Bubble algae

[Jrswish]

I have a small breakout , what’s the beat method to get rid of it? I can’t do vibrance or whatever cus I have a heap of Chaeto. Thanks

 

[shakacuz]

emerald crabs. get females as they are reportedly not a big PITA as males.

 

[Gtinnel]

I just found some in my tank this evening. My plans are for manual removal where possible then an emerald crab.
I've had emerald crabs in the past and you just have to make sure they continue to have food if there is no algea in the tank for them, or they may go after corals. As mentioned above I've heard the males are more likely to eat corals, but the one I had that ate corals I never checked the gender of.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Emerald crabs
Pitho Crabs
Rabbitfish

Liquid vibrant

 

[sfin52]

Emerald crabs
Pitho Crabs
Rabbitfish

Liquid vibrant

I use a foxface and emeralds.

 

[Jrswish]

Will emeralds mess with corals? I have like $750 worth of corals.

 

[shakacuz]

Will emeralds mess with corals? I have like $750 worth of corals.

try to get females. they are less annoying to deal with apparently. i have 1 in my 40b. so far, so good..

 

[Gtinnel]

I had one emerald crab once that started eating clove polyps in my tank. My tank was basically free of any algea at the time so I believe it was starving and started eating the corals. I never checked the gender of the crab when it got banished to the sump.

 

[IKD]

Do we have any biologists around? There was a running assumption about popping them caused them to spread, but is that really true?

I’ve read that bubble algae are actually the largest single-celled organisms. If that’s true, then I assume they would reproduce only through mitosis, and breaking the bubble would kill the cell itself and there wouldn’t be further reproduction.

Anyone knowledgeable enough with scientific data to concur or reject my thoughts?

 

[Sharkbait19]

I had one emerald crab once that started eating clove polyps in my tank. My tank was basically free of any algea at the time so I believe it was starving and started eating the corals. I never checked the gender of the crab when it got banished to the sump.

What is with emeralds and clove polyps…mine did the same thing. Mostly the dying ones though.
Also killed a brittle star and probably some snails in its lifetime.
Generally they ignore coral, but will pick on dying ones or take algae off. May steal food, or if you get a particularly annoying one it will eat coral.
Some are raised to eat only bubble algae if I’m correct.

 

[Gtinnel]

What is with emeralds and clove polyps…mine did the same thing. Mostly the dying ones though.
Also killed a brittle star and probably some snails in its lifetime.
Generally they ignore coral, but will pick on dying ones or take algae off. May steal food, or if you get a particularly annoying one it will eat coral.
Some are raised to eat only bubble algae if I’m correct.

The clove polyps seemed to be healthy, it was the crab that I think was dying, I watched him pluck a few polyps off and eat them before I was able to get him (or her IDK) out of the tank.