Yellow tangs and bubble algae

[Keith A.]

I've been having an outbreak of red bubble algae (Botryocladia Skottsbergii, a.k.a. Red Valonia) in my reef tank. Has anyone heard of yellow Hawaiian tangs eating them?

[mr_X]

Any fish is going to be hit or miss. How much of an outbreak do you have? I haven't seen that stuff really get a good foothold. How about cutting back on feeding and doing water changes? Put the siphon hose over the bubbles and then pluck them off, so if you break them, the spores will be sucked up.

[Gregcoyote]

I have tried all varieties of tangs on green valonia (bubble algae) and have not found any that will feed on it. I have a Foxface rabbit fish that does eat them, as well as small sea urchins that will work on them too.

[Gregcoyote]

Originally Posted by mr_X

Any fish is going to be hit or miss. How much of an outbreak do you have? I haven't seen that stuff really get a good foothold. How about cutting back on feeding and doing water changes? Put the siphon hose over the bubbles and then pluck them off, so if you break them, the spores will be sucked up.

I had an intense outbreak of it years ago when my chiller crashed and my MH bulbs got old ( it was a time of no money...so I couldn't afford to fix things). It is just now being competed out of existence by the corals, but up till then, it was almost impossible to get it all.

[Travis55]

Ive heard emerald crabs will eat it.

[Gregcoyote]

Originally Posted by Travis55

Ive heard emerald crabs will eat it.

When they are big enough to attack the tough skin on the algae, they are too big for the tank...

[melosu58]

A helpful link

'Bubble' Alage: Selected Descriptions, Controls and Comments by Horge Cortes-Jorge, Jr. - Reefkeeping.com

[Gregcoyote]

Well, the Foxface has done a pretty good job. He wasn't the total cure, but he helped clean up the bubbles.
Just ordered some more Zoas from the guy on EBay. Have the Aussie purple ones coming as well as some of the orange bullseye ones.
I have a big colony of Zoas ad want to add more variation. Easy to grow and they don't cause trouble!

[bighabeeb]

Originally Posted by Gregcoyote

Well, the Foxface has done a pretty good job. He wasn't the total cure, but he helped clean up the bubbles.
Just ordered some more Zoas from the guy on EBay. Have the Aussie purple ones coming as well as some of the orange bullseye ones.
I have a big colony of Zoas ad want to add more variation. Easy to grow and they don't cause trouble!

Who is your seller? I always browse ebay but am hesitant...

[Gregcoyote]

I will talk about him, after I see my shipment next week. He had flawless feedback, so that was promising. With shipping the frags averaged $35 per specimen. Average price. But he had the Aussies and many were out, or wanted $50 before shipping. I am trying to build a grove of multicolored Zoas. It will be interesting to see how they behave together. My green and orange ones are really doing well, except the green ones seem to be dominating.

[Gregcoyote]

I got a 3" long gold midas blenny a few days ago and I am really liking this fish. He has very cool behavior. He is my second blenny, the first is a lawnmower that is fat as a toad and very, very ugly.

[Gregcoyote]

New pictures...shot with Nikon D700 and Micro Nikkor 55mm lens.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sred...EbQ&feat=email

[mr_X]

great photos!

[Gregcoyote]

Thanks...worked as a photographer for years...I guess I retained some of my skill. Really love the Blenny. He is a great subject...he seems to know I am taking his picture.

[Tmyboy]

Originally Posted by Gregcoyote

When they are big enough to attack the tough skin on the algae, they are too big for the tank...

I must have gotten really lucky the because my emerald gobbled them up. I put him in there when the bubble algae 1st started popping up and he was munching on it by the next day.

Truth be told....I had no idea he would eat it (pretty fresh in the hobby at that time) but glad he did. Was all gone after 1 week and he's still going strong these days. Ugly hairy little critter!

[Gregcoyote]

Originally Posted by Tmyboy

I must have gotten really lucky the because my emerald gobbled them up. I put him in there when the bubble algae 1st started popping up and he was munching on it by the next day.

Truth be told....I had no idea he would eat it (pretty fresh in the hobby at that time) but glad he did. Was all gone after 1 week and he's still going strong these days. Ugly hairy little critter!

My emeralds ignored it totally. Most resilient stuff I have ever encountered. Much of it is coated in coraline algae!

[Gregcoyote]

Okay, got my eBay frag order today. Ordered some red meanie zoanthids, sunset zoanthids and a purple hairy rhoadactis mushroom (that is bright green right now). "Happyreefing" was the seller. The shipment was well packed and had heating packs still working as it is cold here. The frags were mounted on small glass tiles and banded to pieces of styrofoam in the bags. The mushroom was on a small rock and likewise had its own "boat." I liked that as it keeps the polyps out of direct contact with the shipping materials. They are on my frag rack now...we shall see what develops.

[Gregcoyote]

New frags and starfish today from Liveaquaria. Expensive, but still one of the best IMO.
A big rock loaded with Fire and Ice zoas, two sand sifting stars over 3" and a tiger star that is 5"
So far the acclimation process is going fine.

[carey]

Good to hear. let us get some photos when you can.

[KAhner]

What's up with the stars? I've heard nothing but bad things about them. They kill the sand bed then quickly starve to death. No experience with them, but I've read that multiple times.