Losing the battle with bubble algae - order of things

[Thales]

I doubt your bubble algae problem could be worse than the one I used to have. I was just very judicious about gently prodding them off manually and either siphoning or netting them out. I removed the live rock from the tank to do it when it was practical to do so, but it almost never was. Sure, some broke and probably shed spores, but I just kept at it. I thought I'd never be rid of them, and then one day I suddenly realized I was. Now, once every several months when I least expect it I dislodge a tiny one with a glassware brush while deep cleaning some deep hidden crevice. Like everything else, I guess nothing really disappears completely. But for all practical purposes, they do. I rid myself of bristle worms (really, the snails did) and Aptasia (just scraped away the few that first appeared) just the same. I don't think you need chemicals. I also never found livestock that would reliably eat any of these undesirables (I do have tangs and a one spot, emerald (or emerald-like) crabs, and at times pithos crabs and lettuce 'nudibranchs'). If anything, those critters that eat bubble algae are probably going to rupture them and spread the spores.

There are no spores in the bubbles.

 

[Joe.D]

I’ve posted this before, thought I’d share here as well.

I had a pretty big bubble algae breakout earlier this year - every weekend I’d scrape. My tank is a 75 gallon display. Finally got tired of that as the scraping and adding emerald crabs and one spot Foxface didn’t really help - it’d be back the following week. Just too many areas you can’t see and get to when you scrape.

I saw a thread on Reef2Reef from @brandon429 about using peroxide. His suggestion of pulling the rocks and spraying with peroxide did the trick for me. There’s still some in the system, but it’s only a few that I scrape and siphon into filter a sock before I do a water change.

I didn’t do all of my rock at once. Did it in 3 or 4 groups every few days.

When I pulled the rock I took off all of my frags - fortunately I didn’t have a ton of coral.

When I took the rock out I sprayed it with 3% peroxide that I picked up at the store. Let it sit for about 5 min and then scraped and scrubbed then rinsed with fresh saltwater before putting them back in and re-glued frags.

I’ve had it under control since then. I think the crabs and Foxface can help keep it under control when there isn’t a lot and the bubbles are rather small.

It’s a drastic step, you have to redo your aquascape, but it worked for me.

Also, I know this forum is about 50-50 on whether to pop or not. I say scrape and pop away (as long as you suck out what you can). The crabs and Foxface pop it when they eat. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Good Luck!

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

and then try to siphon water around them to catch spores

Popping bubble algae does not make it spread, and does not release "spores".

Also, I know this forum is about 50-50 on whether to pop or not

No, the people who understand how this algae actually reproduces know that popping bubble algae is not a problem.

 

[VintageReefer]

Where is everyone getting there pithos crabs from? Any recommendations?

Are these commonly called decorator crabs?

 

[bradreef]

 

[jkcoral]

Where is everyone getting there pithos crabs from? Any recommendations?

Are these commonly called decorator crabs?

Pitho crabs are their own type of crab, not to be confused with decorators. The only place I’ve ever seen them (and where I got mine) is from Reef Cleaners