Bubble algae help

[Rodan]

I've been fighting bubble algae for a while and I am ready to use chemicals. If anyone can point me to some of the best chemicals to treat that would be nice I know of bright well razor and rx flux which I have both of but if there's a better option please let me know!.

 

[Fish Fan]

I don't know if there's a really great "chemical" option for bubble algae, what have you tried so far?

 

[wesamazmy]

I recommend keep it under control better than any chemical there.
Could you please a little history of your fighting the bubble algae?

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I recommend all other options first, but I've had to close up 2 tanks in the past for bubble algae. The third time I got I used razor and it works very well. Corals were unhappy for about a month then recovered.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I spent an hour last week during water change day just propping them off rocks and netting them in high flow- it’s not plague levels by any means but i want to beat it

 

[Rhetoric]

I hate to see "chemicals" as the solution to ANYTHING.

Be diligent and manually remove them. 15 mins a week for the mext 6 weeks will remove most.

Find an emerald that eats bubbles. It took me 3 trys. Ive had to do it twice (3 crabes each time until I saw it eating bubbles) once you have an emerald that eats them, it will help keep them at bay as you manually remove.

Next line might sound a bit abrasive, but its the hard truth, meant with love.

Don't be lazy about it.

My Emerald was a legend.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/a...ttle-guy-ever-–-bubs-the-bubble-king.1159084/

 

[Florida_Man]

A dental pick zip tied onto a quality acrylic rod is works very well. I go and pluck them off rocks - they end up in mechanical filtration or if my fox face is hungry, in his tummy.

 

[Fish Fan]

I recommend all other options first, but I've had to close up 2 tanks in the past for bubble algae. The third time I got I used razor and it works very well. Corals were unhappy for about a month then recovered.

What is "razor" is that an algicide?

 

[Fish Fan]

I've always read that you should not pick them off manually, that can cause them to spread even more.

I agree with using Emerald crabs, if you get them from Reef Cleaners they are guaranteed to eat bubble algae or you get your money back

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

the skin of the valonia is what makes them spread. Mostly, I can prop them off without any of the skin remaining at all. In clumps no less.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

What is "razor" is that an algicide?

I believe so. Not my proudest moment to use it, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

[slipknot23]

No, Brightwell Aquatics Razor is officially stated by the manufacturer not to be an algaecide. Instead, it is marketed as a systemic cleaner or flocculant blend designed to target and prevent algae from sticking to aquarium surfaces like rocks and glass

 

[slipknot23]

Get some Pitho crabs

 

[Privateye]

Get some Pitho crabs

+1 for pithos. I've used emerald crabs in the past and they have often put a dent in the bubble algae, but I've now had pithos for about 5 weeks and there is just no comparison. I had a 10 gallon with about half of the tank footprint COVERED in bubble algae. Now I have maybe 3 square inches of it left. They cleared-out half of it in about a week, and I only have 2 of them!

They aren't the prettiest crabs, but they're next-level when it comes to bubble algae. I don't see myself going for emeralds ever again!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I spent $200 in pithos, they loved the micro algae on my rocks, but not the bubble algae

 

[petcellar]

Another vote for pithos, but I guess with almost any biological control there is never any guarantee they will eat what you hope they will.

 

[EnterName]

I've always read that you should not pick them off manually, that can cause them to spread even more.

I agree with using Emerald crabs, if you get them from Reef Cleaners they are guaranteed to eat bubble algae or you get your money back

Just the other day I had a similar conversation.

I wasn't able to find actually scientific sources that claimed or denied bubble algae (Valonia sp.) would spread when the bubble is damaged. It is usually known to reproduce by cell division and budding, but it's possible a cell can recover after getting damaged or maybe even recover from just fragments.

There is also the gametophyte of Derbesia sp. which looks like bubble algae. Derbesia is usually known as hair algae and capable to spread via fragmentation, but it's possible that it keeps this property in it's gametophyte phase as well and then spreads through fragmentation.

In theory this could explain why some people report it spreading after popping the bubbles and others don't, if we are talking about different organisms that most are incapable of differentiating. Even scientist thought Derbesia's gametophyte was a different species and called it Halicsytis for a long time until they discovered it's the same species.

It's also possible that in high flow tanks the fragments get carried away sufficiently to end up in the skimmer, while they can settle and grow in low flow tanks.

In the end, an emerald crabs will also pop the bubble.

 

[Ajayabb]

I’ve had good success with Emerald Crabs and Foxface rabbit fish. Algaefix/Vibrant does work but only as a last resort.

 

[Fish Fan]

Just the other day I had a similar conversation.

I wasn't able to find actually scientific sources that claimed or denied bubble algae (Valonia sp.) would spread when the bubble is damaged. It is usually known to reproduce by cell division and budding, but it's possible a cell can recover after getting damaged or maybe even recover from just fragments.

There is also the gametophyte of Derbesia sp. which looks like bubble algae. Derbesia is usually known as hair algae and capable to spread via fragmentation, but it's possible that it keeps this property in it's gametophyte phase as well and then spreads through fragmentation.

In theory this could explain why some people report it spreading after popping the bubbles and others don't, if we are talking about different organisms that most are incapable of differentiating. Even scientist thought Derbesia's gametophyte was a different species and called it Halicsytis for a long time until they discovered it's the same species.

It's also possible that in high flow tanks the fragments get carried away sufficiently to end up in the skimmer, while they can settle and grow in low flow tanks.

In the end, an emerald crabs will also pop the bubble.

Very interesting take on this, thank you for your reply!

The truth is, when I see bubble algae, I pick it off, but I always thought I was doing the wrong thing, based on what I'd been told or read online. But, I didn't see any sudden explosion in growth from doing that. I assumed I got lucky

But, another thought I've had is that Emerald crabs, for example, are not swallowing the bubbles whole. Rather, they are literally ripping them apart bit by bit. I would think that if simply popping them off the rock causes them to spread, then surely the crabs would too.

Thanks again for the reply!