salinity down to 1.025.

but the experts will speak more truth than I.

 

[Jakejtown]

Hard to tell from your pics due to blue lights, but bubbles on sand bed can also be bacteria forming. I would say normal part of your new tank

Hard to tell from your pics due to blue lights, but bubbles on sand bed can also be bacteria forming. I would say normal part of your new tank

 

[Jakejtown]

Thank you!

 

[Jakejtown]

with your N at 0, it could be diatoms. I'd bring that up to about 10, and I'd take salinity down to 1.025.

but the experts will speak more truth than I.

Thank you! Did water change today and clean the sand. Have new test kit coming tomorrow. Will test again and see where we are.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Agree on likely air bubbles. If you gently blow water at them via turkey baster or even pipette and they escape, you have gas bubbles. If a newer tank, often you will get these bubbles on sand and glass. It can be due in part to lack of water flow

 

[Jakejtown]

Agree on likely air bubbles. If you gently blow water at them via turkey baster or even pipette and they escape, you have gas bubbles. If a newer tank, often you will get these bubbles on sand and glass. It can be due in part to lack of water flow

 

[Jakejtown]

Thank you! After reading all this stuff, I just knew it was bad. Have had great luck with this small tank and assumed the worst. I do weekly water changes of 10 percent but did about a 40 percent change today and cleaned the sand. Tank looks great today.

 

[Roatan Reef]

Also, bubble algae mostly grows on corals, powerheads, intakes, returns etc, not likely to grow on sandbed.

 

[Jakejtown]

Also, bubble algae mostly grows on corals, powerheads, intakes, returns etc, not likely to grow on sandbed.

Thank you! Good to know.