Is Bubble Algae Cyclic?

[Sindjin]

Just curious if Bubble Algae is cyclic in a newer tank like brown algae and hair algae.... I already went thru those 2 stages.

I didnt cook my rock, So now Im dealing with this. I added some emeralds but Im not confident they'll attack it all. WIll this be an endless battle?

My PO4 tests at .06 but I know that doesnt always mean anything.

Thanks!

[sandman450f]

From what Ive heard it's not cyclic, and for that matter nutrient levels arent critical for its survival. Thats tough stuff. Just get it out as quick as you can before it starts popping and spreading. Green emerld crabs do go after it, but i think they prob also spread it. i had a few patches of it here and there, but individually took the rocks out and cut them away with an exacto knife, then rinsed that portion in fresh water, I havent seen any new growth yet. I also however had a chance to inspect each rock carefully before I transfered them to my new tank. As far as cooking goes, I havent heard of any success with that for bubble algae. Thats stuffs litteraly made people wanna cook "cook" their rock

[WY_REEFER]

I had it bad in one of my tanks when it first cycled.
It went away by itself after the tank cycled and I have not had a problem.

[Sindjin]

Im gonna try the manual removal approach. Some of the rock is buried so Im going to try NOT to remove the rock and just get the bubble algae off. I have all the variances of this stuff...the round bubble, the elongated bubble and the strand bubble. Obviously my rock is still shedding and fueling it....there's really no other plant life left except for a few strands of the indigenous sargassum macro. Im letting that grow to help with nutrient export.

Other than that, my rock is gorgeous and the coraline coverage is unbelievable. Damn...its always something!

Anyone else with Bubble Algae stories?

[Tammy3770]

I had lots of bubble algae, I got emerald crabs-->nothing
I got julian sprung's book "Algae a problem solvers quide"
now it is all gone, thing of the past.

[Sindjin]

Hmmmmm.... sounds like a must read.
Any hints as to what helped you rid the bubble algae?

Thanks!

[SeanT]

I was plagued by valonia myself.
It is a low nutrient algae.
At my wit's end I did something I don't like to do...bought a fish to control it (or something else).
I don't like doing this because if the fish does not accomplish the task then you are stuck with a fish that you didn't want.
A mocking reminder everytime I look at the tank.

I got a Foxface, and between it and my siphoning regimen the bubbles are virtually gone.

I am so psyched about it too.

Sean

[Sindjin]

I know the feeling. Someone mentioned a type of Tang as well that may eat it but I hate to increase the bioload in that way...as you do.

So I guess the bubble algae survived the rock cooking? Or was it introduced later?

If I cant get it under control, Im afraid im going to have to tear the rock apart and manually remove the algae. Then do a freshwater rinse I guess. Ew...that doesn't sound healthy.

This stuff grows so fast too.

[SeanT]

It most likely survived the "cooking" in small amounts.
As I said, it is a low nutrient algae.

[Tammy3770]

julian sprungs book suggests lowering the nitrate levels and removing by hand and using a rabbit fish,
but there is so much more than that in the book.
it talks about alk levels, ph, and hidden sources of phosphates.


I raised my alk, stabilized my PH, and bought a rabbit fish.
and it worked.

get the book,

[Sindjin]

wow. Low light algae too.


Well, Im gonna continue with my plan of siphoneing and plucking for now. Im also going to get back to Turkey Basting my rock regularly. I havent done that in a few weeks. I hardly have any detritus on the tank bottom but Im sure i can get stuff out of the rock still.

[Sindjin]

Tammy,

You know...I was just thinking about my Alk....good point.
Im going to use the FISH as a last resort. I have to check my ALK when I get home and perhaps give it a boost. I havent had a problem in the past...my pH/ALK have been stable since the beginning.

As far as Nitrates...they have been at zero since the initial cycle.

[Tammy3770]

do you run carbon?
if so what type.
what is your alk, ph, ca, at?
dude get the book

[Tammy3770]

did you know that some carbon leaches phosphates in to your water?

and all algae require potassoum to grow.

CO2 from your closed up house acts as fertilizer for algae

Iron is critical for algae growth, whit elevated alk the amount of free iron in solution remains low

[Sindjin]

Im not running carbon at the moment. I did a few weeks back but it was PO4 free....supposedly.

My pH is 8.2
ALK: 11 ( I think)
Ca: 420
Mg: 1410
NO4: Zero
PO4: .06ppm

Its been nice and cool here in Tampa so we've had the windows open for all the "Free A/C".
IRON? Who knows... I could test for it I suppose.

[Tammy3770]

recheck your alk and bump your ph up a tenth of a point, algae cant grow at the higher end of the ph scale