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Next Step on Bubble Algae

njtiger24 aquariums

Officer Emeritus
Article Contributor
So I been trying to fight this bubble algae by hand but not having luck. One week it look like there nothing in the tank and then next week its all over. So I am debating on getting a skimmer or trying vibrant. Any suggestions?
 

diana a

Staff member
NJRC Member
Moderator
How much live rock is in your tank? Can you manually remove each rock, pick off all BA, then scrub each rock with hydrogen peroxide. When you are done with the next rock, rinse the 1st one in a little tank water and put it back in the DT. Continue until all rocks are clean.
 

Sunny

NJRC Member
Article Contributor
Bubble algae is tough. Emerald crabs are no use. They bite and spread spores.

I suggest a rigid tube with a suction. Just suck all the bubbles out like doing a water change. That is the best way I found.

Good luck.
 
C

charterreefer

Guest
So I been trying to fight this bubble algae by hand but not having luck. One week it look like there nothing in the tank and then next week its all over. So I am debating on getting a skimmer or trying vibrant. Any suggestions?
When I had a bubble algae flare up I would use a siphon hose with a brush or scraper (made from bending one of those mini appetizer forks) tie wrapped so it was close to the suction end thereby ensuring that I wasn't spreading what I was scraping out of the tank.
That stuff loves to grow where there are pockets of trapped detritus on the rock. I would plug in a power head and blast the detritus off the rocks during the outbreak stage as well.
 

njtiger24 aquariums

Officer Emeritus
Article Contributor
@Mark_C already have one with little to no help on it.

@diana a I have about 30lbs of rock. I did take out some of the rock and acided washed them but it came back. I got corals on other rock and don't want to move them as they are starting to spread nicely

@Sunny I am using a tube as well as picking off the rock as I do weekly water changes.

@charterreefer thanks for the info. The ones I have a hard time getting off are in holes of the rock were I can't really get anything into lol.

Thanks for all the info guys
 
Emerald crabs do work. The spore spreading is a myth. I have a single emerald crab in my 40B and haven't seen bubble algae since I put him in.
 

njtiger24 aquariums

Officer Emeritus
Article Contributor
Emerald crabs do work. The spore spreading is a myth. I have a single emerald crab in my 40B and haven't seen bubble algae since I put him in.

I have read that the spore spreading is a myth as well. Now I have put two emerald crabs in this tank (different times) and they didn't seem to make a dent in the bubble algae.
 
I bought 3 huge emerald crabs for my 70 Gallon. The tank was infested with bubble algae. I took a screwdriver and popped, yes popped, all of the bubbles right in the water. Didn’t remove any of them

Bubble algae hasn’t been back since
 
Get emerald crabs try to pick out the ones with bigger claws, if they cant pop it they wont eat it bottom line. I disregard the whole spores thing... had a crap tons in my frag holding tank a while back and threw in a few no more bubble algae since maybe few here and there that the crabs cant get to. Good luck m8.
 
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njtiger24 aquariums

Officer Emeritus
Article Contributor
I do have an emerald and he has a nice size claw I would say. I thought I was good cause last week there was like none in there. Now I think I see a bunch more but being sick I haven't looked too closely at my tank to be 100% sure
 
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