Bubble Algae CUC

[TheTodd]

My 60g cube is starting to get green bubble algae and green hair algae. I've never dealt with bubble algae, but have read that Emerald crabs will eat (or not) and that Foxfaces will eat (or not).

I understand it is a water quality issue, so I already plan to start doing weekly water changes (versus my current every 3 weeks) and will drop my feeding back to every third day instead of every other day. It's just a Chalk Bass and Red Ruby Dragonette. The Chalk should be okay, I assume.

Beyond that, any suggestions? I have access to a one spot Foxface that could be loaned to me. Parameters are fine, but I assume my nitrates and phosphates are a false zero due to this algae.


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[Sniperhank]

I've never had anything help with this stuff. I let it grow until I just gently pull it off. I don't get too worked up about it, even though it is in the display it is still consuming nitrates/phosphates.

 

[TheTodd]

Should some of it start to die off with "cleaner" water? It is popping up all over and I don't want it overrunning the tank. It's crazy, but I've never had a tank that had it. Just about everything else, not bubble though.


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[Macscale]

I don't worry about bubble algae much either. I had very little and it grew super slow though.

Nothing would get rid of it for me either. It was ridiculous.

 

[Reygan2]

Even with weekly water changes I can't get rid of it. Every time I try to manually remove it I end up popping a few. Such a pain. It's everywhere.
Oh, and the emerald crab never touched it.

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[TheTodd]

I'm seriously considering redoing the rocks to create more space for all the Zoas I have coming my way and am thinking of trying to manually remove all of it the bubbles, but in a separate container and rinse each time with fresh water. Probably won't help, but it might be worth a try.


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[BigRedsReefs10]

I'm seriously considering redoing the rocks to create more space for all the Zoas I have coming my way and am thinking of trying to manually remove all of it the bubbles, but in a separate container and rinse each time with fresh water. Probably won't help, but it might be worth a try.


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If you do that just scrape the rock away until you've got the algae off, your literally going to want to scrape off a layer of rock. I also usually just do what Hank does too fwiw, once there a little smaller than a marble they're pretty easy to pull off without worry of popping.

 

[Sniperhank]

I usually let them cluster up pretty good. They stick better to themselves then they do to rock it seems. Just gently pry them off and throw away.


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[Gregcoyote]

A few years ago I had a massive outbreak of bubble algae, several varieties. Removal helped, but it didn't go away until I got my phosphates back down. You have to starve it.


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[Slightlylooney]

Do a 3 day light turn off that pretty much gets rid of any alge .. Doesn't harm fish or corals .. Works well with red slime alge ..


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[Macscale]

Do a 3 day light turn off that pretty much gets rid of any alge .. Doesn't harm fish or corals .. Works well with red slime alge ..


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That's more of a Dino thing..
Cyano is normally flow
Bubble algae is odd...

 

[Slightlylooney]

True very true wrong advice .. If you have a target feeder you could use that to suck off the alge without spreading it


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