Bubble Algae

Any advice on getting rid of bubble algae. I'm currently pulling my rocks and scraping, but it is definitely winning. Other than nitrates, which are at zero, are there other parameters that's driving this? I've got two emerald crabs, but they don't seem interested. I dosing Vibrant 1ml/wk into my 14g tank, but to no avail.

I'm open to any treatments ranging from benign to lethal reset.

Thanks.

 

Thanks for the advice. I think the plan will be to put in some new phosguard and keep running the vibrant. If that fails, then onto the Algae Fix. Last resort will be to Phosphate Rx. As most of my rocks don't have any corals on them, is there any reasonably benign solution that I can dip them into that will kill tiny or hidden bubble algae?

 

I was at Iowa Pet supply and just picked up another emerald crab. They had a huge one, which I almost got. Its shell must have been 1 1/4 across, with the big fiddler crab like claw. It would probably mow through the bubble algae, but eat up my other lazy emerald crabs in the process (not that they don't deserve it).

 

Thanks for the video. I'll give it a try after cull the latest couple of cups of algae. Good advice on shutting off my pumps.

 

Huzzzah! The bubble algae is gone. After a lot of scraping, dipping in hydrogen peroxide, coral killing dose of Vibrant and new emerald crab the scourge has been defeated. Huzzah!

 

Sigh, at significant cost. Honestly, the constant battle was starting to make the tank a chore, which has got to be a primary reason for leaving the hobby. In a sense, I'm restarting with a FOWLR, which is OK with me as I can pull all the rock and clean them up as needed. Maybe at next spring fest, I might start to add some easy to keep LPS, but for now I just want the tank to run smoothly so I can focus on a planted black water tetra tank that I'm building.

 

Hi - I wish I had the experience to know when things are just going to play out and the problem will resolve itself with a few tweaks. Part of my rationale, was inexperience and getting plumb worn out from the battle.

My thoughts for GIRS is that perhaps we might want to consider some sort of volunteer on-site to help members when things really get out of control. This would provide experience, but also support like the labor needed to pull a systems apart, the test kits/gear/chemicals that newbie's might not have, opportunity to take livestock and corals offsite for temp storage in quarantine tanks, and what other sorts of support a reefer down on their luck need. This is obviously asking a lot, but I think that if we worked through the mechanics we could pull this off. Well as I said just a though, but it would have been very appreciated if I had this sort of support and likely would have saved a lot of my corals.