Bubble Algae

[whotzler]

Three weeks ago I added a beautiful 4 lbs. piece of live rock loaded with coralline algae, brittle starfish, coral, snails and much more, including a few green bubbles. I removed the bubble algae immediately before placing the rock in the tank. Just this last week I have noticed there back. A total of 5 or 6 bubbles. I do have an emerald crab but he has not ate any that I have noticed. My question is what do I do from here? Should I take the rock out and clean it before it spreads to the rest of the tank? Is it already too late? Should I remove the rock forever loosing this almost perfect specimen? I have heard of nightmares related to bubble algae and do not want to be the next victim!

 

[bang guy]

Just keep picking off every one you see. Eventually they will stop showing up.

 

[whotzler]

Really! That sounds so easy. Why so many stories of bubble algae taking over tanks?

 

[bang guy]

If you let them go they have the potential to take over. Pull them out as you see them and they will perish.

 

[flower]

Really! That sounds so easy. Why so many stories of bubble algae taking over tanks?

Hi,

Bubble algae is a macroalgae, and it feeds on all the nasty stuff in the water, making it pristine. If you did a test for phosphates and nitrates, you would get a false negative reading.

If you keep up with water changes to keep phosphates and nitrates at 0, it will starve off. As long as your tank has the nasty stuff in it, the algae will feed on it. Given a choice, I would prefer Bubble algae to hair algae any day. Don't break a bubble, or you will seed spores from it throughout the tank. If you get the bubbles soon enough they are pretty hard to break, but if they go clear looking, be careful.

I personally think Bubble algae is pretty, I wouldn't want it in a reef because of concern covering corals, but in a fish only, with live rock tank... the stuff is really quite helpful.

 

[whotzler]

Hi,

Bubble algae is a macroalgae, and it feeds on all the nasty stuff in the water, making it pristine. If you did a test for phosphates and nitrates, you would get a false negative reading.

If you keep up with water changes to keep phosphates and nitrates at 0, it will starve off. As long as your tank has the nasty stuff in it, the algae will feed on it. Given a choice, I would prefer Bubble algae to hair algae any day. Don't break a bubble, or you will seed spores from it throughout the tank. If you get the bubbles soon enough they are pretty hard to break, but if they go clear looking, be careful.

I personally think Bubble algae is pretty, I wouldn't want it in a reef because of concern covering corals, but in a fish only, with live rock tank... the stuff is really quite helpful.

I tested my phosphates and test read <.25, I also tested nitrates at 5. Are you saying that because of the fact that there are bubble algae in my tank (about half a dozen bubbles) that the test results may not be accurate?