MikeW Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 So I've got this weird stuff growing on my rock and I can't seem to find out what it is or how the hell I can get rid of it. It popped up about a month ago for the first time and has been spreading. One of my rocks was covered and I tried taking it out to scrub it off/rinse which was effective but it just came back (not quite as heavy though). I couldn't take a good picture myself so I found another photo online (read: this photo is not mine). So any ideas what this is? Perhaps it is simply red bubble algae but it looks weird. Any ideas what I can do to get rid of it? ANY insight is appreciated! Mike Link to comment
Zo0k365 Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Yep just red bubble algae. Get an emerald crab(s). From what I have heard the smaller the crab the better. Just don't pop them while they're in the tank. Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 oddly enough. a few years ago i purchased a rock with some of this on it because i liked the color. The bubble eventually grew a stem then had "grapes" growing off the stem.. eventually it seemed to disapear and then it turned into a small kelp sort of plant.. and then back down to bubble. it was the strangest algea i ever had. it never grew off the rock that i had it on and eventually just went away for good. I really liked it though. Link to comment
MikeW Posted June 2, 2010 Author Share Posted June 2, 2010 I'll try getting an emerald crab. I'd love the algae if it wasn't all over the fricken place. Granted it is much cooler than green algae (which I really have none of) it is still excessive. Thanks,I appreciate your insights! Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 lol i'd take some my nano wouldnt mind it got any growing on any rubble? Link to comment
Bill Nye Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Bubble algae can be a tough algae to get rid of in a tank. I would start by plucking off any you can get by lightly tugging off so you dont pop any of them. Emerald crabs can be effective, but they are hit or miss whether they will eat it and will pop the bubble so may perpetuate the problem. The main thing is you gotta find where the nutrient source is coming from. Overfeeding is a common one. It wont fully go away till you get that under control. Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 once apon a time i had a really bad hair algae problem (the city water in the town i lived in had 1600ppm reading on the tds meter off the tap.) whenever i would do a water change the tank was worse off. lol i eventually broke down and did the following. took out the rock and scrubbed it in a bucket with the tank water. Rinsed it off purchased and installed a UV sterilizer continued limited coral feedings (marine snow and phytoplankton) and i never had the problem again. the UV killed all the water borne algae .. seemed to do the trick Link to comment
vaporlockv2 Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Ok this could be my tank but I have an emerald crab and he only eats the green bubble algae not the red, I had to manually remove the red. Link to comment
Rick Shaw Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 Yep just red bubble algae. Get an emerald crab(s). From what I have heard the smaller the crab the better. Just don't pop them while they're in the tank. Big plus 1 to what Zook said. Only thing I would add is to take out every rock that has the algae on it, use a scalple or something pointy and strong to dig the root out of the rock. Dont pop the bubbles in the tank, there are spores in there and they will spread like wild fire. When removing the bubbles have some clean slatwater around to rinse the rock clean. More of the bubble algae will pop up but the emerald will take care of them for you. Like Zook said the younger emeralds seem to do better about controlling algae than adults. My adult Emerald did a great job when it was young but now prefers meaty foods. oddly enough. a few years ago i purchased a rock with some of this on it because i liked the color. The bubble eventually grew a stem then had "grapes" growing off the stem.. eventually it seemed to disapear and then it turned into a small kelp sort of plant.. and then back down to bubble. it was the strangest algea i ever had. it never grew off the rock that i had it on and eventually just went away for good. I really liked it though. That was just a cycling of algeas. Bubble algae is not good in tanks and really bad in nanos. Link to comment
TinyGiant Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 i might have had good enough water quality for it to stay managable. like i said it never left the one rock i purchased it on.. green valona algae i have seen be super troublesome. but cleaning outside of the tank and rinsing really well seems to get rid of it. even letting it sit in a bucket of tank water for a day then rinsing it again to be safe. i always think of bubble algae like those puff mushrooms that you stomp on.. if you smoosh it you'll have a ton more Link to comment
Rick Shaw Posted June 2, 2010 Share Posted June 2, 2010 i always think of bubble algae like those puff mushrooms that you stomp on.. if you smoosh it you'll have a ton more Thats what happens and why its a problem. Link to comment
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