Dealing with bubble algae. Mithrax crab?

[DEL 707]

I have a 55l tank that has an annoying bubble algae problem. I'm getting small colonies everywhere, even on the glass.
I've been trying my best to scrape it off the rockwork/glass, but it just seems to appear somewhere else. I can't easily take out the rocks to clean them.

I dose nitrate and phosphate to keep my levels at around 10ppm nitrate and 0.8ppm phosphate. If I let those levels fall I start to see diatoms.

Would a mithrax crab be a good natural solution to my problem? I have a few questions.
Are they guaranteed bubble algae eaters?
If it does eat all the algae, what else does it eat?
Is it coral safe? I have some softies and zoas.

Livestock wise, I have a yellow clown goby, tailspot blenny, 2 blood red shrimp and a few snails and hermit crabs.

 

[BryanM]

It would likely eat the algae, but my experience with them is that they are not coral safe.

 

[Lavey29]

Pithos crabs for the win

 

[LabyrinthCorals]

Pithos crabs for the win

I second this

 

[Miami Reef]

Reef Cleaner sells Emerald Crabs that are known to eat bubble algae (they will refund if they don’t.)

They also sell Pithos.

 

[DEL 707]

Sadly I'm in the UK.

But thanks for the heads up about pitho crabs. Just need to see if I can find a stockist.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I bought 3 pithos last year, 2 died within 3 months, 1 is still alive but doesn't really eat bubble algae. It just picks at the rocks, I don't know what it eats, but so far not bubbles and not coral.

 

[Miami Reef]

I bought 3 pithos last year, 2 died within 3 months, 1 is still alive but doesn't really eat bubble algae. It just picks at the rocks, I don't know what it eats, but so far not bubbles and not coral.

Same experience. I’ve read that have a very short lifespan.

 

[skey44]

Many reports of emerald crabs eating corals so I assume it is possible, but I have not had that experience over the years. They can be very good at eating algae, even bubble algae. I’d go for it, just keep an eye on them and monitor corals.

 

[Ziggy17]

Keep manually removing it. It eventually goes away.