at my wits end with bubble algae

[newnano]

i bought some rock from a guy that had one or two pieces of bubble algae on it and later it exploded. i have upgraded tanks and gotten rid of all but a few pieces of rock. now i am starting to get more of it. i have tried emeralds to no avail. i have also tried running a phosphate reactor but after two weeks i stopped because it had an adverse effect on some of my sps. i used rowa phos. does anyone have any ideas on what i can do? i need help. my sps thrives but so does the bubble algae!!

120g tank with 30g sump
g4+ skimmer
phosphate reactor running carbon
8 bulb tek t5
25g water change every other week using reef crystals

nitrate = 0
nitrite=0
ammonia=0
phosphate=0
ca=430
alk=3.3 meq

[Frick-n-Frags]

i put a pin on a stick.

seriously, once they get too big for the crabs, destroying them keeps them from reproducing, which they do as they get bigger and bigger. you might have to do a patrol like twice a week for a few weeks, but you will see them fade. then any really small ones, the mithrax will start to get.

[newnano]

i always thought that popping them was a no no and just releases the spores or whatever. i will try anything though.

anything that you can think of with respect to chemistry? i would like to run the phosphate reactor because i believe there might be phosphates deep in the rock. but i dont like the what it did to the sps.

[Frick-n-Frags]

the bigger they are, the more spores. when they are smaller, they are not mature. that's how I got rid of mine. I still have to go and nail a few here and there every so often, but nothing like I had at one time. it was brutal.

[newnano]

i will give it a shot. i dont know how much it will help but i thought about securing a pin to a small diameter tube and trying to siphon some of the juice. dont know if i would really be accomplishing anything though.

[newnano]

i just wish i knew what i could do to prevent them from coming up

[Frick-n-Frags]

you'll see, it is easier just to go through and spear, mangle, dislodge and otherwise brutally exact revenge on that vile crap :D

first couple times may seem hopeless, but just waste an area, then next time, waste another area. it goes. I just saw a loose one in my chaeto wad this morning, it will soon die :D and a couple more in hard to reach places.
so I still have to occasionally patrol, but absolutely no comparison to before. and I had at least 3 species of valonia plaguing me too.

[newnano]

sounds like that could be fun killing those guys. im going to get myself a pin tonite and go nuts!!!

[Bri Guy]

If you wanted to be on the safe side, get an airline hose and start a slow syphon, place it near every bubble algae before you pop it, most of the gut juice will be taken out of the tank. Just an Idea.

Better yet, attach the pin to the airline hose (hard tubing, like for airlift tubes, hooked to some regular tubing would be better), and poke each bubble algae with the hose sucking out the stuff. BRILLIANT

Good luck

[newnano]

that is what ill try. thanks guys