Poll: Bubble Algae Removal

[cwiggins]

Had bubble algae for 4 months! Could not get rid of the stuff. Took over about 80% of my rock and then started growing on my overflow! During that time I tried popping, syphoning out, emerald crabs, scrubbing the rocks outside of the tank and dumping the rocks in hydrogen peroxide and scrubbing more. What finally killed the stuff was a combination of removing the rock, scrubbing and my reef saver VIBRANT!!! I will forever be a fan of vibrant, even if it never helps with anything else in my reef. Vibrant and the final scrubbing with peroxide killed everything left. Took about 2-3 weeks for vibrant to work but along the way I could see the bubble algae turning white slowly. Best feeling ever!

 

[GrouperStupor]

Only had a small amount of BA. Vibrant...worked so well, it made me a little suspicious ;Shifty

 

[Brew12]

Only had a small amount of BA. Vibrant...worked so well, it made me a little suspicious ;Shifty

Its snake oil. Snake oil is toxic to many forms of algae, apparently.

 

[CurtnStac]

I too am a fan of Vibrant. I only have a little bubble algae so I'm currently manually removing and using Vibrant. The existing bubbles are slowly turning white and I don't see any new ones. I do have a little cyano as a side effect but that's easy to get rid of once the bubble algae is gone.

 

[sghera64]

More coral (out compete it). Emerald crabs worked well for me, but then tend to ignore the bigger bubble cells. That was okay because I can grasp those easier than the little ones. Problem: Emerald crabs seem to perish in less than a year. They did not bother my corals and they did pick at some minor hair algae.

I implemented a ulva & chaeto refugium and they now outcompete the bubble in my DT. I still have bubble algae in my frag tanks. Funny thing: bubble algae love high flow so much, they actually "spawn" on the cage of my recirculation pumps.

 

[kruley]

My emerald crab will take care of the new, smaller bubbles. Manual removal of the ones that he misses. I have also read that the spores are not viable until the bubble is fully mature so I just get rid of them before that! However, I am sad that it is such a nuisance because it has a unique look that I enjoy. That said, it still has to go. I have seen what happens if I don't keep it in check.

 

[cracker]

So yesterday I took tweezers & a small siphon hose. I plucked& siphoned then applied H2o2 to the spots. Never used peroxide it the tank before . It was a small amount in this 180 . We shall see. I personally have had enough of this plague. Desperate times sometime require desperate measures ! I just might try vibrant !

 

[JR55]

I had a problem with aiptasia in a Red Sea reefer 250 so I picked up a matted filefish. He took care of the aiptasia and then dined on three frags so he got moved to a smaller tank with a GSP and fair amount of bubble algae. Within a week all of the bubble algae was gone and has not returned.

 

[BlennyKravitz]

Vibrant definitely works to eradicate bubble algae but it will also wipe out any macro algae growing in a refugium or algae reactor.

 

[Westside Guy]

I had a problem with aiptasia in a Red Sea reefer 250 so I picked up a matted filefish. He took care of the aiptasia and then dined on three frags so he got moved to a smaller tank with a GSP and fair amount of bubble algae. Within a week all of the bubble algae was gone and has not returned.

My filefish did a great job on the aiptasia in my Reefer 250 but now I have bubble algae spreading and it hasn’t made a dent.

I added 2 emerald crabs last week and they seem more interested in going after my fish than eating the bubble algae. Several times I have witnessed them following fish and trying to grab them with their claws. Has anyone else had this issue?

 

[vetteguy53081]

My filefish did a great job on the aiptasia in my Reefer 250 but now I have bubble algae spreading and it hasn’t made a dent.

I added 2 emerald crabs last week and they seem more interested in going after my fish than eating the bubble algae. Several times I have witnessed them following fish and trying to grab them with their claws. Has anyone else had this issue?

I trust a politician more than i trust emerald crabs

 

[Westside Guy]

By the way, I can use either my Red Sea 225 micron thin mesh filter bags or filter floss inside the 2 media cup openings. Does it make any difference on which one to use?

 

[Uncle99]

It took about 15 weeks, but Vibrant completely wiped it out.

 

[Westside Guy]

It took about 15 weeks, but Vibrant completely wiped it out.

My bottle of Vibrant just arrived today.

 

[NowGlazeIT]

I’ve tried the emerald crab twice with no luck. I wake up to a crab munching the last of a zoa colony ;Dead

 

[reefiniteasy]

Just battled my first case of bubble algae. I shouldn’t say it was a battle. I dropped in an emerald crab and overnight the bubble algae was gone. Now I’m watching him closely, I don’t like the menacing looks he gives.

 

[Westside Guy]

Just battled my first case of bubble algae. I shouldn’t say it was a battle. I dropped in an emerald crab and overnight the bubble algae was gone. Now I’m watching him closely, I don’t like the menacing looks he gives.

The last 2 emerald crabs I added had large claws and started chasing my fish. I already removed one and the other one is playing hide and seek. Also my zoa colonies have been shrinking and they may have caused this also! :mad:

 

[Salted]

Resurrecting an old post because, well, bubble algae never goes out of style. And as you may have guessed I an currently dealing with some bubble agae. As far as the poll I selected "other" Lets see how you guys like my odd approach - I burn it out. I take several ounces of tank water out with a coffee mug, I then bring that to a roiling boil in the microwave. Next add a few drops of hydrogen peroxide. I then suck that into a large syringe. Then I go into the tank with the syringe, poke the bubbles and a squirt boiling H2o2 tank water on it. I'm bringing this method forward from it's success on aptasia, which my CBB never touched (but the f**ker made quick work of the beautiful and large pink Hawaiian feather duster I'd gotten my wife). If I can manually remove it I do, but I think this is great when the bubbles are down in crevices and you can't pick them out. My weapon of choice; . Currently unavailable, but what you're looking for is the long metal tip to reach into crevices and poke with.

 

[gbroadbridge]

The Foxface and Scopas Tang love the stuff.

What they cant reach in deep crevasses, I use a bamboo skewer to either push free or pop and let the fish clean up. Free food.

 

[landlubber]

i'm in the add emerald crabs, let them fix the bubble algae breakout and then remove the crabs camp.