Green bubbles on my blastomussa coral???

S

scott martin

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Merry Chiristmas to all. I have a Green Blastomussa coral in my 125 reef tank that has sprouted a cluster of small green balls/bubbles. I thought that the coral might just be growing and this was a product of the growth, but today I found one of the bubbles sucked up into the grate of one of my Koralias. Is this some kind of algae that will grow and then split away from my coral in an attempt to spread throughout my tank or is this normal?
Thanks for your help,

Scott
 
yeah.. I just pull them off when they pop up and are particularly unsightly...


otherwise, just leave them... (if you've already got Ecrabs, then eventually they'll find 'em... )
 
There was an article on some ezine on it.
They stuck a syringe in, pulled the fluid and microscoped it - plain ole saltwater, not even single cells of any algae to be found.
They claimed the myth was based on tiny "shards" of the bubble released when it bursted.
So the harming thing are the pieces of the bubble - not the fluid inside...

Do I make sense?
 
Makes sense, but seems odd that no one tried that until recently. I tried searching for the article but couldn't find one. Can you post the link when you get a chance?

I have never been that afraid of popping them and have not had a problem with them lately. There are aggressive varieties that reproduce very rapidly with many, smaller bubbles and other, less aggressive types that grow into very large bubbles (my personal record is almost a golf ball size). If you have the smaller, lighter green type, I would be very aggressive at trying to get rid if it before it spreads (to the point of removing and nuking the rock that it is on, if possible).
 
I will look for it,
it might have been the German publication of "Koralle" a scientific reefkeeping magazine.
I just need something larger than my Blackberry to search, haha
 
Found this: (no source though)
"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, but even then, the vesicles are said to be a sporulant risk only when having reached at least a third of their full size. Even if spores escape when you botch the job of vesicle-removal ('vesectomy', anyone?), those escapee spores have to run the gauntlet of herbivorous filter feeders, filtration equipment, and the wild lottery of hitting a good, unoccupied spot to settle and grow. Those spores will eventually be released anyway if you don't remove the vesicles."
 
Also not it, but goes along the lines:
a>
 
After reading, I got my own theory:

Valonia does contain spores when "ripe"
Mithrax do eat Valonia when they're (the Valonia) is small
Most Valonia spores that are released into the water are eaten and skimmed out

What makes me think that?

Test have been done on Valonia that contained little to no spores, but those simply might have not been ripe yet.
Mithrax pop Valonia to eat them, so why wouldn't that release spores (if there are any).
Spores are undissolved solids and therefor skimmed out or consumed by filterfeeders.

Dr. Robb
 
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