bubble algae

[Crakeur]

Other than emerald mithrax monsters, are there any known critters that will remove Valonia? I am starting to get a small outbreak and, while it isn't unsightly or harmful yet, I don't want it to get out of control.

 

Any suggestions?

[tinyreef]

homo sapiens

 

best to nip that problem in the bud right now. sailfins aren't going to fit in your tank. i think dave mentioned copperbands at one time but same issues there as well.

 

there are some really exotic nudis i've heard about but good luck finding the actual species from an importer and then rearing them afterwards. X)

[LiQuiD]

In my honest opinion, these crabs are the best cleanup crew I have ever had. They are not really monsters, I have a 1/2" one in my 2.5g that does a great job. I also have larger ones (up to about 3") in bigger tanks and really disturb nothing. My hermits are worthless as far as I am concerned. My snails, well you know, they prefer to be on the glass and at the top of it or in the HOB filter. The only thing good with the snails is when I peel them of the glass and place them at the bottom of the rock. They always travel up and to the glass. The emerald is constantly cleaning off the rocks, it is an eating machine. It has never bothered any coral in any tank. I do have some bubble starting in another tank with 2 emeralds and they do not want to even touch it. I see them always plucking out other macro but they have yet to touch the bubble algea. They are great cleaners but I really can't say they do much for the bubble's.

[s800]

Could someone provide a pic of "bubble algae? Is it more the slimy/bubbly stuff that's bad, or the perfect spheriod stuff?

 

tnx,

 

R

[tgrupert]

as soon as the bubble is poped by whatever critter you get the spores will go everywhere so you won't be able to get rid of them. I had it when I started but it never came back

[Crakeur]

it is the spheroid stuff.

 

Snails are pretty much a waste of time. Hermits do almost nothing, other than go after the snails.

 

Emerald crabs get big, get destructive, can and will go after polyps and are an all around pain in the ass. I had one for a while and it got real big, moved things around and picked at my polyps. Perhaps, now that I have some valonia, it will go after that but once the valonia is gone, I will live in fear of zooicide.

 

Maybe I will just live with the bubbles and, if they get to big, carefully yank them out.

 

The tank is looking real good of late and the algae is slowly going the way of the dodo. Still getting a little red slime bloom in one area and still have some hard to reach areas with the hair but the nudi is still chomping away and mowing down whole sections of rock.

 

Mah tank is purty again.