red bubble algae

[nwin]

Ok, first some background...

 

I have a 14g biocube, up for about 6 months now.

 

I started the tank with chaeto in the back and some chemipure elite using a media basket. The sump has been upgraded with a pico 1200 from the start and I have a koralia nano 240 in the display. I have three pieces of LR totalling about 18 pounds. Here's an FTS taken today:

 

 

I used the chaeto/chemipure elite in the back for about the first 2-3 months. The chaeto started great but slowly started to dwindle. I ended up getting rid of it because I was sick of chaeto finding it's way into the display and blocking up the sump. I replaced it and had chemipure elite/purigen in the back.

 

About a month into owning the tank, I saw, what I thought...were red sponges and thought to myself 'Sweet! Awesome hitchhikers!' I then found out it was actually red bubble algae, and it was spreading..only on the rock on the right. I grabbed a siphon and scraped them off best I could every time I did a water change.

 

Things were going well. I then replaced the PC stock lighting with an LED retrofit kit from Stevesleds. This happened about 1-1.5 months ago.

 

Around this time (a month ago maybe?), it was time to change the chemipure elite once again and I had read that chemipure is regarded as pretty much crap and instead decided to just do away with chemipure and refresh the purigen, as it was looking like it needed it.

 

I followed the instructions, put the purigen back into the tank and did a water change right after. The frogspawn in the tank shrank very rapidly after putting the purigen back in and doing a water change (maybe over 2 days?). It used to flow quite a bit and be big and even one of the heads is splitting into two. However, it has retracted quite a bit. What were once thick tentacles have become very thin and almost lifeless... Around this time I also noticed the bubble algae spreading a bit on another rock, some substrate, and the frogspawn stalk. Here's two pics of the frogspawn I took yesterday:

 

 

 

All levels are still normal (Ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate 5-10, phosphate 0 or as near to 0 as my eyes can tell.) The frogspawn *HAS* started rebounding recently in the last week, but slowly. I'm not sure if the purigen sucked out too many nutrients once it was refreshed or what...maybe the red bubble algae is choking the nutrients out of it? (is that even possible???)

 

Here's a pic of the bubble algae on the substrate removed from the tank:

 

 

So, what to do about the bubble algae? I currently have this stock list:

 

b/w occ. clown

tailspot blenny

pearly jawfish

cleaner shrimp

pom pom crab

emerald crab

 

So I think peroxide treatment is out. Should I take the frogspawn out and dip the stalk in something to kill off the bubble algae growing on it or is that a waste of time?

 

Thanks in advance. Also please note on the pic of the FTS...I never keep my LED's that high. I just had to turn the blue all the way down and the whites all the way up or else the blue would wash out the picture.

[albertthiel]

Ok, first some background...

 

I have a 14g biocube, up for about 6 months now.

 

I started the tank with chaeto in the back and some chemipure elite using a media basket. The sump has been upgraded with a pico 1200 from the start and I have a koralia nano 240 in the display. I have three pieces of LR totalling about 18 pounds. Here's an FTS taken today:

 

 

I used the chaeto/chemipure elite in the back for about the first 2-3 months. The chaeto started great but slowly started to dwindle. I ended up getting rid of it because I was sick of chaeto finding it's way into the display and blocking up the sump. I replaced it and had chemipure elite/purigen in the back.

 

About a month into owning the tank, I saw, what I thought...were red sponges and thought to myself 'Sweet! Awesome hitchhikers!' I then found out it was actually red bubble algae, and it was spreading..only on the rock on the right. I grabbed a siphon and scraped them off best I could every time I did a water change.

 

Things were going well. I then replaced the PC stock lighting with an LED retrofit kit from Stevesleds. This happened about 1-1.5 months ago.

 

Around this time (a month ago maybe?), it was time to change the chemipure elite once again and I had read that chemipure is regarded as pretty much crap and instead decided to just do away with chemipure and refresh the purigen, as it was looking like it needed it.

 

I followed the instructions, put the purigen back into the tank and did a water change right after. The frogspawn in the tank shrank very rapidly after putting the purigen back in and doing a water change (maybe over 2 days?). It used to flow quite a bit and be big and even one of the heads is splitting into two. However, it has retracted quite a bit. What were once thick tentacles have become very thin and almost lifeless... Around this time I also noticed the bubble algae spreading a bit on another rock, some substrate, and the frogspawn stalk. Here's two pics of the frogspawn I took yesterday:

 

All levels are still normal (Ammonia-0, nitrite-0, nitrate 5-10, phosphate 0 or as near to 0 as my eyes can tell.) The frogspawn *HAS* started rebounding recently in the last week, but slowly. I'm not sure if the purigen sucked out too many nutrients once it was refreshed or what...maybe the red bubble algae is choking the nutrients out of it? (is that even possible???)

 

Here's a pic of the bubble algae on the substrate removed from the tank:

 

 

So, what to do about the bubble algae? I currently have this stock list:

 

b/w occ. clown

tailspot blenny

pearly jawfish

cleaner shrimp

pom pom crab

emerald crab

 

So I think peroxide treatment is out. Should I take the frogspawn out and dip the stalk in something to kill off the bubble algae growing on it or is that a waste of time?

 

Thanks in advance. Also please note on the pic of the FTS...I never keep my LED's that high. I just had to turn the blue all the way down and the whites all the way up or else the blue would wash out the picture.

 

Red Bubble Algae is indeed a problem and often manual removal is about the only way to get rid of them.

 

Some report that the Red Legged Mexican Hermit eats bubble algae but I have not found any reference to it eating red ones.

 

I found this video which may be of help but due to an emergency here at home (nothing very serious I have not had time to view it entirely ... but you may want to watch it and see if that helps

 

 

I'll look for some more info and if I find anything for you I will post it of course

[albertthiel]

Red Bubble Algae is indeed a problem and often manual removal is about the only way to get rid of them.

 

Some report that the Red Legged Mexican Hermit eats bubble algae but I have not found any reference to it eating red ones.

 

I found this video which may be of help but due to an emergency here at home (nothing very serious I have not had time to view it entirely ... but you may want to watch it and see if that helps

 

 

I'll look for some more info and if I find anything for you I will post it of course

 

Any luck with getting some out of the tank ?

[nwin]

Any luck with getting some out of the tank ?

 

Nothing yet. I watched that video and it doesn't look like a blackout is going to help out, as he said that it can grow in very low light conditions. However, I'm going to start doing 2 30% water changes a week for the next few weeks while aggresively siphoning and see if that will help out. I'm also feeding pellets every other day and frozen (rinsed) mysis once a week instead of mysis once a week and pellets every day.

 

I have 2 scarlet hermits but they haven't been making much of an impact (if any) on the bubble algae).

 

I don't think it's a major enough problem to introduce chemicals at this point, but the only one I've seen that might work is Dr. Tim's Waste Away. Thoughts?

[albertthiel]

Nothing yet. I watched that video and it doesn't look like a blackout is going to help out, as he said that it can grow in very low light conditions. However, I'm going to start doing 2 30% water changes a week for the next few weeks while aggresively siphoning and see if that will help out. I'm also feeding pellets every other day and frozen (rinsed) mysis once a week instead of mysis once a week and pellets every day.

 

I have 2 scarlet hermits but they haven't been making much of an impact (if any) on the bubble algae).

 

I don't think it's a major enough problem to introduce chemicals at this point, but the only one I've seen that might work is Dr. Tim's Waste Away. Thoughts?

 

I would try physical removal and what you posted above for a while before getting into adding any meds as that is going to impact more than just the algae.

 

And ChemiClean from Boyd that works real well for slime algae does not work on bubble algae.

 

Get a real strong baster with powerful suction and then use the pointed knife or similar and the suction device to get them out ... that is what I would try first.

[brandon429]

They must be target removed. no amount of nutrient perfecting will remove these obligate hitchhikers.

 

Why not just lift out the rock, spot treat with peroxide only on the bad parts, rinse 5x and put back>

[albertthiel]

They must be target removed. no amount of nutrient perfecting will remove these obligate hitchhikers.

 

Why not just lift out the rock, spot treat with peroxide only on the bad parts, rinse 5x and put back>

 

Yes that is definitely a way to go if you cannot siphon them out after loosening them as was demonstrated in that video I posted.

 

Thanks Brandon for the alternative approach which will work as well ..

[nwin]

They must be target removed. no amount of nutrient perfecting will remove these obligate hitchhikers.

 

Why not just lift out the rock, spot treat with peroxide only on the bad parts, rinse 5x and put back>

 

I have a jawfish which has a burrow underneath the rock and about 3-4" of substrate...if I were to remove the rock, besides stressing out the jawfish, I think I would get a mini-cycle from stirring everything up and it would be very difficult to ensure the rock gets on the bottom of the tank again.

[brandon429]

what about draining the tank down to the required level of access, that won't affect the sandbed, I do it regularly you just pour water back in very slowly.

 

I see red algae well above the substrate line, easy access for a drain and treat unless thats what you are trying to keep

 

the rule for this pest is still some form of directed removal, so if not a drain and treat you have options of finding a lucky mithrax crab to do the job, or repeated manual removal + siphoning at that spot at the time of removal etc

 

heck I could even formulate a submerged spot treatment for that algae without draining anything, its lucky you are in the early phases before its stacked with coral

[nwin]

what about draining the tank down to the required level of access, that won't affect the sandbed, I do it regularly you just pour water back in very slowly.

 

I see red algae well above the substrate line, easy access for a drain and treat unless thats what you are trying to keep

 

the rule for this pest is still some form of directed removal, so if not a drain and treat you have options of finding a lucky mithrax crab to do the job, or repeated manual removal + siphoning at that spot at the time of removal etc

 

heck I could even formulate a submerged spot treatment for that algae without draining anything, its lucky you are in the early phases before its stacked with coral

 

I'm open for any ideas, but I want to be sure we're talking about the same things...my main problem was bubble algae, so I thought...but are you saying I have some red algae (slime?)? If so, where do you see it? The one part that has popped up is on the top rock, where there's a clear spot of red. The thing is, that doesn't seem to scrape off like my last bout of cyano did a few months ago, so I'm not sure what it is...I'm doubting very much it's coralline.

 

If so, for drain and treat or submerged spot treatment, besides the manual removal, what else do you suggest? I thought peroxide was a no-go because of the cleaner shrimp I have in there...

[brandon429]

Oh I forgot about him that's true. If the cleaner can't be held elsewhere I too would consider other methods

[albertthiel]

I'm open for any ideas, but I want to be sure we're talking about the same things...my main problem was bubble algae, so I thought...but are you saying I have some red algae (slime?)? If so, where do you see it? The one part that has popped up is on the top rock, where there's a clear spot of red. The thing is, that doesn't seem to scrape off like my last bout of cyano did a few months ago, so I'm not sure what it is...I'm doubting very much it's coralline.

 

If so, for drain and treat or submerged spot treatment, besides the manual removal, what else do you suggest? I thought peroxide was a no-go because of the cleaner shrimp I have in there...

 

I would still consider the manual removal method as your first option and if that does not work then you may have to take rocks out and spot treat and remove the shrimp temporarily

[albertthiel]

I would still consider the manual removal method as your first option and if that does not work then you may have to take rocks out and spot treat and remove the shrimp temporarily

 

@nwin --

 

How is the Bubble algae issue going ? Did you manage to get them out? And if so how did you do it ?

 

I'd like to start a series of posts on Bubble Algae on my thread so I you would be so kind to describe what your issue was there, and what you did, and where you are now ... then I can respond and we can see whether we get input from others.

 

The link to the current last page ... but you may have to scroll to the next one depending on how many messages were added is :

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...&start=4380

 

Of course, whether you do so or not is entirely up to you ....

 

Thanks

 

Albert

[nwin]

@nwin --

 

How is the Bubble algae issue going ? Did you manage to get them out? And if so how did you do it ?

 

I put a reply on your main thread involving what's going on with the bubble algae...let me know if you would like me to add anything...I tried to be as specific as I could.

 

As for the algae, it seems to have slowed it's growth. There's still some pieces that are in nooks and crannies that I can't get to on the LR. The frogspawn is what's bugging me now. I was able to remove one or two pieces of algae today from the frogspawn, but there's a lot more I can't get to using the siphon. I have the frogspawn attached to a piece of LR with some epoxy putty...think I could just remove the frogspawn from the tank and treat manually with something without hurting the frogspawn itself (just sticking to dipping the stalk in something perhaps)?

[albertthiel]

I put a reply on your main thread involving what's going on with the bubble algae...let me know if you would like me to add anything...I tried to be as specific as I could.

 

As for the algae, it seems to have slowed it's growth. There's still some pieces that are in nooks and crannies that I can't get to on the LR. The frogspawn is what's bugging me now. I was able to remove one or two pieces of algae today from the frogspawn, but there's a lot more I can't get to using the siphon. I have the frogspawn attached to a piece of LR with some epoxy putty...think I could just remove the frogspawn from the tank and treat manually with something without hurting the frogspawn itself (just sticking to dipping the stalk in something perhaps)?

 

Thanks I saw if and I replied on my thread and glad to read that it's slowed down ... That is good

 

I gave you a suggestion on the frogspawn too. Nite .........

 

Albert