bubble algae

[sfilipowski]

I am gettin overtaken by the green bubble algae, I know if you bust them they can spread I have been careful not to bust em' and pick some out when I do a water change but slow and steady they are taken over any solutions I put a emerald crab in a few months ago but have not seen him in a long time

[seapug]

Popping them can make them spread if they are large, mature bubbles, but doing nothing DEFINITELY makes them spread. I've never had luck with emerald crabs. I've found the best thing to do is remove the affected rocks and scrub them with a brush and pick off the bubbles with tweezers in a bucket of saltwater outside the tank. If that's not possible, remove as many as possible in the tank and siphon or net out the free floaters, then do a water change. Make it a weekly routine for a while and you'll eventually win the war. But once you have bubble algae, you'll probably never get rid of it entirely-- just becomes one more thing to "manage" in the tank.

[bmw-legend]

I alot of them too, it's hard to get them out of the rock without popping...I'll try to take SEAPUG advise, hope it help..

[Captain]

If you can get to them you can pick them off. I have had luck using a needle and syringe to deflate them while drawing the insides out. I never had luck with emerald crabs .

[sfilipowski]

thanks I was afraid of that (just one more thing to manage) when all my friends see the tank they are like wow that must be alot of work and I always blow it off like no just an hour or two a week but after one successful year it is becoming more work. I guess now i'm a liar but it's sooooo awsome!

[bmw-legend]

Alot people add Foxface fish to eat the buble but I don't really like them.

[bmw-legend]

Foxface is poisonous and deadly. Read up on them before buy one..

[sfilipowski]

I would rather not add any more fish I have two and foxface would not be my next choice either and I could remove a rock or two but they are on just about every rock so I guess I will pick, pluck em' best I can I can remember my first one.... oh thats cool NOT thanks again

[sfilipowski]

deadly.... holy crap no thankx

[James77]

Foxface is poisonous and deadly. Read up on them before buy one..


They are not deadly unless you are allergic to them. They are venomous, and will give you a painful sting, much like a bad bee sting.

[DC_40gallon]

I got a emerald as well and the moron hasn't touched any bubble algae yet. I did the above, popped them, and water change. I also run a 330 gph power filter with media and noticed in a few hours it had trapped a bunch of them from the water draw. Who knows how many of them my skimmer got.

Doing a 25% water change every 4-5 days now until I see improvements on that and my diatom problem.

[James77]

deadly.... holy crap no thankx

As above, they can give a painful sting. They are cool fish, and I never came close, or even worried, about getting a sting from one I had a few years ago.