Bubble Algae

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#1
I'm sure could've caught this issue much earlier than today if I would've set the time to do so.

I've been busy with work these past few months and have been slacking off after work hours. The tank has been running on auto, still manually dose Oyster feast & Phyto once I get home. I kept up with the bi-weekly 15-20% water change. I didn't keep up with my maintenance routine on the power heads. My goal has been to clean the powerheads every QTR & failed this June. I have noticed some bubble algae on the rocks while cleaning the front of the tank but didn't put to much thought into it. By the looks of it, I popped some algae while trying to manually remove it about a month ago.

My initial thought last week is to run my refugium +2 hrs to have 0 nitrates for a month and try to starve it out. (powerheads are currently being soaked in citric acid)

I would like to refrain from using Vibrant for now to keep my refugium going.

Anyone have any insight on what alternative I can try to eradicate bubble algae?

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#3
i’m having the same issue, emerald crabs are not doing their efficiently.


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#5
pretty sure reef flux (flucanozole) works on bubble algae. i've used it various times for turf algae, but have never had the pleasure of bubble algae
 

Dorado

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#7
In my experience, emerald crabs are good when you just start to see a little bit of bubble algae popping up. When it’s out of control, they can’t keep up. I always have a small one in the tank and I never see any pop up anymore
 
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#9
I tried fluconazole @ 4x knocks out bubble algae in the brighter spots but not lower light ones. What worked for me was manual removal with air line hose during WC. If the rock is fully covered, i take it out n scrap off as much as i can with a knife then squirt hydrogen peroxide over the rock avoiding any corals attached n let it sit for a few minutes then return to the tank.I still have some but very few to the point where u really have to find them.
 
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#10
Interesting on the reef flux 4x. I've used that as directed for bryopsis and it worked well. Never tried to multiply the dosage that high for the bubble algae
 

Poochaku

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#11
I tried fluconazole @ 4x knocks out bubble algae in the brighter spots but not lower light ones. What worked for me was manual removal with air line hose during WC. If the rock is fully covered, i take it out n scrap off as much as i can with a knife then squirt hydrogen peroxide over the rock avoiding any corals attached n let it sit for a few minutes then return to the tank.I still have some but very few to the point where u really have to find them.
This was my experience too, the lower light ones, i removed very easily during the water change though. They were definitely weakened at the very least.
 

tripinpn01

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#12
Sorry for somewhat derailing the thread, but I want to transfer some frags from a tank with bubble algae to my main display which has zero bubble algae. Other than a scrub down, is there anything else I can do to minimize transferring bubble algae?
 
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#13
Sorry for somewhat derailing the thread, but I want to transfer some frags from a tank with bubble algae to my main display which has zero bubble algae. Other than a scrub down, is there anything else I can do to minimize transferring bubble algae?
I would cut off the base and glue a new base to be on the safe side


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JojosReef

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#14
My emeralds from ReefCleaners do a decent job, but it is a 10g, so not that much, and they can't get to the top rock due to territorial disputes with a nem crab.

An emerald I got from AquaSD decimated bubble algae, but it also chewed on every coral it passed along the way. Wasn't obsessed with the corals--it kept eating the bubble algae--but once I saw a piece of crocea clam mantle missing and a torch tentacle in it's mouth, the crab was out.

Fyi, any of the algaecides may affect any macros you have in the tank.
 
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#15
Thanks everyone for the information. After a much closer look there is bubble algae everywhere on the rocks & the base of my torches. I watched some videos on reefers
battling the algae and read a little into fluconazole.

The outbreak seems to be out of control & cannot get into some areas of the rocks. I’m going to try fluconazole at 4x the recommended dose per gallon. (8,000 mg total)

I already scrapped off the algae from the torches and removed as much as I could manually over the weekend. I’ll work on updating the post w/pictures every week if not by the 3rd week

Day 1
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#16
Thanks everyone for the information. After a much closer look there is bubble algae everywhere on the rocks & the base of my torches. I watched some videos on reefers
battling the algae and read a little into fluconazole.

The outbreak seems to be out of control & cannot get into some areas of the rocks. I’m going to try fluconazole at 4x the recommended dose per gallon. (8,000 mg total)

I already scrapped off the algae from the torches and removed as much as I could manually over the weekend. I’ll work on updating the post w/pictures every week if not by the 3rd week

Day 1
View attachment 102003 View attachment 102004 View attachment 102005
can you provide links to those videos you watched?


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drexel

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#18
It's a myth that popping bubble algae causes it to spread more, it's the tissue that holds all the compounds of the algae, not the void within. Female emerald crabs work better than males in the long run, but it's an uphill battle for tiny crabs to keep up with a large area. Also, fighting algae by reducing nutrient numbers is the number one cause for coral issues. The same conditions or parameters algae needs to grow are the same conditions corals need, so never in the history of reef keeping has reducing nutrients solved algae problems. Two things that will always work, manual removal or herbivores. I agree that rabbitfish (foxface) are your best solution, but this is hit or miss depending on species and the size of your tank. I had a lot of luck with a one spot foxface, but even in my 90g, they just get too big. I'm sure there are some chemical treatments, but they come with a lot of risks.
 
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#19
I googled bubble algae & went down the rabbit hole with the suggested videos.
is there any link to the complete step by step processs, I’m only finding bits and pieces of treatment only.

-Do you treat it with 4x dose one time? Multiple times?
-how long would you leave it on there?
-Can I manually what I can during treatment?
-Do I rum filter sock during treatment?
-how long before you can run carbon, do WC and how much WC and how often?
-do you turn off skimmer/lights?
- do you take your fuge off line? will it kill chaeto?
-do you need to clean sandbed after?
-will it kill pods/cuc?

Sorry for all the questions, I dont like treating my DT with chemicals but I’m desperate now.


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Smite

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#20
That's interesting. If the tissue is what holds all the compounds for spreading - I wonder if that would be considered a weakened state for the algae? I've got bubble algae pretty bad right now and bryopsis. I wonder if I were to wait to mid photoperiod, do a normal dose of flux and then proceed to pop whatever bubble algae they couldn't remove manually prior, if it would keep it from spreading and taking root in other parts of the tank?

I'll try that before I'd do 4x flux treatment. I've added a one spot foxface who is finally checking out the rockwork. See how it goes.
 

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