Bubble algae

the maid · 09-26-2001, 08:48 PM

I've got this green bubble algae, not sure if I should do this to it or not.

Or, do I keep it and let it grow? Ive got this pea sized one that is like green with rusty color just starting to appear on it. It looks like it is going to explode. All of the other ones are small.

Doug1 · 09-26-2001, 09:50 PM

Sounds like valonia

It can be a real problem as it can spread if the large ones are popped. carefully removing them by hand with out crushing or popping them may work. A lot of people use Mithrax crabs to control them but then you get the crab thing happening in your tank

Rick O · 09-27-2001, 05:28 AM

I have some in my tank. They're very difficult to get off when they're small. I just ignore them until they get big, then I just pull them off. By then they're encrusted with coralline anyway.

the maid · 09-27-2001, 08:23 PM

Why is it that most the stuff that I think looks cool, is really bad for the tank? Oh well. The really big one wont pop on its own will it? I dont think it will, but whose to say.

Demogarr · 09-27-2001, 08:43 PM

If you like the look of it, why remove the stuff? It will only reproduce. I had some in my system for about 7 months before I removed it, and I only removed it because I no longer liked the way it looked. It will start taking over some of the spots in the tank, but it is up to you if you want to remove it or not. I have never had one pop on its own. I had one about the size of a golfball.

Doug1 · 09-27-2001, 08:59 PM

You gotta love reefkeeping

I have anemones breeding in my tank

No you have aptasia

I have all sorts of kewl algae growing

No you have cyano,diatoms, hair algae, and valonia

I have all kinds of little critters everywhere, can I get a mandarin now

No you have flat worms

I wont even get into hitchhiking rock crabs and mantis shrimp

Demogarr · 09-28-2001, 12:04 PM

JennM · 09-28-2001, 01:11 PM

****ed if you do, ****ed if you don't.

Valonia is rampant in a tank I maintain....I had left well enough alone until the bubbles got HUGE. One popped when I was picking it off a rock....POOF whole tank is infested. About 2 months ago I spent about 3 hours picking bubbles off rocks, as many as I could, had to rearrange all the rockwork etc.

It's back with a vengeance.

Kinda like underwater dandelions....learn to love 'em I guess.

I pick off the ones that encroach on the 2 coral frags that the tank has...but other than that, I'm at a loss as to what to do.

Jenn

canadawest · 09-28-2001, 02:47 PM

Order some Emerald Mithrax crabs to clean up that Valonia. etropicals.com sells them for $2 each or 3 for $5. Grab 3 of the suckers and let them clean up. They eat other nuisance algaes as well as Valonia. I have two in my 100gal, and they keep the bubble algae trimmed down to just a couple bubbles.

I will likely get a couple more, as they are also cool looking.

Jack G · 09-28-2001, 04:58 PM

I agree with Canadawest.
I had so much Velonia at one point, that you couldn't see *any* rock. I got some emeralds, and now I have just a couple velonia.
Note: They will eat it, but it takes time to get rid of a major infestation.
I keep 3 in my 90 gal.
Jack

jrue · 11-18-2001, 06:58 AM

Call me reckless, but I like the looks of it too. My tank is very small so shouldn't take 3 hours if it ever gets out of hand.

Brooke · 11-18-2001, 08:03 AM

Ahh...the bane of bubble algae. I don't like valonia at all. It's ugly, it's pesty, and it has the potential to spread all over your tank. When we upgraded to the 135g, I went over every rock one by one and pulled the buggers off, gave the rock a dip in clean saltwater, and we were good to go. This really, really helped. I did it out of the tank, so there was no risk of bubbles breaking and spreading spores (do they really have spores or is this hobbyist lore?) We have 2 different kinds even..the regular old bubble and a small seedy type one. We have an emerald crab and he has seemed to helped. I agree with above that they are easier to remove when big...but not huge. They are pretty easy to pluck off when they are marble size. The seed sized ones will grow in mats and when the mat grows, you can easily pull it off. If you have an infestation, you might try growing a competing algae like caulerpa. They might also be a sign of questionable water quality since like all pesky algae they need nutrients to grow.

Now..a whole other issue is the one of emerald crabs. I don't have the links handy, but I'll try to find them later. It seems the "correct" mithrax that eats bubble algae and is mostly herbivorous has red on the inside of the elbows. Ours has the red elbows and has not misbehaved as far as I know.

HTH-
Brooke

Doug1 · 11-18-2001, 08:52 AM

I noticed that the patches of Valonia I had a while back sorta disapeared after I got my sailfin tang. Obviously not a good solution for a small tank, but of the tang species I have had the chance to watch the sailfin seems to relish a wider range of algae than most. Its a shame they are so territorial, I would love to have a Kole tang as well since they are more apt to scrape the shorter algae from the rock with their bristle teeth

eaglelox · 11-18-2001, 09:05 AM

since we added 4 sail fin tangs, 20 emerald crabs,100 large carnivore crabs,and 50 blood sucking copepods, everything seems to be settling down.one of the LFS suggested a sea turtle which sounds good if I don't go with the polar bear.by the way the maid is my wife.

tdwyatt · 11-18-2001, 02:43 PM

Quote:

one of the LFS suggested a sea turtle which sounds good if I don't go with the polar bear.by the way the maid is my wife.

Heh,, Good for you, I suspected as much! and we were worried about the anemone....