Bubble algae, I'm losing the war

[yauger]

yeah I feel his pain.

[sen5241b]

You might try UV also

[22bfan]

I had some similar issues earlier on with my bio cube.  I threw a bunch of changes at it  and something seemed to work.  I added a magnesium supplement at the same time that I installed In Tank's filter rack into the back of my biocube with Chemi-Pure and Purigen.  The only problem Ive had with the InTank racks are that they are tough to get my hand into for replacing filter floss pads on the top level.  When I don't change the floss, flow through the rear chambers backs up which raises water level in the front display and reduces the effectiveness of the rear filtration chambers exponentially.  

 

I think my mag was around 1600 and the algae evaporated.  I added a turbo and it seemed to help but beware, they are like a bulldozer for coral frags.  If you have loose coral frag plugs they will jar, dislodge, and topple them.  

 

Another thing to look at is what you are feeding the tank.  If you have food with Phosphates in them, you are feeding the algae.  

 

As well, comprehensive flow in the tank is huge.  Don't give algae a foothold by allowing dead spots in your tank with no/low flow.  

 

Add a ball of chaeto with a small light that illuminates opposite of when your display lights are on.  That stuff loves to eat the same nutrients and waste that is feeding the algae in your display.  

 

Good luck!!  It goes downhill pretty quickly.  Wish it bounced back equally as fast. 

[Sharkey18]

I had a bubble algae problem too. My fix was manual removal, along with all of the other things you are doing. 

 

I also don't think popping the bubbles is a big deal. I think it's a myth that popping causes problems. I popped tons of mine during removal and it didn't hurt. Problem still got better. 

[rioreef]

After many years I lost the battle.  Over the summer I removed most of the rock and cleaned it.  Tons of detritus in the rock.  Upon close inspection many many tiny bubble algae were present.  Got all those off with a pick-tool down into the crevases, scrubbed the rock, vinegar bath for a couple of weeks, and then bleached the rock (chemically and by sun).  Now, rock is in brute to get the bacteria back and ready for tank. 

 

Basically, starting over on the rock (and sand).  I know this will not get everything (sump, overflow, etc) but, I will have my tank back and can tackle when necessary.

 

Good luck in your efforts.

[YHSublime]

I had a bubble algae problem too. My fix was manual removal, along with all of the other things you are doing. 

 

I also don't think popping the bubbles is a big deal. I think it's a myth that popping causes problems. I popped tons of mine during removal and it didn't hurt. Problem still got better. 

 

 

This this this.

[CaptBlenny]

Yeah, I agree that the popping doesn't spread it. But I did a 30% water change right after each aggressive removal just to hedge!

[yauger]

yeah I've been popping them also but only when I do a water change afterwards. so I guess I'm half & half myth believer... however I would like to note the BEST tool for bubble algae I have found is a dental tooth scaper, that thing works like a hot knife in butter.

[lutz123]

What a pain.  I have never had more than a few pop up and disappear.  Do you know what type of valonia you have?  It might make a difference in finding help.  Urchins may help as well.

[sen5241b]

Yeah, I agree that the popping doesn't spread it. But I did a 30% water change right after each aggressive removal just to hedge!

 

don't pop'em.

 

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/

 

"Much has been said about the danger of liberating spores when popping the vesicles of bubble algae. This is particularly true for members of Order Valoniaceae ...'

[YHSublime]

don't pop'em.

 

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/

 

"Much has been said about the danger of liberating spores when popping the vesicles of bubble algae. This is particularly true for members of Order Valoniaceae ...'

 

I think Tom shared some insight on how the larger pieces were inclined to have a higher chance of spreading spores, vs. your average tiny pieces, etc.

 

If you have something controlling it in your tank (be it fish or invert, etc) how are they eating it without popping it? I wouldn't worry about popping a few pieces along the way. My 2c.

[gmerek2]

I think that's where the turbos come into play. I would guess they can't eat the larger bubble algae so that needs manual removal. But the turbos come eating the day lights out of the spores, small up and coming bubble algae. You can see each bubble popping in my video link I posted as the Dej sailfin eats it. I can't find any bubble algae in my display but sump and overflows is packed full of the healthiest, most tightly packed bubble algae colonys you ever seen. I think it's great nutrient export thousands of spores pop as I take it out with my hands. I don't doubt it spreads spores popping them but it's better to get rid of it than sit around and worry about it.

[sen5241b]

I think Tom shared some insight on how the larger pieces were inclined to have a higher chance of spreading spores, vs. your average tiny pieces, etc.

 

If you have something controlling it in your tank (be it fish or invert, etc) how are they eating it without popping it? I wouldn't worry about popping a few pieces along the way. My 2c.

 

The article basically said that, yes, the larger bubbles will spread spores when popped but if they did get popped there are ways to mop up the spores BUT one should avoid popping them if possible.

[yauger]

so basically pop the small ones but not the big ones? to be honest popping them makes it easy to remove a thousand bubbles at one servicing.

[AlanM]

I have tons of the red bubble algae in my chaeto growing bucket.  Somehow I have none in the display or sump, although I did have them there at one point, but they love that bucket.  It's weird.  I think the red bubble algae is really pretty.  It has spots that glow orange under actinic.  It doesn't grow as tight or dense as the green stuff.  Maybe I could give you some red and it would outcompete. 8)

[CaptBlenny]

don't pop'em.

 

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/

 

"Much has been said about the danger of liberating spores when popping the vesicles of bubble algae. This is particularly true for members of Order Valoniaceae ...'

 

 

The rest of that paragraph went on list all the mitigating factors. Anyway, I popped many along the way but did just before water changes. My goal was to get out every piece I can see until no matter how many I had to pop along the way -- i wasn't even that careful about it. three weeks in and they are all but a few pieces here and there. Much better than fretting about popping them. but that's just my expierence. 

[Origami]

Valonia's a pain in the butt for sure. 

 

The big ones are easier to remove than the small ones. That's good news because, if the large ones have a higher likelihood of being mature enough to form spores inside, then you have a better chance of removing them manually without popping them.

 

On the other hand, like a lot of pests whose propagation strategy is weed-like (that is, high-volume, low investment), it's going to be tough to eliminate the population manually unless you're willing to pull the rock and everything in the tank and clean and QT everything in isolation to ensure that it's valonia-free. That's because it can live in cracks, crevices, and dimples that you're likely to miss. It Different types can live on the sides of your overflow, and grow on the bare skeletons of coral skeletons in shaded areas of a colony. It'll come in on frag plugs - so small that you might not even notice. Luckily, biological controls seem more effective against the small stuff (maybe it's more tender and tasty). Biological controls can also get at places that we would miss.

 

So remove what you can manually and try introducing some biological controls like Emerald crabs, turbos and a two-bar rabbitfish. Then cross your fingers. You may not win the war, but maybe you can establish an acceptable, protracted truce.

[Djplus1]

I managed to clear my Biocube with a one spot fox face and a blue tuxedo urchin. I think the foxface did the initial heavy lifting and the urchin keeps it at bay.

[s2nhle]

I also had bubble algae problem too. I manually removed them. Plus I believe my yellow tang is eating them also. at of this moment, i have some in my overflow and 1 or 2 very small one in the display.