Bubble Algae Problem

clownfishcrazy · 03-12-2004, 09:02 PM

I have a problem with bubble algae in my tank. I have a emerald crab but he is being lazy and not eating the bubble algea. At the meeting I talked to Dirk and he said my emerald crab is probly not eating algae because he has found a better food source, such as the foods ment for my fish. Dirk also suggested that I get some type of tang to help control my algae problem. My question is have any of you ever kept a tang or any fish that specifically liked bubble algae? But another problem is that I only have a 20 gallon tank so I can't get a fish that will get that big and need lots of swimming space.

clyde · 03-12-2004, 09:16 PM

Sailfin, or a foxface, but you're a 20g tank hmm..

move rock into a holding tank thats large enough, and put emerald crabs there, dont feed tank/holding tank, and keep eye on cleaned out rock and place back into tank ?

manderson0805 · 03-12-2004, 09:48 PM

or, try to keep food intended for the fish away from the emerald. I had one...worked good, the only bad part about it was it liked sitting in a head of frogspawn at night

clownfishcrazy · 03-12-2004, 10:17 PM

I might try a fox face. I am getting a 125 gallon soon so my 20 gallon could be a temporary home for the fox face until the 125 is cycled then I would put the fox face in the 125.

Energy · 03-12-2004, 11:52 PM

My fox face worked wonders on the bubble algae.

Graham · 03-13-2004, 02:39 AM

Wow...I'm just about to completely dismantle my tank due to bubble algae. I didn't know that Foxfaces would work that well, but I don't plan on gettting a Foxface, so I guess I will be redoing my tank anyway

.

What was the level of bubble algae in the tanks where Foxfaces "solved" the problem? Like, it was really bugging you or just here and there? Because other than that (Foxface, I guess), the only solution for an O/C bubble problem is new live rock or recuring your current rock. Emeralds won't be able to deal with "problem" proportions of bubble...not IME. They don't eat it fast enough - if they eat it at all.

David Grigor · 03-13-2004, 12:04 PM

I would do like Graham mentions and dismantle the tank and clean good or wait until you upgrade.

I don't recommend the foxface or other rabbitfish until you get your 125g tank going. Rarely do you find small ones and 20g would just be too small.

Energy · 03-13-2004, 03:16 PM

My problem was somewhat severe. It took about two months but their is not a sign of algae left.

clownfishcrazy · 03-13-2004, 04:04 PM

Energy,
How big is your fox face?

maxseeley · 03-13-2004, 05:48 PM

Sometime SF gets some really small fox faces in. You could ask Ed to special order a small one for you. THe problem with fox faces is that they are not entirely reef safe, they will pick. I have had to move my waving hand and pink tree corals out of my display tank due to my fox face picking at them. IMO the fox face is not attacking the coral, just looking for stuff to eat, but the corals really do not like it. Generally, if a emerald crab or any other animal is going to eat bubble algae, they will only eat the small stuff. Go in your tank and pick off as much as you can. Remove the bubbles that do not break when you pick them off. Some people will tell you not to do this because they say that when the bubbles break they release spores. THis is partially true, the bubbles will only release spores if the are mature (large). Even if they do release spores, the chances of these spores settling down are not that great. THey still have to make it past filter feeders, your filtratiion,.... If they do settle down, your emerald crab will be on top of it. My tank is devoid of bubble algae (a 125 gal. display, with a 150 gal. refugium); but at one point I had a mild problem with it. In a 20 gallon tank, you should be able to clear it out in a couple of weeks. Just pick off the stuff that is visible every day and let your emerald crab mop up.

Energy · 03-13-2004, 06:00 PM

My foxface will be leaving my 220 gallon display for a life in the 150 gallon refugium for awhile. There is no more algae so he has started to pick at the sps. You can borrow him for awhile if you need to. First I have to catch him. I have been working on that for awhile!

clyde · 03-13-2004, 06:13 PM

fully softy tank, foxface for 3 years, no nippin at corals.

guess YMMV

maxseeley · 03-13-2004, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by clyde
fully softy tank, foxface for 3 years, no nippin at corals.

guess YMMV

for mine, he did not start picking until 1.5 years after I got him. It started when I left town for 2 days and did not have a tank sitter. I figured my fish could go without food for 2 days. After I got back I started to notice that my waving hand coral looked nipped at. I guess not feeding them for 2 days got him into the habit, because after that he started to pick at other corals (pink tree). Size might play a factor and amount of food they are feed. But when I worked at SF, I put a fox face into the reef line to deal with a bubble algae problem and he picked right away. It is something that they are definitly capiable of; but not all do it.

clyde · 03-13-2004, 10:14 PM

you could try

Echinometra oblonga they say they will eat em, (urchin) or Diadema setosum (urchin also)

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...384#post427384

the article I read about it is here..

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-0...ture/index.htm

trodder · 03-13-2004, 11:51 PM

I thought I heard that Coppebands help as well... although again size of tank is an issue and they may destroy your sand bed...i.e. eat all of your pods. HTH but I really don't know how valid that is since I don't know for sure of anyone that has tried using them for bubble algae... I believe I have read that somewhere though...