bubble algae quandary

[Terry Martin]

I'd be grateful for suggestions on how to deal with bubble algae in my 70 gallon tank. It has a 2 foot snowflake eel, a 4 inch toby puffer, two tangs and two damsels. The only coral I'm growing in the tank are zoas. I've got, maybe, 500 polyps or so. I've run the tank for 3-4 years. I tried emerald crabs but it didn't work. I assume eel or puffer was eating them as they disappeared. I tried hand removing. Ultimately I took every rock out. If there were no zoas, I turned into dead rock. If there were zoas I removed all bubble I could and dipped parts of rocks that didn't have zoas on them. When I restarted the system, it seemed clean for a few months but bubble algae reappeared and did so intermixed with zoas so some survived hidden in zoas. Now it has spread everywhere and is squeezing out zoas. I really don't know what to do.

 

[Jason_charlestown]

Have you considered manual removal every time you spot one? I don't mean just the extreme measures you mentioned when they're all over, but just removing individual bubbles as they first appear. I addition to crabs and hermits I know some tangs eat bubble algae, but this depends on the individual rather than just the species.

 

[Terry Martin]

Have you considered manual removal every time you spot one? I don't mean just the extreme measures you mentioned when they're all over, but just removing individual bubbles as they first appear. I addition to crabs and hermits I know some tangs eat bubble algae, but this depends on the individual rather than just the species.

I did try that before doing the extreme measures. I find it impossible to move from within zoas without ripping off zoas or crushing bubbles.

 

[Jason_charlestown]

I did try that before doing the extreme measures. I find it impossible to move from within zoas without ripping off zoas or crushing bubbles.

Gotcha. Maybe tweezers could help? The debate is still out on whether crushing bubbles is really a problem as long as you remove all the flesh. Crabs pop the bubbles and yet they're considered a good method of bubble algae control.

 

[Terry Martin]

That’s interesting. It would be worth doing just to get them off the zoas.

 

[GraniteReefer]

Vibrant and fluconazole... done

 

[SaltCreep]

I did Vibrant and Emerald crabs.
Snowflake may eat an Emerald though......

 

[dz6t]

Foxface eats bubble algae. Very effective.



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[Terry Martin]

Foxface eats bubble algae. Very effective.



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I didn't know that. Any particular species you'd recommend.

 

[EddieM]

Vibrant and fluconazole... done

Vibrant did the trick on my tank. You may get a cyno outbreak after, but the cyno is much easier to address.

 

[Terry Martin]

Vibrant did the trick on my tank. You may get a cyno outbreak after, but the cyno is much easier to address.

I have a bottle of Vibrant in the basement. How long did you treat the tank? How bad was the bubble algae? I have a refugium. I assume I'd have to shut that down for treatment.

 

[dz6t]

Foxface eats bubble algae. Very effective.



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I didn't know that. Any particular species you'd recommend.

Any foxface except the magnificent foxface


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[jdeb101]

I know it's hit or miss, but I'm currently trying with an emerald and have tried in the past as well to no avail from what I can tell. Doesn't seem the least bit interested in bubble, in fact just spends all day lounging in my birdsnest colony! Lazy bastard! lol

 

[Andy V]

Vibrant did the trick on my tank. You may get a cyno outbreak after, but the cyno is much easier to address.

Had the exact same experience. I used Vibrant when it first came out, and used double the recommended dose at the time, on the advice of the manufacturer and people over at R2R.

The dosage/instructions may have changed, so I would recommend visiting the thread at R2R and getting info directly from the manufacturer.

It took a few weeks to work, but I haven't had bubble algae for years now. I did get a small amount of cyano that cleared up with my normal maintenance in short order. And the product will seem to be doing nothing for awhile, and then suddenly all the algae will disappear in a couple days. It definitely works.

It's not something I would use for a small problem, or to correct poor water quality or maintenance practices. But sometimes outbreaks happen even when doing everything well. That is when I would use it.

 

[EddieM]

I have a bottle of Vibrant in the basement. How long did you treat the tank? How bad was the bubble algae? I have a refugium. I assume I'd have to shut that down for treatment.

I had quite a bit scattered over the tank and it cleared up in just about a month. As Andy mentioned, check out the R2R Vibrant thread.

 

[Zirky]

I was about to order a magnificent fox face from divers den. Thanx dong

 

[dz6t]

The problem of magnificent fox face is that they are much more likely to eat your zoas and some lps.


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[Jason_charlestown]

The problem of magnificent fox face is that they are much more likely to eat your zoas and some lps.


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Now I know why it's called magnificent foxface. You just put this fish into your tank, and you're waiting eagerly to see it eat your algae. Next thing you know it's gulping up utter chaos like skittles. All you can say to that is "magnificent ".

 

[dz6t]

The problem of magnificent fox face is that they are much more likely to eat your zoas and some lps.


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Now I know why it's called magnificent foxface. You just put this fish into your tank, and you're waiting eagerly to see it eat your algae. Next thing you know it's gulping up utter chaos like skittles. All you can say to that is "magnificent ".

In the past many years, many people brought in their magnificent foxface due to that problem. I had to find fish-only homes for them. I still have one that is living in my sps reef, no zoas, no brain coral in there.


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[Zirky]

I think I’m gonna try a sail fin tang if I can find one