what are these pink things?

[dzeadow]

There's these pink things on my elegance coral. I have no idea what they are, anybody venture to guess?

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n43/dzeadow/elegancehitch.jpg

[Salamander]

Red valonia. AKA red bubble algae. IME they're worse than the average green kind. They seem to spread faster. Eradicate the same way as green BA.

[dzeadow]

YIKES! Will a emerald crab eat them? I was going to get 1 or 2 just because of a small nuisance HA problem I'm having.

[Salamander]

Not much eats valonia. Some report limited success with emerald crabs but its really hit or miss.

The best solution is (sure you heard this), an aggressive nutrient export regimen. A good skimmer, fuge with macro, water changes, RODI, feed less etc. Plus you need to get the algae itself out to help. And its best to get the little piece out that anchors it to the rock.

[bertoni]

Emerald crabs sometimes eat them. I'd just pull the bubbles by hand for the moment. Emerald crabs sometimes eat animals I'd rather keep.

[seapug]

Use your hand. It's free, doesn't eat corals, and can completely eliminate them in less than 5 minutes.

[uncleant]

pick them out with ur hands

[Aquarist007]

but try not to burst those bubbles or you introduce alot more of the spores into your tank.

[cloak]

I would just grab whatever you can right before you do a water change.

[BodiBuilt]

Put the coral in a bucket/bowl of tankwater and then remove them by hand and then rinse coral well in another bowl/bucket of S.W. before puting back in display to prevent spreading algea spores!

[usmc121581]

You could use twizzers and grab the bottom and just be careful not to pop them. LIke metioned also just remove it and do this as metioned abouve.

[dzeadow]

Thanks for all the help guys/gals, the coral is pretty accessible so I'll probably just pull it out and tweeze the little buggers off and be careful not to bust the bubbles! SEEMS easy enough! Thanks again.

[jadeguppy]

I had the same problem. A phosban reactor helps keep my phosphates in check and so far I haven't seen any more. In fact, I wasn't able to remove all of them but they have disappeared anyway.

[Aquarist007]

This little investment--75 dollars has really helped keep the clarity and colour in the water plus no visible signs of algae.
http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r107/reefescapetangster/IMG_4525.jpg

[dzeadow]

I have a viaaqua phosphate reactor, so I guess the stuff probably would have kept in check or disappeared sooner or later. I need to get another one though to do carbon. Your phosban or whatever is brown, is it time to change it then? Mine's just off white since I just got the unit not too long ago.

[rbtwo4]

hey cap'n how much phosban do u have in that reactor & is that carbon in the other filled to the rim?

[seapug]

I'm running the same setup as hyliner and I still get bubble algae-- not as much as I used to, but it still pops up here and there. Bubble algae is one of those things that your tank will "carry" for a long time once you get infected. Regardless, PhosBan Reactors are great. Everyone should have them.

[tigerarmy40]

doesnt look like valonia to me...