Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
By Bob Goemans
Hi Bob,
Help!!!!!!!!! Bubble algae is taking over my tank, is there anything or anyone who will eat it????
Donna
Hi Donna,
I'm not sure how you expect me to recommend anything if I don't have any information on the system's bioload!
Bob
Sorry Bob,
I just sent a quick e-mail in total frustration while the salt was drying on my hands from picking bubble algae off my rocks. I have 2 tanks, a 65 gallon with a 30 gallon refugium and a 12 gallon (about 4 years old). The bubble algae are in the little 12-gallon tank.
In this tank I have about 20lbs of live rock, a feather duster, one mushroom coral, a sponge, a small 1" frogspawn, a lot of pink and green Xenia, various other polyps, a bright green 2" anemone, a colt coral and for fish, 2 clownfish, a damsel, a blenny, a gum drop goby and a peppermint shrimp. The bubble algae came in on a rock and took over. I pulled everything out of the tank and took all visible algae off, but its back with vengeance. I got the blenny because someone told me he would eat the bubbles? NOT true!
Is there any miracle potion that will do away with bubble algae? Will this algae hurt my tank? Phosphates are sometimes a little high, but everything else seems good. Thanks for your time,
Donna (the bubble gal)
Hi Bubble Gal,
No, there is not a miracle cure for bubble algae! And since I do not sell products, won't suggest an animal of any type that 'might' eat 'some' of it. The root problem needs to be addressed.
Your bioload for a 12-gallon tank is 'far' too great for such a small tank. At a maximum two clownfish, if small, but nothing else in the way of what needs to be fed. The input of food and detritus from animal waste is simply too great for such a small amount of water. Once water quality is reduced with nitrates over 10 ppm and any sign of phosphate, the system is ripe for any form of algae. And if you break one bubble open, it spreads thousands of new spores and these new minute seeds settle in every crevice and begin to grow new bubbles. Even though some think bubble alga look pretty, most aquarists do not. Either continue to remove the rock and clean them off if you want to stay with the present bioload. Or, reduce to two fish; increase the quality of the water changes (2 gallon per week suggested) and stay after the unwanted algae. And highly recommend adding a small canister filter containing one of the better brand phosphate removers. If you go the latter, slowly, but surely the bubble algae will subside. But it will take almost a year to get it under control. Then, there's starting over with the knowledge that unless you adequately limit the bioload in this tank, and maintain very good water quality, small tanks because of their small volume of water, will quickly go the road this one has!
I know this is probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's the truth!
Bob
