Purple bubble algae solution?

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cgill311

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I'm seeing a slow increase in the purple bubble algae population in my tank. What are the possible solutions for this stuff before it takes over? My emerald crab seems to have a taste for green bubble algae only.

I just bought a new AquaC Urchin skimmer for my tank (30g cube w/sump and chaeto fuge), so maybe that will take care of the problem for me.

:huhsign:
 
I know you will not like this solution but you can take everything out and scrub it in a <u>SEPERATE</u> bucket of tank water. You may have to do this a couple times but it will work.
 
>Purple bubble algae

This is not Cryno... Right?

If it is, increase the water flow...


johnny
 
No this is not, In my opinion just increasing the water flow for cyno does not work. Thsi will help but, if will not completely fix the problem. I actually have cyno growing on my maxi jet.
 
With bubble algae people recommend removing it with tweasers. I've tried that and inevitably end up popping them :p. That being said I haven't seen any bubble algae in 4 months even after clumsily popping them all. So I think I can kinda collaborate brad's source.

Yet here its a bit of a misnomer to call cyano - purple bubble algae. I think these bubbles are just oxygen gas and popping them won't do anything to reduce the cyano. Flow will help stop its visible formation in some areas but I think you should reduce the causal agents, such as phosphates and nitrates. Since you have a skimmer you'll be removing organics and should have less cyano. If all else fails you could try chemi-clean although I've never tried that product... others say its effective and harmless. Some people even use anti-bacterial medications like maracyn to great effect. Personally, I'm too chicken**** to use meds on my display.
 
Give the skimmer a couple weeks to clean up the water. If you can try to remove the existing algae by removing the bubbles outside of the tank.
 
It's not cyano, b/c I've had that before and cured it with Chemi-clean. I'll try to get some pics of this stuff. It only grows as reddish-purple bubbles on the rocks...none on the sand. I just rearranged my rockwork, so maybe the new flow patterns will help as well.

So it's OK to pop purple but not green bubble algae? Sounds strange, but I'll try that after a week or two with my new AquaC skimmer.
 
Can you post a picture of the "purple bubble algae"? If its not cyano then it might be tunicates or some type of sponge. From my understanding there is no such thing as true purple bubble algae unless you got some sort of crazy mutant strain :p. A picture could help resolve what it is and how to remove it.
 
I would read a bit more before using products like chemi clean (sp) these products don't tackle the problem just the symptoms. In the long run they are not good for your tank imo. I would set up a macro algal refugium on a reverse daylight photo period. Your tank will do better in the long run.
 
calireefer wrote: I would read a bit more before using products like chemi clean (sp) these products don't tackle the problem just the symptoms. In the long run they are not good for your tank imo. I would set up a macro algal refugium on a reverse daylight photo period. Your tank will do better in the long run.
Click to expand...

I hate to use medications too, but I didn't want to risk a cyano outbreak.

I do have a chaeto fuge. See pic below.

I'll try to go get some actual pics of the bubble algae now.

EDIT: check out my awesome carpentry skills on that canopy!!!
<fieldset class="gc-fieldset">
<legend> Attached files </legend>
fieldset>
 
I finally got around to snapping pics of this bubble algae. See what you can make of it.

It's right below the lip of the galaxea in the first pic and center in the second.

FYI: My new AquaC Urchin skimmer is awesome. Does a great job.
<fieldset class="gc-fieldset">
<legend> Attached files </legend>
fieldset>
 
Nice looking set up! I would like to see some pictures of these purple bubbles. I've had the green valonia but never seen any purple. How often do you harvest algae out of your fuge? I keep mine cropt real short to keep it growing fast also I light my sump sixteen hours a day and use a 51k bulb. If you don't harvest your algae on a regular basis your not going to see much benefit in the way of nutrient export.
 
calireefer wrote: Nice looking set up! I would like to see some pictures of these purple bubbles. I've had the green valonia but never seen any purple. How often do you harvest algae out of your fuge? I keep mine cropt real short to keep it growing fast also I light my sump sixteen hours a day and use a 51k bulb. If you don't harvest your algae on a regular basis your not going to see much benefit in the way of nutrient export.
Click to expand...

Thanks. The algae is reddish-purple (see above). I cut my chaeto in half about every month or so. It's probably time to do that now. It's under a 6500K bulb that is on 12 hrs at day at night.
 
Update...the reddish-purple algae continues to spread slowly. I was hoping the skimmer would stop the growth, but it hasn't. I bought 2 emerald craps per the advice of the CBA guys. Anybody know how many emeralds would be a max number for a 30 gallon tank with about 30 lbs LR?

Has anybody ever seen this stuff before? The CBA guys hadn't. Can anyone give me an ID on this stuff?
 
I was contemplating buying a lemonpeel or other dwarf angel that would eat algae. Does anyone know if they'd eat this stuff?
 
Here are the 3 things I have learned in my battle with bubble algae. 1st BA like the same environment as SPS and can thrive in it. 2nd BA likes dirty live rocks so if you turkey baster your rocks it may help. I have tried and it seemed to help min. 3rd a DSB seems to be able to stop BA after some time after it matures.
 
Alright I figured out what this stuff is... I absolutely love your tank so I'm sorry to inform you that you've got a red bubble algae problem.

It's called Botyrocladia and from what I've read about it, its one of the worst nuisance algaes you could possibly ever have. Very very difficult to eradicate in its entirety. Most people say its worse than having dinoflagellates and I fear dinos like I do ebola. It seems that your best bet is manual extraction, because those crabs won't do jack **** to it. The only thing that seems to eat it are a few types of rabbitfish, with a few sources saying the foxface is effective with its eradication. Someone also noted that a naso tang would work. Unfortunately you're going to be limited due to space. Again I think you should remove the rock its on and carefully remove the bubbles without popping them. If necessary take a blow torch to them...
 
When I bought my 72 gal bowfront (used) this stuff was growing all over the overflow. When I set it up at my place I just scrubbed it off really well, and it never reappeared. I would try removing the affected rocks and scubbing them off in a seperate container, then rinsing them in a 2nd container before returning them to your display. If it still returns, then resort to a more aggressive method. Also, check your fuge to make sure it's not growing there.

Good luck
 
FutureInterest;35102 wrote: Alright I figured out what this stuff is... I absolutely love your tank so I'm sorry to inform you that you've got a red bubble algae problem.

It's called Botyrocladia and from what I've read about it, its one of the worst nuisance algaes you could possibly ever have. Very very difficult to eradicate in its entirety. Most people say its worse than having dinoflagellates and I fear dinos like I do ebola. It seems that your best bet is manual extraction, because those crabs won't do jack **** to it. The only thing that seems to eat it are a few types of rabbitfish, with a few sources saying the foxface is effective with its eradication. Someone also noted that a naso tang would work. Unfortunately you're going to be limited due to space. Again I think you should remove the rock its on and carefully remove the bubbles without popping them. If necessary take a blow torch to them...
Click to expand...

Erggg. That's not what I was hoping to hear. I really, really don't want to take the rock out, but if that's what it takes.

Anyone have a baby rabbitfish, foxface, or naso tang I could borrow for a month?
 
Futureinterest...Thanks for the info. At least now I know what I'm up against. I'll do some reading on this stuff. I found the following link on the various forms of bubble algae:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php">http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-02/hcj/feature/index.php</a>

I was also thinking about buying the smallest kole tang I could find, and then selling him after a few months.
 
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