Who Is The Best Buble Agae Eater?

[svirid]

Good day,

Who is the best Buble agae eater? not predator

Thank you.

 

[SkiFletch]

Only thing that really eats bubble algae is the emerald crab... They're not exactly reef safe though and can sometimes inadvertently attack corals.

 

[Dorkhedeos]

Only thing that really eats bubble algae is the emerald crab... They're not exactly reef safe though and can sometimes inadvertently attack corals.

The problem I see with emerald crabs is that we dont actually know how it eats it. If it eats it whole, thats fine, but what if it busts it while its eating it?

 

[ostrow]

SkiFletch: emeralds aren't the only thing.

There's a rabbitfish that eats them I believe, though I don't recall which one.

The Pakistani butterfly reportedly eats them, but I've never owned one.

The hawaiian sailfin tang eats it, and has done so successfully in my tank, though it won't eat the big ones.

I've witnessed large naso tangs clean very bad infestations of bubble algae.

For the tangs, though, you need a tank of at least 100 gallons. 5' long is really the shortest tank you want.

 

[SkiFletch]

Good point, I always forget about the Tangs cause I'd never subject one to my own 3' tank

 

[bitfishy]

I accidently added an emerald crab to my tank and I've never had bubble algae since (thanks for reminding me of at least ONE successful outcome in this salwater saga lol!!). Anyway, however they eat them it doesn't induce massive spawning from what i've seen. That said I often wonder if he's the cause of the odd snail death etc....................

 

[svirid]

Thanks guys, love tangs but cant afford them with my 30 gal.
Just got Emerald Crab, beautiful creature, will keep u posted.

 

[svirid]

Too bad, 2 crabs are dead, not sure why , any clue?

couple of days ago I found dead hermit, first I thought Emeral crab got him, because
before they were all okay for about 6 month. Today I found emerald crab dead
Check the water, looks fine to me:

salinity 1.024
pH 8.3
Alkl 4
Nitrite 0
nitrate 0.5
ammonia 0

For the last 6 weeks I was raising alkl, before it was 2 after 6 weeks its 4. Can it be that?
I also added 2 weeks ago flame hawkfish, can he harm them?
I still have nosariuses and 3 hermits left.


Any good advice? Thank you.

 

[svirid]

Son of a gun, what was a surprise when the lights went off I am seeing Emerald crab all in good health. I think he is even bigger and more greenish. Man when I got him (I thought its him) of the water I was looking very carefully under the light and swear it was real crab not a skin. All he did is just molted. Probably same happend to the hermit.

 

[SkiFletch]

Dont forget scale on your alkalinity measure? Is that in meq or dKH?

 

[superman]

Keep an eye on the emerald crab, they will eat LPS corals if they get a taste for them. I have sworn off of them when one started eating my elegance coral. Rabbitfish is almost a sure thing. Siganus Doliatus is a perfect candidate and beautiful as well.

 

[svirid]

Dont forget scale on your alkalinity measure? Is that in meq or dKH?

Alkalinity now around 4 meq, I manage to make a picture of a crab not very good quality, sorry.