Do Tuxedo urchins eat bubble algae?

[OrionN]

I alway have to be the king of something bad. I went on vacation for a month. My office staff oversees the tank really badly and I came back with near disaster. It is a 40 gal AIO cube with polyps, Rock Flowers, Mushrooms and a Black Snowflake pair with Gigantea.
It was a mess. Algae everywhere, especially small Bubble algae and cyano.
After diligently change water and siphon out cyano for several months I got everything back to healthy but still cannot get rid of the bubble algae. This is a 40 gal cube to some of the usual CUC cannot be use. I added 2 Emerald crabs but they dived into the rock work and I only rarely see them. Don’t seem to make a dent in the Bubble algae.
Anybody else got any suggestion?
I have 8 large snails in the tank. turbo and Astrea, 2 pincushion sea urchins, 2 Emerald crabs, 2 cleanser shrimps. Anybody has any other suggestion other than elbow grease?

 

[kevgib67]

I alway have to be the king of something bad. I went on vacation for a month. My office staff oversees the tank really badly and I came back with near disaster. It is a 40 gal AIO cube with polyps, Rock Flowers, Mushrooms and a Black Snowflake pair with Gigantea.
It was a mess. Algae everywhere, especially small Bubble algae and cyano.
After diligently change water and siphon out cyano for several months I got everything back to healthy but still cannot get rid of the bubble algae. This is a 40 gal cube to some of the usual CUC cannot be use. I added 2 Emerald crabs but they dived into the rock work and I only rarely see them. Don’t seem to make a dent in the Bubble algae.
Anybody else got any suggestion?
I have 8 large snails in the tank. turbo and Astrea. 2 Emerald crabs, 2 cleanser shrimps. Anybody has any other suggestion other than elbow grease?

They always worked for me but pitho crabs are king of eating bubble algae.

 

[OrionN]

Are Pitho crabs the same as Emerald crabs?

 

[OrionN]

I never have problem like this in a small tank, or any of my tanks?

 

[kevgib67]

Are Pitho crabs the same as Emerald crabs?

No, not as cute either but bubble algae eating machines.

 

[Biokabe]

Are Pitho crabs the same as Emerald crabs?

No, very different.

Emeralds stick to the rockwork, have that kind of flat carapace, and are, well, emerald. Although the color isn't really steady. I've had emeralds go grey, I've heard of red relatives of theirs...

Anyhow. Pithos are an entirely different beast. When not scavenging, they bury in the sand, and spend most of their lives camouflaged within the sand. More of a domed carapace than the emerald's flat carapace, and they usually walk with a bit of a tilt that makes them look even more pointed than emeralds do.

 

[ColorMeGone]

My Pitho's and Emerald crabs would go crazy in your tank. Get you some and see.