Glass like balls on LR
- Thread starter socal70xr7
- Start date
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Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Bubble algae.
Wow... you've been digging DEEP in the old posts to find this one! Welcome to AquariumAdvice!
Wow... you've been digging DEEP in the old posts to find this one! Welcome to AquariumAdvice!
OP
OP
socal70xr7
Aquarium Advice Newbie
I did a Google search which drew me right in. Any ideas on the balls I have in my tank?
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
he said it was bubble algae.... and i agree
OP
OP
socal70xr7
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Oh, and thanks for the welcoming.
OP
OP
socal70xr7
Aquarium Advice Newbie
I could not tell without pictures from the previous thread starter and the links I found looked similar but different.
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
OP
OP
socal70xr7
Aquarium Advice Newbie
is that like a really bad thing to get in the tank?
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well... it's something most folks would rather not have, but it's not *really* bad. I mean... there are far worse things to have. But the problem with bubble algae is that once you have it, as far as I can tell, you'll always have it.
First thing - don't pop the bubble. The spores inside will spread the stuff all over the tank. If you can remove the rock from the tank and scrub the stuff off - that's your best bet. But most likely, you won't get it all and in a couple months it'll be back. Another thing you can do is to gently "roll" the ball off the rock with your finger. Sometimes this works, sometimes not and you end up popping the bubble. Oops. The other thing you can do - which I've ended up doing every other week or so - is when you're doing a water change just go at the bubbles with a siphon tube and scrape the bubbles off the rock with your siphon tube. If they pop, all the spores just go in the siphon tube and out of the tank. I don't really have a spot in my tank without bubble algae nowadays, but I just do a little "weeding" every other week and it keeps it at bay.
I've battled the stuff for a couple years now, but it's not a big deal in my book. If you let it get out of control, it can crowd out some corals, but it is kinda pretty. Some folks have had some luck with using Emerald Crabs to graze on the baby bubbles and keep it under control.
Here's a good article on the stuff:
'Bubble' Alage: Selected Descriptions, Controls and Comments by Horge Cortes-Jorge, Jr. - Reefkeeping.com
First thing - don't pop the bubble. The spores inside will spread the stuff all over the tank. If you can remove the rock from the tank and scrub the stuff off - that's your best bet. But most likely, you won't get it all and in a couple months it'll be back. Another thing you can do is to gently "roll" the ball off the rock with your finger. Sometimes this works, sometimes not and you end up popping the bubble. Oops. The other thing you can do - which I've ended up doing every other week or so - is when you're doing a water change just go at the bubbles with a siphon tube and scrape the bubbles off the rock with your siphon tube. If they pop, all the spores just go in the siphon tube and out of the tank. I don't really have a spot in my tank without bubble algae nowadays, but I just do a little "weeding" every other week and it keeps it at bay.
I've battled the stuff for a couple years now, but it's not a big deal in my book. If you let it get out of control, it can crowd out some corals, but it is kinda pretty. Some folks have had some luck with using Emerald Crabs to graze on the baby bubbles and keep it under control.
Here's a good article on the stuff:
'Bubble' Alage: Selected Descriptions, Controls and Comments by Horge Cortes-Jorge, Jr. - Reefkeeping.com
OP
OP
socal70xr7
Aquarium Advice Newbie
Thanks for the info. I was able to remove quite a bit of it but my new anemone kept stinging at my wife. I just laughed at her. The rock came with said anemone along with a baby coral banded shrimp hiding under the anemone. I worked on a different piece from the same purchase in my smaller tank.
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
So was the live rock you bought already cured? If not, then you should probably watch your ammonia levels in case the die off from the rock starts another cycle in the tank. I'd hate for you to lose that anemone.
OP
OP
socal70xr7
Aquarium Advice Newbie
It was from a 4-6 year old tank that a store had decided to end selling saltwater fish. I just happened upon it yesterday and got about 30lbs of rock for a buddy and I along with the anemone, a coral banded shrimp (not the above mentioned one) and a large striped brittle star. Not sure what the brittle star is called but he looks pretty cool. I paid just over $70 for the whole lot and my buddy and I each spent time today picking the bubble algae off independently. I feel that other than the bubble algae it was a pretty nice deal.
Kurt_Nelson
Aquarium Advice Addict
Sounds like you got a steal! Congrats!
