Idk what it is buts it's taking over

[Turtlewax2009]

I'm not sure what this is it's starting to take over my tank rocks and everything. It's almost like an algae bubble type thing. I'm at a loss.

 

[ebushrow]

Bubble algae. Manual removal is the best way....don't break them when you remove them or you will release spores all over the tank. People have had luck using vibrant to rid the bubble algae too.

 

[Bonfish]

Grape bubble algae, I have had some luck with emerald crabs eating this stuff. It is a type of macroalgae. If you try to remove it try and not rupture the bubbles as it has a tendency to spread.

 

[hatfielj]

Pick as much of it out by hand as you can without breaking it, then go buy yourself an emerald crab or two. You'll never see it again.

 

[GXPKY]

Vibrant dosing knocks it out in a few weeks.

 

[Mariners]

There was also another article discussing raising ur magnesium lvl for a few days to 2000, however this can be a bit harsh on inverts.

 

[sromero287]

The only mag that works in this case is the Tech M magnesium from Kent!!!

 

[Mariners]

Yeah thats the one it specfically mentioned! Keep in mind tho, the article mentioned the death of a few trochus but everything else seemed fine according to the author.

 

[Girthrockwel]

Looks like a couple of them right on the middle have popped.

 

[leahfiish]

Rabbit fish and emerald crabs will eat it. Careful manual removal is also a good choice.

 

[GXPKY]

Look up vibrant, it seriously works wonders

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I took rocks out 1 by 1 and used a razor blade [box knife] to cut them off at the base, then scrubbed the area with a brush [automotive black plastic teeth type -new/clean] and rinsed with a little tap water, and once I got through my rocks [1 at a time over a week period, being careful not to keep the rocks out of the water too long] I never see them anymore. I also put two emerald crabs in, one was large and ate bubble algae, but the smaller crab didn't touch it. The crabs eventually started picking off zoa 'pods' when they were closed up, so they had to go back to the LFS

 

[Reef of Fillory]

I also found that I had to use a flashlight [actually a headlamp] to shine more light on the rocks when they were out of the water in order to see the bubble algae more clearly

 

[ChuzUThisDay]

Definitely bubble algae as stated.

I've never understood though how emerald crabs eating it is different than us popping them as we pull them off the rocks. Do the emerald crabs have a magic vacuum they turn on when they bite the bubble algae to keep from spreading the spores?

 

[jcdeng]

my foxface loves bubble algae, non left in my dt and I have to get the ones that rarely grows in my sump to feed to him occaionally as treat

 

[Greenfishman]

Everyone said it all really, defo Bubble Algae, emerald crab did wonders in my tank when I got it. None left now, crab just helps CuC now.

 

[brandon429]

100% guaranteed method option:

buy vibrant, though it wont cover every algae known to man kind, this type is its best target ever, incredibly high kill ratio I think its 100% reported and no growbacks for valonia types

but before you dose it per instructions, do whats mentioned above and take apart your whole tank to surgically remove it all by hand, first, and rinse and scrub it all off externally. don't scrub in tank, take your structures out and work on them sitting in the empty sink, that's thorough

= the price of delayed catchup vs doing it on the first rock alone, I hope this tank isn't 200 gallons

after the tank was forced clean of the invader, rinsed well, and nice water change, then dose vibrant per instructions you wont see it back.

vibrant would kill it even if you didn't pre treat, but that is too mean of an invader to risk half stepping.