Vibrant vs Bubble Algae

[Rhetoric]

I do not have a LFS to deal with so all my stuff comes in the mail. I thought about these crabs but like you say they don't all eat this crap.

Order 3 of them.

It will fix the issue

 

[vetteguy53081]

I have quite a bubble algae infestion in my 55l tank.
I decided to try dosing Vibrant to see if it would deal with it. But after 6 weeks of dosing weekly. I'm not seeing any change.

It says 1ml weekly for every 10g, so since my tanks only 12g (UK), I've been dosing 1ml every Sunday.

Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to up the dosage or dose more regulary?

This is often an alternative and not a solution and ive seen it cause more problems for tanks than help the. Best recourse is to remove each rock and scrub clean

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

avoid bubble algae by using peroxide on your frags that can tolerate it before they go in your tank

 

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

I know it is believed that algae fix and vibrant are based on the same active ingredient. Has anyone confirmed that it works as good on bubble algae? Sometimes plausible theory doesn’t always produce the anticipated results.

While vibrant worked for me I’d rather use/recommend the option which was honest from the get go.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I know it is believed that algae fix and vibrant are based on the same active ingredient. Has anyone confirmed that it works as good on bubble algae? Sometimes plausible theory doesn’t always produce the anticipated results.

While vibrant worked for me I’d rather use/recommend the option which was honest from the get go.

Given that they are exactly the same chemical algaecide I'm certain they will have the exact same effect.

There's no 'belief' about it.

 

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

Given that they are exactly the same chemical algaecide I'm certain they will have the exact same effect.

There's no 'belief' about it.

Only reason I ask is because I’ve run into many instances in reefing where highly plausible turns out to have an unexpected challenge along the way.

Application of plausible and consistent positive results are the confirmation step. The active ingredient has been common knowledge for a while so I’d assume there are lots of people who have used algae fix to effectively beat bubble algae, I just haven’t stumbled on these reports. That’s why I asked.but I’ll just use search to find the answer :)

 

[Villious]

Vibrant never works. I was one of the testers when they initially released and they sent me numerous bottles for free..did absolutely nothing.

I’ve used it for various issues several times. Worked like a charm. Also know many local folks who have used it successfully.

 

[Ziggy17]

I have quite a bubble algae infestion in my 55l tank.
I decided to try dosing Vibrant to see if it would deal with it. But after 6 weeks of dosing weekly. I'm not seeing any change.

It says 1ml weekly for every 10g, so since my tanks only 12g (UK), I've been dosing 1ml every Sunday.

Am I doing something wrong? Do I need to up the dosage or dose more regulary?

I know the question was about Vibrant, but I’ll offer my alternative.

Thats not nearly as bad as I had it. I went away for 9 weeks and the wife was in charge of the tank. I had been dealing with it as it came with manually removal, but over 9 weeks it came back hard. Literally everything was covered. Not a single square inch wasnt carpeted with bubbles. It was disastrous.

Anyhow, I bought a stainless steel blackhead/pimple extractor, zip tied it to the end of 3/4” tubing. Ran the tubing into a 5 micron filter sock stuffed into the return compartment of the sump. Kept the return on and inch by inch, removed every piece of bubble algae while it got sucked down the tubing into the sock. Took 3 goes at it but eventually got it all. Had to split the job into thirds as each 1/3 took about 3 hours to do. I also bought 2 emerald crabs to keep it bay going forward. What’s nice about this method was I didn’t have to do a water change to siphon them out. And the 5 micron sock is small enough to catch absolutely everything. It was actually quite rewarding when you pop them off. Nothing beats elbow grease and a good CUC.

This is the blackhead extractor I used. Good ol Amazon.

 

[Rollnwthdatide]

I’ve used it for various issues several times. Worked like a charm. Also know many local folks who have used it successfully.

Likely had zero impact. It's a bad product hence their legal troubles.

 

[VintageReefer]

While I wouldn’t use vibrant for any purpose based on the misdeeds of the company, I’m curious what a bottle in the UK says is in it?

In USA, there’s two labels.

Front identical. Back very different

Back version 1

Back version 2

 

[PNW_squidz]

Likely had zero impact. It's a bad product hence their legal troubles.

They got in trouble because they lied about what was in it. Not that it didn't work.

 

[Justdrew]

They got in trouble because they lied about what was in it. Not that it didn't work.

I concur. It worked for me and many other documented cases. It was never a question of it it worked, just that they lied about what was in it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

In USA, there’s two labels.

Front identical. Back very different

Back version 1

Back version 2

Thanks. Pretty shocking label change. lol

 

[VintageReefer]

Thanks. Pretty shocking label change. lol

Seems they revised label to meet epa rules?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Seems they revised label to meet epa rules?

Yes. They were required to admit it was not the special bacteria that they told us was the active component over and over, right up to the bitter, ugly end.

 

[rtparty]

Likely had zero impact. It's a bad product hence their legal troubles.

It is literally a known algaecide. There is no question about it. It 100% kills algae.

Their legal troubles are for selling an unregistered pesticide. Plain and simple.

 

[rtparty]

I know it is believed that algae fix and vibrant are based on the same active ingredient. Has anyone confirmed that it works as good on bubble algae? Sometimes plausible theory doesn’t always produce the anticipated results.

While vibrant worked for me I’d rather use/recommend the option which was honest from the get go.

Not believed. Known.

The new Vibrant label shows this to be true as well

I’m currently using AlgaeFix for bubble algae and chaetomorpha antennina. Bubble algae is usually one of the last algae that it works on but I can say for sure I’m seeing clear or popped bubbles at this point. Almost all the chaeto antennina is gone as well. It seemed to attack the film algae on the glass first, then the chaeto, and now the bubble algae.

 

[Justdrew]

Not believed. Known.

The new Vibrant label shows this to be true as well

I’m currently using AlgaeFix for bubble algae and chaetomorpha antennina. Bubble algae is usually one of the last algae that it works on but I can say for sure I’m seeing clear or popped bubbles at this point. Almost all the chaeto antennina is gone as well. It seemed to attack the film algae on the glass first, then the chaeto, and now the bubble algae.

Is it working safely with corals? Acro specifically?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Is it working safely with corals? Acro specifically?

Some folks seem to have good things happen - others have really bad things happen.

Every tank will react differently.

If you're about to toss the tank into the trash and the one last thing that may change your mind is an algaecide, well then you have nothing to lose by giving it a shot.

I used API Algaefix once (Vibrant has never been allowed here), and it cleared up some algae but also harmed my coral. The coral recovered but so did the algae.

 

[rtparty]

Is it working safely with corals? Acro specifically?

This tank doesn’t have much coral as it was a concept tank setup to simply test some theories. I figured AlgaeFix fit right in with that idea.

I have one milli, a golden hammer, an acan pachysepta, and some kind of favia/favite. Nothing shows any signs of stress. The milli is extending and growing a nice base. The hammer is growing like crazy. The favia has grown nicely and the pachysepta has kept color and loves to extend feeders.

I have been doing a half dose every 3 days just to watch for anything and I’m pleased with the results thus far. I will say I think the bubble algae is still winning in the sense that it seems more shows up than is turning clear/popping. But I planned a slow race until the new tank is up and I can get actual valonia eaters in there to help