- Messages
- 4,441
- Reaction score
- 1,330
Glad I could help out. Let us know how you were able to get rid of the algae. Good luck.
Purple bubble algae solution?
- Thread starter cgill311
- Start date
- Messages
- 3,379
- Reaction score
- 4
I highly doubt a kole would do anything. Koles mouth are designed to "brush" off microscopic algae, not rupture or tear larger, harder algaes. If you are set on getting a fish to eat the bubble algae, I would look at a zebrasoma (ie- sailfin), or a rabbitfish or foxface. I think they would be better solutions.
- Messages
- 3,379
- Reaction score
- 4
For certain bubble algae, some people try mithrax (emerald) crabs. Success is hit or miss. If fish is the way you want to go, you might be able to find a small foxface, but you are right, 30 gallons is no long term home for any of the fish described.
- Messages
- 4,441
- Reaction score
- 1,330
I think you should go for a small scribbled rabbitfish. They are well known for eating algae that other fish can't stomach. I think they're one of the few that will actually eat bryopsis which is one algae that usually nothing will eat. I imagine it would do well on the red bubble for u. It does grow to 9 inches though, but is an attractive fish. I don't have algae issues (knocking on wood), but I'm thinking of getting one just because they are peaceful and look interesting.
- Messages
- 1,545
- Reaction score
- 135
In my experience, Emerald crabs will not touch the red stuff. My purple and Red Sea tangs don't touch the stuff either. I have never had a rabbit fish so I can't help you there. I battled the green bubble algea for years with a tooth brush and tweezers, never made a long term dent in the stuff. Only after the introduction of the emerald crabs have I been rid of the green stuff. If all you have are a few spots as big as you have pictured, get them out now. If it is more widespread, I would try a natural consumer, like the rabbit fish.
BTW, in my experience, the insides of the red bubbles has a jelly-like substance in them while the green bubbles have a liquid like water.
BTW, in my experience, the insides of the red bubbles has a jelly-like substance in them while the green bubbles have a liquid like water.
If I was on top of the situation 2 months ago, then hand removal might have worked. But now there are small patches throughout the tank. I think an herbivore is the only way to go now (and a lot less manual labor for me).
Schwaggs, you said you've had this red algae in the past. What did you do to kill it permanently?
I like FutureInterest's suggestion of a scribbled rabbitfish. I'll have to keep an eye out for a small one of them. Dang...I was wanting my next fish to be a yasha goby/pistol shrimp pair.
Well, in an attempt to get this stuff under control, I've done two things:
1) I bought a scribbled rabbitfish that will hopefully eat this algae. Thanks for the idea FutureInterest! Now I just have to be careful about putting my bare hands in the tank. Anyone ever been stung by a rabbitfish?
2) I'm trying the 3 day lights off method as mentioned in the other posts. What should I do with my chaeto during this time? Move to a temporary tank?
1) I bought a scribbled rabbitfish that will hopefully eat this algae. Thanks for the idea FutureInterest! Now I just have to be careful about putting my bare hands in the tank. Anyone ever been stung by a rabbitfish?
2) I'm trying the 3 day lights off method as mentioned in the other posts. What should I do with my chaeto during this time? Move to a temporary tank?
I don't think 3-days lights out is going to help you with this kind of algae. I just did that myself, and it didn't really affect my (green) bubble algae at all, except for making it (seemingly) somewhat easier to remove without it breaking open.
OTOH, I think it would probably serve you best to perhaps try any manual removal techniques prior to lights out, where if you break any open, the spores sent floating through the water may have less success for taking hold during that lights-out period, and hopefully become trapped in your filtration system instead. I, unfortunately, did not think of that until it was too late.
OTOH, I think it would probably serve you best to perhaps try any manual removal techniques prior to lights out, where if you break any open, the spores sent floating through the water may have less success for taking hold during that lights-out period, and hopefully become trapped in your filtration system instead. I, unfortunately, did not think of that until it was too late.
- Messages
- 4,441
- Reaction score
- 1,330
Hey Chris,
Hope the fishie is doing what its supposed to. Mine is eating mysis like a champ and doesn't seem very rabbit like as of yet. Oddly I found 5 small bulbs of the devlish red bubble algae in my refugium today... and you had just visited a few days ago... I think you're infectious!
Hope the fishie is doing what its supposed to. Mine is eating mysis like a champ and doesn't seem very rabbit like as of yet. Oddly I found 5 small bulbs of the devlish red bubble algae in my refugium today... and you had just visited a few days ago... I think you're infectious!
My scribbled rabbitfish has been eating flake food and marine algae. I haven't seen him nibbling on the rock yet, but it's still early. He was pretty stressed that first day, but he's acting much better now. Must have been a rough trip to Georgia.
Sorry about the red algae! Get it out quick!
SUCCESS!!! Not to worry about the algae, Jin! I just checked my tank only half expecting some small areas of the algae to be gone. But after a quick lookover, I couldn't find any of that dreaded algae!!!! Scribble (creative name for a scribbled rabbitfish, huh?) has already eaten it all away! Incredible! :yessign:
That was wayyyy simpler and probably wayyy more effective than I could have ever done with tweezers.
Again, thanks for the suggestion of a scribbled rabbitfish.
I'll have to go check to see if any of my corals suffered!
Suprisingly, all my corals look great except for a 3" diameter long tenticle Heliofungia</em> plate that was sitting in the sand near a big patch of the red algae. About 1/8 of it is died off.
I can't totally blame Scribble for this, b/c I'm pretty sure the coral was stressed from being in an area of higher flow than it would like. I'm about to move it to my lighted sump, and I'm sure it will recover due to my past history with beat up plate corals:
I had a 1" plate coral was suffering in my old nanocube. It appeared pretty dead when I upgraded tanks (only a pink mouth still visible and all flesh gone exposing bare skeleton), so I stuck it in my sump hoping it would possibly recover. After several months, it is almost fully healed/regrown and has even sprouted 3 or 4 small baby plates (1/8"). Corals are a lot more resilient that I would have suspected.
I can't totally blame Scribble for this, b/c I'm pretty sure the coral was stressed from being in an area of higher flow than it would like. I'm about to move it to my lighted sump, and I'm sure it will recover due to my past history with beat up plate corals:
I had a 1" plate coral was suffering in my old nanocube. It appeared pretty dead when I upgraded tanks (only a pink mouth still visible and all flesh gone exposing bare skeleton), so I stuck it in my sump hoping it would possibly recover. After several months, it is almost fully healed/regrown and has even sprouted 3 or 4 small baby plates (1/8"). Corals are a lot more resilient that I would have suspected.
- Messages
- 4,441
- Reaction score
- 1,330
Wow that's great news man! Hurray for Scribble!
Schwaggs;38013 wrote: Awesome, thanks for the update. Do you plan on keeping the rabbit fish or would you like to trade him/her to someone with some natural food for it?
I will definitely be selling Scribble at some point in the near future. It's pretty small (2") now, so it's not too cramped in my 30G. However, it eats (mysis, flake, marine algae) like a pig, so I imagine it will grow quickly.
I want to keep it for at least a couple months just to completely eradicate this red algae. Then I'll be selling him. I'll keep you in mind when the time comes.
