Bubble algae and hair algae

Cwoyssant

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Bubble algae and hair algae have been taking over my tank. They have even been covering some of my corals and rocks to the point where manual removal is nearly impossible. I am not sure what to do. I have read about vibrant, but I have a five as well as snails I don’t want dying.
 

davidcalgary29

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A five what?

Vibrant will certainly help your valonia problem, but don't dose at full strength if you have urchins, as they certainly do not like the product. I'd be very wary of using it with a fully established reef tank, but your snails (if that's all you have) will be fine.
 
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Cwoyssant

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A five what?

Vibrant will certainly help your valonia problem, but don't dose at full strength if you have urchins, as they certainly do not like the product. I'd be very wary of using it with a fully established reef tank, but your snails (if that's all you have) will be fine.
I meant a fuge when I said five. I have tons of chaeto. I wouldn’t mind it dying off since I should probably cut it down anyway, but I have other strains like dragons breath that I don’t want to die. Do you know if vibrant harms all macroalgae?
 

vetteguy53081

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Bubble algae and hair algae have been taking over my tank. They have even been covering some of my corals and rocks to the point where manual removal is nearly impossible. I am not sure what to do. I have read about vibrant, but I have a five as well as snails I don’t want dying.
Ive had luck with use of vibrant and bubble algae however dose at 80% of recommended and reduce white light intensity during treatment ( in my case) I turned off whites during treatment.
Some rabbit fish will nibble on small ones and female emerald crabs (which I dont trust around zoas) will eat them. I said female as males pick on every coral in tanl with large claw
 
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Cwoyssant

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Ive had luck with use of vibrant and bubble algae however dose at 80% of recommended and reduce white light intensity during treatment ( in my case) I turned off whites during treatment.
Some rabbit fish will nibble on small ones and female emerald crabs (which I dont trust around zoas) will eat them. I said female as males pick on every coral in tanl with large claw
Why do you turn off whites? And do you have any chaeto or other macros?
 

vetteguy53081

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Why do you turn off whites? And do you have any chaeto or other macros?
I run an algae scrubber. Lights support all algae. You will find with lights off that with vibrant , the bubble start to turn white or clear - a sign its losing its nutrients. I just bought an array of coral colonies and some rock had bubble algae on them. In the container they were in, I popped most of the bubbles with latex glove on and agitated the rock, and there are few if any remaining in tank
 
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Cwoyssant

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I run an algae scrubber. Lights support all algae. You will find with lights off that with vibrant , the bubble start to turn white or clar - a sign its losing its nutrients. I just bought an array of coral colonies and some rock had bubble algae on them. In the container they were in, I popped most of the bubbles with latex glove on and agitated the rock, and there are few if any remaining in tank
Actually, a lot of my bubble algae is already clear. I wasn’t sure why, but if this means it’s out of nutrients, will it dissapear? Or will I have to remove the clear shells?
 

Yates273

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I had a hair algae problem for about 7 months. It drove me crazy, but I wanted to take the natural approach at getting rid of it. Well after 2 seahares (both dead) numerous snails, fish that have no interest, blackouts (this was a can’t hurt to try approach) keeping nutrients low turning down white lights. I did the manual removal with a vacuum which took a lot out but it always grew back. I had a bottle of vibrant and figured after 7 months let me try. I even had a post about being talked off of the ledge when I was about to use Vibrant. Well I ended up falling off of the ledge and went to my last resort, Vibrant. I’m at week 3 of dosing 13ml once a week and I must say WOW. My hair algae is all but gone. I still have a little here and there but it looks like it’s dying because if I take a brush to it it comes right off. Use at your own risk and don’t use a lot. My tank is a total of 140 gallons. I am very satisfied with the outcome eventhough Vibrant is not what it claims to be but I’m sure you know this
I do have snails, 3 shrimp, anemones, coral and several fish. Nothing seems to be harmed by my dosing of vibrant. I did take out my macro algae but the little boy that’s left in my fuge (fern caulerpa) does not look happy. I’m ok with this since I may not go back to macro algae since my nitrates are low by carbon dosing Diy NoPox. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.
 
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vetteguy53081

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Actually, a lot of my bubble algae is already clear. I wasn’t sure why, but if this means it’s out of nutrients, will it dissapear? Or will I have to remove the clear shells?
Answer if both but what I did when it reached that state was with a 1/4" tubing, I scraped and siphoned at same time with hose and removed the dead shells. You can add a large needle like sewing needle to end of tube and poke any remaining siphoning the spores within
 

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I use emerald crabs for Bubble problems. Not all of them always work, but if you get a good one they attack it very well
 

AvoidTheNoid

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I meant a fuge when I said five. I have tons of chaeto. I wouldn’t mind it dying off since I should probably cut it down anyway, but I have other strains like dragons breath that I don’t want to die. Do you know if vibrant harms all macroalgae?
I used Vibrant previously and the results were not what I wanted. The nuisance algae was greatly reduced, but it turned a growing healthy chalice and an equally healthy birdsnest to completely dead skeletons in a matter of days. Every tank is different but for me I will never use it again.
 
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