Bubble algae

[steak.mama]

Hey friends, I had all your support while trying to get rid of hair algae and red algae. It seems ti have calmed down, but now I’m having an explosion of bubble algae. On top of that, my zoas are starting to melt away. What am I still doing wrong? The tank is now a year old? I’m trying to keep my water changes to once per week, and my lights on for 5 hours, then blue lights for 7 hours. Maybe it’s too long?
All the water parameters are normal. Any advice?

 

[shakacuz]

Hey friends, I had all your support while trying to get rid of hair algae and red algae. It seems ti have calmed down, but now I’m having an explosion of bubble algae. On top of that, my zoas are starting to melt away. What am I still doing wrong? The tank is now a year old? I’m trying to keep my water changes to once per week, and my lights on for 5 hours, then blue lights for 7 hours. Maybe it’s too long?
All the water parameters are normal. Any advice?

water parameters look normal since the algae is i taking the nitrate and phosphate.


how much do you feed? what is your filtration? how many fish do you have? what sized tank?

 

[Jekyl]

Tank size and current parameters?

 

[Lavey29]

12 hour light cycle is to long. What are the first 5 hours of light before the 7 hours blue?

 

[officialreefbros]

What's your water like? We have been struggling with bubble algae as well. What seems to be working is a lot of physical removal and emerald crabs.

 

[steak.mama]

water parameters look normal since the algae is i taking the nitrate and phosphate.


how much do you feed? what is your filtration? how many fish do you have? what sized tank?

It’s a 14 Gallon tank, we have a clown and goby fish. A clean up crew including emerald crabs and urchin, peppermint shrimp. We upgraded the filtration to a sponge filter.

 

[steak.mama]

12 hour light cycle is to long. What are the first 5 hours of light before the 7 hours blue?

How long should the lights be on for? We have a Fluval Evo tank with built in lights

 

[divewsharks]

How much water do you change at a time? What filtration did you have before “upgrading” to a sponge? How often are you cleaning the sponge?

 

[Lavey29]

How long should the lights be on for? We have a Fluval Evo tank with built in lights

If you're having algae problems one of the initial steps to help it is to cut back light duration. Typically 6 hours with blue and uv only no whites. Normal duration would be like 10 hours. Bubble algae slightly different though because it can grow in complete shade to under rock caves. Manual removal essential and get an emerald or a pitho crab for it.

 

[NotoriousDMC]

I have bubble algae too in an otherwise very successful tank growing softies to nems to lps to acros. I also have vermitid snails and a few aptasia. I don’t chase things until they become a problem. Emerald crabs generally eat bubble algae (I’ve seen them eating it) that gets on my rocks and then I have to deal with removing on the overflow, pumps, etc. I have an army of bumble bee snails to go after the vermitids and peppermints to keep aptasia in check.

Anyway…I did have hair algae or bryposis start to melt some zoas and what worked for me was taking them out of the tank and manual removal of algae plus hydrogen peroxide (cut with RODI) dip.