What is this?
- Thread starter rdrink25
- Start date
You scraped them? If so, you're going to regret that decision. Head on over to the LFS and get yourself an emerald crab if you did pop them in the tank.
Here's what you do to properly remove BA. Get yourself some 1/4" airline tubing. A piece of rigid tubing on the end is better, but not entirely necessary. Turn off all Pumps and powerheads and let the water sit still in the tank. Start a siphon into a bucket and use the end of the tubing in the tank to break off the bubble algae and suck it out of the tank. A siphon with a 1/4 tube will give you a long time only removing a small amount of water, but is strong enough to get most of the spores out of the tank if it does pop/break. Because the water is still, you will be removing the spores immediately through the siphon. This is a really good technique to use. Alternatively, buy emerald crabs until you get a confirmed BA eater. I have one in each tank and try both eat it, but I hear it can be hit or miss
Edit: Also, you want to kind of use to tubing to pry the BA off the rock instead if just putting the siphon on it. This way you will more effectively remove the "root". If the root or the "shell" of the BA remains it will come back worse
I'd suggest a variant on the above approach - use the siphon or a "julian's thing"-like device to dislodge the bubbles and remove them from the tank (or better yet transfer the frag to a tupperware container of tank water and then do it).
Then use some bone cutters/set of pliers to cut away the part of the plug that has the algae's holdfast on it.
Then use some bone cutters/set of pliers to cut away the part of the plug that has the algae's holdfast on it.
Valonia sp.
To remove it I'd have plucked the coral out of the tank, and carefully picked them off, trying not to burst them.
Since that ship sailed, it's probably not a huge deal - if he spores were there, they were there. Emeralds, Naso Tangs and Foxfaces burst them while they eat them and it doesn't necessarily mean that a million more will grow back. When you see them pop up, carefully pick them off and remove them.
Jenn
To remove it I'd have plucked the coral out of the tank, and carefully picked them off, trying not to burst them.
Since that ship sailed, it's probably not a huge deal - if he spores were there, they were there. Emeralds, Naso Tangs and Foxfaces burst them while they eat them and it doesn't necessarily mean that a million more will grow back. When you see them pop up, carefully pick them off and remove them.
Jenn
I had a surge of bubble algae in my 30g a couple of months ago. A combination of manual removal and a few emerald crabs knocked it back to where I only see a bubble every now and then. Don't panic. I've since noticed that many tanks you see in LFS -- even the gorgeous show tanks -- have a little bubble algae here and there. Remove what you can, and stay on top of it.
One of the places bubble algae hides is in the overflow, I check mine when I do my water change. It's helpful to have a net handy when you pickup a coral to remove the bubble algae, a little piece always brakes off to find a new resting place.:lol2:
If you opt for emeralds make sure you get females because they won't grow as big. The females are a grayish green color while the males are a dark emerald green. If you have any zoas in the tank I would get them moved to a magnetic frag rack where the emeralds can no reach them. Because eventually they will damage them once the BA starts disappearing as a food supply. I speak from experience.
Also check your phosphate levels and get them as close to zero as possible.
Also check your phosphate levels and get them as close to zero as possible.
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