Pitho crabs vs bubble algae

[DemoAllBac]

My 2 from Reefcleaners cleared a few small rocks of bubble algae, then decided they would rather eat the feet off of my rock flower nems. Took me a few weeks to figure out what was decimating them and find the two culprits under the sand; unfortunately by then I was down like 8 nems. :(

It was a real shame, they really were super personable and I loved their little waving claw movements. I struggle with the bubble algae still today.

 

[kingranch2003]

Go forth! We have work to do.

 

[kdx7214]

I ordered 3 from reefcleaners and one survived shipping. I like watching him after lights out with a flashlight. He went right for the smaller bubble algae and seemed quite proud of this. The outbreak I have is currently massive so I will probably have to get a few more. It's so bad it's growing on the underside of the rocks even without light lol.

Reef cleaners says they do okay shipping via 2-3 day, but I've ordered both the pithos and mithrax from them this way and lost some during shipping each time, so order them for overnight if you possibly can.

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

I had both bubble algae in my sump with some macro algae.
Be advised my pitho went directly for all of the caulerpa and red ogo first,
…..never touched the big bubble tear dropped pea sized stuff and only sort of touched that densely packed mini bubble algae… Weird as I always thought it was the same stuff…

Mine has been tearing the big bubbles up like hulk hogan ripping his shirt off. It’s a large pithos so maybe that makes a difference?

Since adding them I’ve also been noticing a lot more bubble algae on my wavemakers so I’m thinking they sometimes snip it then gets loose and floats away.