red bubble algae...AGAIN!

[eXcite95]

with no success on getting rid of this nuisance algae im not sure what to do next..:worried:
i took the rocks that were infected and cut the base of the bubbles off the rock then scrubbed with a wire brush and i thought that would do the trick but it came back bout a month later. i found that it is hiding in the cracks of the filter on my aquapod and its kinda hard to get all of it out..

should i boil the rock that is covered to kill the algae? i know it will kill the live rock and my nitrates will probably go through the roof so probably not .

will a uvsterilizer help to eliminate the spores or free floating red bubble algae?

not really sure what to do at this point as i have a bunch of sps frags waiting to be mounted to the live rock . but thats being halted due to another possible outbreak of red bubble algae.

any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks
nick

[waxy]

Hi Nick,

A few options;

1. Try emerald crabs. They drink the juice from the bubble algea.

Don't pop those bubbles, if you do they'll spew out all over your tank as spores.

If you don't want to purchase a emerald crab, in fear that it may be eaten by your wrasses. You may have to resort into cooking your rocks.

2. Remove all rocks, remove all the bubble algea, soak it in the sun, then spray it off with a garden hose.

Once completed, get some of your tank water, and soak them in the rocks you washed. That should remove everything.

3. Lights off for a few days, if not a week. My hurt your corals, but this is a last resort.
Algea needs light to photosynthesize.

I went with option 2, when I first started reefing a while back. I thought it was cool to grow those bubble algea, but soon I realized it wasn't pretty covering half my 130g.

Goodluck!

[eXcite95]

so i decided to go with a purple urchin because i read that they eat all kinds of algae... i picked it up from exotic today and i put it in my tank and it settled in.
all i can do at this point is cross my fingers and hope for the best.

i'll keep you posted.

thanks for your help waxy:wave:

nick