Mithrax evictus

[FishDaddy]

The worthless Emerald Crab is now evicted from his Coralline-munching paradise! He now resides in a small hex reserved just for such unproductive reef critters.

This is the 3rd different Emerald Crab I've used to try to control some Valonia (Valonia aegagropila). The first one did nothing but eat Coralline all day and was banished; the second went right to work on the Valonia but disappeared after several months. I put this one in back in October or November when some of the little green weenies began to reappear. He never even offered to sniff one!

As we've discussed before, all "Emerald Crabs" are not necessarily Mithrax sculptus and all Mithrax sculptus don't always live up to their reputations as Valonia eaters.
Dick

[reefguy]

yeah...i'm on the verge of evicting my emeralds as well. they are supposed to take care of the bubble algae, but they prefer other things instead. i'm going to yank out the little buggers with a pair of tweezers and toss them in the quarantine tank. at least there, they don't have corals to sample....

[Spanky]

As we've discussed before, all "Emerald Crabs" are not necessarily Mithrax sculptus

So very true!

[odlaw]

Any other ideas for ridding these annoying marbles. I have been looking for emeralds for three weeks in my area but now you guys got me scared. I have bubbles starting to pop up on every piece of 150lbs of rock I have.

[dark horge]

Guys, I just wrote an article on identifying/controlling 'bubble' algae. The publisher says it might be online mid-January. Can you hold out?

The reason I wrote the article is that for me, there are far too many issues to consider for it to fit in a BB post


darker and darker by the day (or night),
horge

[FishDaddy]

Horge,
The type that I have is V. aegagropila. There are a few fairly small patches but it is pretty easy to lift much of it off and keep it pruned back. One of the previous Mithrax virtually eliminated it but it has come back. I have found two random small globes which I believe to be V. ventricosa.
Interestingly, I removed some of the aegagropila and one of the ventricosa bubbles last week and put them in a cup of tank water, intending to photograph them later. Well, I forgot about them, and a few days later noticed that the aegagropila still had its green color but the ventricosa bubble had turned completely clear!!!!

The Valonia hasn't really been a problem, I just don't want it to spread and become one. What I'd really like to know is how to get rid of the detestable Red Turf!!!!!
Dick

[Doug1]

Sailfin-Dougs rent a tang>G>