Cant get rid of green bubble algae

[Oceanavekid]

I've had my tank set up for over 6 months now

30 gallon
3" deep sand bed
a n n all 0
PH 8.2
S 1.025

I don't use RODI water

^ That might solve all my tank problems I really don't know

The clown fish I had in the tank since the first few weeks just died the other day
All I have in there now

A yellow watchman goby and some nassarius snails

I had a skimmer Aquamaxx Hob 1 Really good skimmer just didn't seem to help that much. I've scrubbed the rocks free of algae but no matter what I do it keeps coming back. I'm about ready to give up salt water all together


Any advice would be appreciated

[Hodge1995]

Start by using rodi, you are feeding the algae.

[Jerzey]

emerald crabs love bubble algae.... don't burst the bubbles it'll spread faster use tweezers to pull off what you can at the base

[RClever82]

I had a similar problem with red bubble algae a few months ago. Even setting up a new rodi unit didn't help much. My lfs and a few threads on here pointed me in the direction of a few emerald crabs (Mithraculus sculptus). Within two weeks it was all gone out of my 90gal. I cleaned off what I could using a stiff piece of airline cut at a slight angel to scrape with. Be careful not to pop them scrape at the base of the bubble or you will make the problem worse.The crabs ate the rest, forgive the term please, they where all over it like a fat kid on cake from day 1.

[btmedic04]

start using RO/DI and get an emerald crab. Ive got one and he is one heck of a cleaner and pretty fun to watch. had a little bit of bubble algae on a zoa frag i picked up and he had it spotless overnight, though he liked flipping the frag over looking for more. ended up gluing the frag rock to a larger rock that he cant flip

[Reef Frog]

Don't give up! From your avatar it looks like you doing have corals on the rocks which makes physical removal easier. Keeping your nutrients low will also help a lot but won't completely solve the problem on its own IME. An RODI unit is the best $180 you will ever spend in this hobby.

[btmedic04]

fyi, BRS has their 4 stage value plus with inline TDS meter for around $130 right now, the 4 stage value without tds meter for around $110. Wish i could snag one, but i needed a refractometer to replace the pos hydrometer and skimmer first xD

[greech]

RODI, infest in GFO, tubing with an end cut at an angle to scrape and siphon out what you can, armada of emerald grabs.

Been through it twice and every time it has been a water quality issue. I know others say BA grows in clean tanks too but this has been my experience.

[nmbeg]

RO/DI and perhaps a bigger CUC

[MondoBongo]

i have had 0 luck with any of my emeralds touching the bubble algae in my tank.

i've been fighting a slow battle of careful manual removal over the last few months. it takes some time and effort, but it is slowly receding.

i wouldn't count on nutrient reduction alone making it go away. this stuff is hearty. a multi-pronged approach seems to be making slow but steady progress for me.

[cloak]

i have had 0 luck with any of my emeralds touching the bubble algae in my tank.

i've been fighting a slow battle of careful manual removal over the last few months. it takes some time and effort, but it is slowly receding.

i wouldn't count on nutrient reduction alone making it go away. this stuff is hearty. a multi-pronged approach seems to be making slow but steady progress for me.

+1.

I never had any luck with the emerald crabs either.

Btw, when an emerald crab does decide to eat bubble algae, they pop them in the process. If your going to manually remove the bubbles on your own, don't worry about busting them. Just remove as many as you can right before a water change. (weekly/bi-weekly) GL.

[shifty51008]

I have actually only had good luck with the emerald crabs from reefcleaners. I have tried emeralds from a few of my LFS and those for some reason never touched the stuff.

[MondoBongo]

+1.

I never had any luck with the emerald crabs either.

Btw, when an emerald crab does decide to eat bubble algae, they pop them in the process. If your going to manually remove the bubbles on your own, don't worry about busting them. Just remove as many as you can right before a water change. (weekly/bi-weekly) GL.

what has been working well, so far, for me has been a 3/8" inner diameter rigid airline tubing, about a 9" length attached to some vinyl hose. running a full siphon in to a filter sock suspended above a 5 gallon bucket.

in the bucket, outside the filter sock a small return pump. this way i have been able to position the siphon near the bubbles and gently remove them with the end of the rigid airline tubing, gloved fingers, or tweezers, and let to siphon pull them down in to the filter sock.

then the return pump puts the clean water back in the tank so i can take as long as i need to when removing the bubbles.

[cloak]

Sounds good... :thumbsup:

I would just use my fingers and rip them from the rocks before a water change. Popping them was of no concern. It was a little tedious, but there gone now. I did however have a little help from a Red Sea Sailfin tang at one time, and an Atlantic Blue at another though. :)