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View Full Version : Buble Algae in 12g AP..


pashazero
12/16/2007, 09:50 PM
I started get bubble algae in my 12 gallon and am looking for solutions. I cant take the rock out so i put a emerald crab in and it is not doing anything. What are some more solutions? i heard there are some fish that are effective but would they work in a 12 gallon?

Illuminati
12/16/2007, 10:05 PM
Manual removal. Try to twist the bubbles off without breaking them.

As for the Emerald I have read that only one sex of Emerald eats bubble algae (Not sure if it's the male or female), odds are you got the one that doesn't or maybe yours is just taking it's time.

pashazero
12/17/2007, 08:41 AM
they dont pop when you try to twist them?

gotbags-10
12/17/2007, 10:04 AM
i would add a few more emerald crabs. i had a huge infestation in my ap and put in 5 and they took care of it in no time. I think there is some truth to the sex thing, thats why i got 5 of them then i just took them back to my lfs. No need for them afterwards really.

pashazero
12/20/2007, 11:52 AM
Isnt there a fish that eats buble algae as well?

mathias999us
12/20/2007, 12:02 PM
I had a really bad bubble algae problem in a 135. I put 8 emerald crabs in there, and they never really touched it. I think there are a few different species of "bubble" algae you can get too, so that may make the difference. The final solution for me was manual removal, and more nutrient control. They are tough suckers to remove without popping, so I would siphon with a rigid tube of sufficient diameter, and then scrape at the bubble algae with the tip of the rigid tube while the siphon was active. Some would come off in tact, and float right up the siphon, others would pop, but the "juices" that can spread it would go right up the siphon anyway.

I never removed all of them, but after getting a better skimmer and some other nutrient export improvement, they didn't really spread any more, and actually looked kind of nice in small numbers.