Bubble Algae Removal - Mr Emerald doesnt like it? Need Advice

[coloagro]

So I have a small outbreak of Bubble Algae and need some advice on removal
I picked up another Emerald after giving away the last one but this one does not have a Bubble Algae appetite.

What else can I do next to careful manual removal to get rid of this ****? Is it safe to manually remove these things or do I risk spore ejecto and an even bigger outbreak? Any help would be great or if someone has a proven bubble algae eating Emerald I'd like to trade this guy for yours temporarily until its gone? Please help. Thanks!

 

[MartinsReef]

If you remove manual, you do risk the chance of releasing spores into the water column. Also green emerald crabs can take up to a few weeks to adjust and find the algae and consume it.

 

[ReeferMatt]

[video=youtube;MeqtPe3XukM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MeqtPe3XukM#![/video]

 

[coloagro]

Excellent thx

 

[Kindafishy]

That video pretty much covered the way I get rid of it. Except I don't like Emerald crabs because they do spread the stuff. I think of them as Bubble algae farmers, and gave up on them as a solution years ago.

What I can add is. I keep two tooth brushes (not used as tooth brushes BTW, they are/were new) one soft, one Medium. As well as a turkey baster with a tight zip tie holding the bulb on better. With these I can gently knock the bubbles out of tight spots my fingers don't fit without breaking them. As well as the tiny ones I assume I'm not seeing well. While I'm brushing them off I DO have the hard tube sucking out spores, particles and the tiny ones BTW. The brush can be slightly damaging to things like mushrooms, but mine always recover quickly after a hard brushing.

After an area is brushed clean, and I've reamed out the smaller holes with the brush tip. I will blast out the nearby holes and TRY to remove the stuff that spews out of the holes nearest the bubble outbreak.

Although I've never been totally rid of the stuff. I just started using the brushes a few months ago, and it seams to be helping. Good luck!

P.S. I also cut the tip of my hard tube at a 45 deg angle. It fits in smaller spots, can be used to STAB a bubble if needed, PLUS when I use it in a bucket as a siphon hose it never seals to the bottom. (also great for sucking out specific patches of Cyano sand)

 

[MartinsReef]

That video pretty much covered the way I get rid of it. Except I don't like Emerald crabs because they do spread the stuff. I think of them as Bubble algae farmers, and gave up on them as a solution years ago.

What I can add is. I keep two tooth brushes (not used as tooth brushes BTW, they are/were new) one soft, one Medium. As well as a turkey baster with a tight zip tie holding the bulb on better. With these I can gently knock the bubbles out of tight spots my fingers don't fit without breaking them. As well as the tiny ones I assume I'm not seeing well. While I'm brushing them off I DO have the hard tube sucking out spores, particles and the tiny ones BTW. The brush can be slightly damaging to things like mushrooms, but mine always recover quickly after a hard brushing.

After an area is brushed clean, and I've reamed out the smaller holes with the brush tip. I will blast out the nearby holes and TRY to remove the stuff that spews out of the holes nearest the bubble outbreak.

Although I've never been totally rid of the stuff. I just started using the brushes a few months ago, and it seams to be helping. Good luck!

P.S. I also cut the tip of my hard tube at a 45 deg angle. It fits in smaller spots, can be used to STAB a bubble if needed, PLUS when I use it in a bucket as a siphon hose it never seals to the bottom. (also great for sucking out specific patches of Cyano sand)

+1;However GE Crabs are cool to watch.

 

[KhensuRa]

I like this idea and am going to give it a shot as well.

 

[djkms]

I had bubble algae everywhere. I was manually removing it (much like the video) and it would just come back worse and worse. I added about 12 emerald crabs to my 125 and haven't seen a bubble in my display since.

 

[coloagro]

Mr Emerald finally took a liking to my bubble algae and has mowed through 85% of it....just a couple spots left! Thank god!

 

[Kindafishy]

Now with any luck your skimmer caught ALL those nasty little spores, particulates and any little pieces the crab dropped or failed to remove from the rock (Personally this is where my issue always seamed to be).

Even though the big ugly ones were all gone. The onslaught was about to inflate everywhere in my tank (which the crab is OK with). Suddenly I'd have THOUSANDS of tiny bubbles everywhere, more then I could count and mostly in the teeny pits and holes of ALL my live rock.

Within a month most of my tank was bubbly and friends were asking,.. "So, what are all the green glass marbles about?" "What is that patch of bubbles on that rock in back?" "Did you put those in there, they look like glass grapes?"

Hence the toothbrush, hard pipe siphon hose, turkey baster, and sucking out spores during ALL cleanings. I still put emeralds in my tank, I just don't rely on them to help, more likely they spread worse then they help.

 

[coloagro]

Martin your scaring the crap out of me . My hope is to keep it under control until I see none and them manually remove if possible. The good....or bad this thing is that this tank is comin down in 2 months for a more permanent build in my next place....of which I have yet to find. So bubbles be damned I'll figure this out! I am worried you are very right with these damn spores...... :-/