Bubble Algae

baseballfanatic2 · Aug 28, 2020

I have bubble algae in my tank. So much. I pop and siphon all I can during water change. Will look clean for a couple days. The back with full force like I didn't do anything. I have very expensive corals, lost, sps, high end mushrooms, and zoas.

What can I add to the tank to get rid of this? I heard of vibrant. But also heard of a lot of ppl having bad effects. Anyone with experience help please

Hincapiej4 · Aug 28, 2020

Foxface or emerald crab

sfin52 · Aug 28, 2020

Agree foxface or emeralds.

baseballfanatic2 · Aug 28, 2020

sfin52 said:
Agree foxface or emeralds.

30 gallon tank

sfin52 · Aug 28, 2020

baseballfanatic2 said:
30 gallon tank

Emerald crabs. I would add 2

Ippyroy · Aug 28, 2020

You shouldn't pop the bubbles. That causes the algae to spread.

Leadfooted · Aug 28, 2020

10-12 emeralds or your just playing games. Continue manual removal, take back emeralds when majority of bubbles are gone, leaving only 2. Fox face also love bubble algae but get a smaller-medium size only, they can stick their nose in tighter spaces for little bubbles. Yes, one or two emeralds are good to maintain but you need to be aggressive at this point.
I don't suggest popping the bubbles but I do use a syphon hose tip to remove them off the glass or smooth surface. I'd suggest removing as many bubble with tweezers out side of the tank as well.

rwreef · Aug 28, 2020

As a guy who tried all the above. Vibrant + manual removal and water changes was the only way I 100% rid my tank of bubble algea. It will kill your macro algea in the sump if you have any. I recommend Vibrant, took about 2 months on my 75g.

baseballfanatic2 · Sep 3, 2020

rwreef said:
As a guy who tried all the above. Vibrant + manual removal and water changes was the only way I 100% rid my tank of bubble algea. It will kill your macro algea in the sump if you have any. I recommend Vibrant, took about 2 months on my 75g.

I have more then you lol did vibrant kill any corals?

Double monti 61 · Sep 3, 2020

Hi I have some bubble algae in my tank but I remove them from the rock,sand,glass and corals if needed when I do the weekly water change and I have kept their growth at bay.

Pistondog · Sep 3, 2020

baseballfanatic2 said:
I have bubble algae in my tank. So much. I pop and siphon all I can during water change. Will look clean for a couple days. The back with full force like I didn't do anything. I have very expensive corals, lost, sps, high end mushrooms, and zoas.

What can I add to the tank to get rid of this? I heard of vibrant. But also heard of a lot of ppl having bad effects. Anyone with experience help please

Emerald crab and urchins, foxface if your tank were bigger.
Manual removal where possible.
Popping does not release anything.
They reproduce by simple cell division. Each bubble is a single cell.

Valonia ventricosa - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

rwreef · Sep 3, 2020

baseballfanatic2 said:
I have more then you lol did vibrant kill any corals?

That pic was only a small portion of my 75g. It was everywhere...buy no corals were harmed.

Double monti 61 · Sep 4, 2020

Remove the coral during a water change and remove the bubble algae most of the time the algae will not return.

PicassoClown04 · Sep 4, 2020

Okay I’ve got a 20 gallon with a MASSIVE bubble algae problem. This is after 1 month of dosing vibrant at the full strength recommendation. Please be aware that the Vibrant makes the bubbles pop/die/fall off the rocks. My pumps have come very clogged and require weekly cleaning to get rid of the bubble algae build up. But I’d imagine this would be unnecessary after the algae is eradicated. It’s kinda hard to see cause FTS but like 90% of the rock was bubble algae, now it’s maybe 10%, probably less.
Before