pls help ID red macro algae

[sooju]

Any idea what this red algae is? If it's bad, is it something I can remove with bare hands?

 

[roka64]

It looks like bubble algae....Does it look like bubbles?
You don't want to pop them, as it will spread.

 

[melosu58]

I think it is red bubble algea also. Read this link on it.

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

 

[sooju]

That's it! Botryocladia skottsbergii

You guys are amazing. Searching the internet, some people say it's terrible and others say it's not. Mine is in small clusters in only a few locations and doesn't seem to be spreading. Keep it? Monitor it? Get rid of it asap???

 

[melosu58]

Next time you do a PWC try to siphon it out. Even if you bust them the siphon should pick up all the spores.

 

[Devilishturtles]

Get rid of it...VERY carefully.

Take it from the one person on this site that nearly had her tank ruined from this junk. It's not fun. I lost a lot of coral... and a lot of money.

 

[sooju]

Okay, now I'm freaked out. I looked closer and there is a lot more than I realized. Either it's new, or I didn't notice it before because I was looking at it as friend and not foe. There are a bunch of tiny ones in different spots. I normally pull water out of the sump for PWCs but I'll try the next one by syphon and see if I can get rid of as much as possible...

Thanks for your advice and I'll keep you posted.

 

[sooju]

Could this be because I'm overfeeding? I'm giving frozen stuff (I alternate between shrimp and a seafood mix) once a day, in the morning, and then because my book says the clowns need to eat twice a day and the chromis needs to eat three times a day, I have been giving a small pinch (10-15) of the small veggie pellets in the afternoon and evening. Usually the 3 clowns and chromis gobble them up before they hit the ground. My nitrates are usually between 5-10 ppm. I need to get a more accurate test (I have the API one).

 

[Devilishturtles]

I would only feed once per day... some even argue every other day but it's really up to personal opinion.

Don't freak out, sorry I shouldn't have said it like that. Honestly, if you can I would remove what rocks you can and remove outside of the tank. Try and get some tweezers and see if you can remove the bubbles from the stalk and not break the bubble.

Otherwise keep removing as much as you can and keep up with water changes and you should be okay. I think I had a combo of popping them and not keeping up with frequent enough water changes and that is why it got out of hand.

 

[sooju]

I was able to remove all the bubble algae from two small rocks last night by pulling them out of the tank and putting them in a bucket with some SW. The algae wasn't too hard to remove with tweezers. I'll try syphoning off the big rocks when I do a PWC later today. Thanks for your help!

 

[jonboyb]

I had a small bubble algae bloom shortly after starting my tank much like your (although I had green too). All of it seemed to be on my biggest and hardest to remove rock also. I took a chance and threw in a couple of emerald crabs and it disappeared within a coulpe of days. Knock wood, it's been a couple of months and not a single bubble has reappeared. I've heard it's hit or miss with the crabs though. I lucked out. I enjoy watching them anyways

On another note, your feeding may be a little heavy and fueling the algae. I used to feed like you and my tank liked to grow lots of algae. Cut back to smaller feedings and once a day and now I only clean the tank maybe once every 2 weeks. All my fish seem to be fat and happy too. 3 times per day for a chromis seems excessive....and expensive if you're providing frozen meals each time.

 

[sooju]

On another note, your feeding may be a little heavy and fueling the algae. I used to feed like you and my tank liked to grow lots of algae. Cut back to smaller feedings and once a day and now I only clean the tank maybe once every 2 weeks. All my fish seem to be fat and happy too. 3 times per day for a chromis seems excessive....and expensive if you're providing frozen meals each time.

In my defense, the tank came with the bubble algae. I've only had it for a month! But I agree that I was feeding a little heavily. I've cut down to frozen once a day and the occasional pellet treat.