Bubble Algae

[Bitterbuck]

Hi everyone,
Just recently we have had a crop of Bubble algae appear.
What can I do to either control it or even better get rid of it?

I was told that Emerald crabs would do the trick.

Any suggestions?

 

[1entra]

Well you can try to remove bubble algae manually with your hands as it is quite tough and so shouldnt be much of a problem doing so but make sure you dont squeeze the bubble too hard as it can cause the algae to spread from all the burst bits!
Also mithrax/emerald crabs are know to eat bubble algae and will eat any smaller bubbles that you cannot see or get at!

 

[Bitterbuck]

I did what you suggested entra, started picking them off manually. I'll order a couple emerald crabs to help with the rest.
Thanks for taking time and helping me out on this one!

 

[1entra]

NO worrys bitterbuck, im just glas i could help. Just make sure you dont get too many Mithrax crabs however as they can be a bit of a pain when they get older/bigger! Get 1 or possibly 2 smallish ones depending on the size of your tank and your lage problem. This way they crab will have enough bubble algae to feed on and wont turn to nipping on your corals etc when it runs out of bubble algae to eat! Also keep picking out any big algae bubbles that you can get at. This way the crabs will eat the smaller ones and get rid of it al together (hopefully!).

 

[idlefingers]

I agree with 1entra - be careful with your selection with emeralds. I've got two small (ish) ones in my tank and I wouldn't want anymore than that.. they're (or at least mine are) very efficient at eating most types of larger (macro?) algae but even though mine are small (emeralds can get up to 2.5" body apparently), they show the signs that they can be a bit belligerent towards fish and other inverts.

 

[Bitterbuck]

Will 2 emeralds be to much for our 55 gallon tank do you suppose? We do have an over abundance of mushroom coral and taro trees. Will the emeralds bother the corals?

Thanks Idlefingers for the info on the emeralds.

 

[idlefingers]

I've seen the bigger one of my two pulling a polyp off my devil's finger coral but I think only because a piece of hair algae had fallen onto the coral and the crab pulled it off and was feeling for more. So long as it doesn't happen often, the coral will recover.

I'd add one first and give it a few weeks to see the effect and get another if needed. How old's the tank and what's the stocking?

 

[AK77]

I agree with Idle. Take it slowly. Just add the one crab and see how it performs. You can still continue to remove the bubble algae by hand it if becomes visible. The crab will work on any bits you miss. If that food source becomes unavailable, they will turn to other food sources which, as Idle says, can include corals or other inverts, so you have to think long term.

Catching crabs (snicker ) can be a pain in the a$$, because they move so fast and will hide if they feel threatened. Hermits are much easier as they just retreat into their shell and you can pick them up.

 

[1entra]

Yea defo start with the one and see how it gets on and if you dont see the problem resolving or getting worse even, then add another, but hopefully it shouldn't come to that!

 

[Bitterbuck]

Idle, our 55 gallon tank is about 5 years old.
At this time we have:

3 Chromis
1 Sand sifting Star
1 Brittle Star
2 Tiger Tail Cucumbers
4 Nassarius Snails
5 Turbo Snails
6 Cerith Snails
1 Long Tentacle Anenome
Mushroom Coral
Taro Tree Coral

Isn't there a formula for the amount of fish you can have, for the size of your tank? I was wanting more fish, but have no idea on how many the tank can take. If you know the formula would you pass it along this way?

Thanks folks for all your input, it's greatly appreciated!

 

[1entra]

Mate you've got more than enough room to get several more fish in there! But it all depends on what you're wanting to get? How about a clownfish or 2 to host your anemone?

Somebody a bit more experieced might correct me but Ive read up somewhere you cann stock at approx 1inch of fish per 2gallons of water (thats adult size when they're fully grown)! So you would get approx 28" of fish in your 55gallon! Thats a bit general coz it does depend of a variety of factors however such as aggressiveness and ability to get on whith what youalready have in the tank etc.

Ive got a 25gallon reef and I'm planning on getting 5small fish to go in it over the course of the next few months and hopefully I should be able to get away with doing so. So by this count IMO you could easily get 10small fish in your tank! Other reef keepers may wish to disagree but this is my opinion only!

But do not rush out to get all your new wanted fish in 1 go, instead take your time to help build up your nitrifying bacteria and sthus keep your nitrates etc low... so get 1 fish and wait a few weeks before adding another and another few weeks before getting the next 1 and so on.

So what fish have you got in you mind anyway?

Hope this has helped!

 

[idlefingers]

Yeah, as 1entra said, the general rule for marines is 0.5"/gallon but you've got to take this with a pinch of salt ( ).. Because oceans are quite stable in many ways and environments can exist and progress over hundreds of years, marine fish tend to be quite "specialised" in that they've evolved to fill a certain niche in what they eat. This means that you've got to bear in mind what the fish eats and how it behaves to ensure they're aren't too many of the same specialists (and that whatever you get can find food in your tank). So going by the rule of "5 small fish" or similar could lead to issues in the long run with competition, etc..

 

[Bitterbuck]

We were thinking about Clown fish and maybe Blennies.