Anyone have success...

[OCDP]

With emerald crabs eating small Bubble Algae? I have more than I'd like from a zoo frag I got from a local reefer...(bob) and now my tank is full of bubble algae :twised: And I would like to get rid of it before it spreads to every single rock....Unfortunately the BA is not easy to reach and I would prefer to not have to move anything around in my tank to remove it, as everything is finally stable and mature in my tank. And I don't want to have to disrupt anything.. So I am just getting a feel of how many people have or have not had success with emerald crabs.

TIA,
Scott

[sumpfinfishe]

Hi Scott,

Yes emerald crabs do eat bubble algae but they also eat a lot of other things too so there kind of a 50/50.

If you have isolated patches then I would suggest removing that rock from the tank and removing the stuff. I know this seems harsh but bubble algae can become a real fight when it gets a foothold. If you try to remove it in the water column, what happens is some of the bubbles will burst releasing more algae spores back into your tank-thus why I suggest removing the rock.

You could also try some other things to help keep algae to a minimum like: more water changes to reduce any nutrients, bumping up the alkalinity a little, shortening your light cycle, or after removing the algae you could increase flow in those problem areas.

Just my two cents, as I have alway's been an extremeist when it comes to algae:mrgreen:

[SJSobczyk]

Scott,

I have had 100% success with using an emerald crab. Besides the fact that i only see it every month or so he has done an excellent job. Believe me i have had tons of it as well.

I say go for it.......

Steve

[Skimmer Juice]

buy a long horn cowfish. I put bubble algae in my tank all the time and he eats it all before it has a chance to hit the ground. COWFISH rule:biggrin: :biggrin:

[OCDP]

Steve,

Glad to hear you had such great success. Has anyone seen any emerald's around town? I'd like to get one in ASAP to start workin away on it. Although, I totally hate crabs, they creep me out so much.. ugly creatures.. but if they can remove all my BA.. then they're okay by me.:razz:

Rich,

I've heard mixed opinions on bubble algae breaking in the tank. Some say it won't cause more to spread, some say it will. I don't know what to believe! haha. The thing is the algae is pretty much on every rock , but in small amounts, some only one or two bubbles... and it's suuuuuch a PITA to remove from a 20g, I have no room for error... and lifting rocks will cause a detritus storm and i don't want to chance some kind of mini-cycle with all my SPS corals and clam, etc, etc....

You say emeralds may eat other things... like what? heh, I have a bunch of zoos and SPS corals and a clam, and a frogspawn.. that's it really.

I like cowfish a lot too, just can't keep one !

[Willow]

i had a rouge emerald that ate zoos, blasto, sps, just about anything she wanted. they will do a great job on bubble but then what? try getting them back out!

[Beverly]

I had no success with emerald crabs and BA. It ate my ornamental macroalgae, began stripping the coralline algae and then holed up in my galaxy coral and began eating it. Back to the lfs for that guy :twised:

Here's a recent thread on BA....

http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=21746

I stand by my advice in removing each rock and chipping off a small portion of the rock where the BA is attached. Make sure the bubbles don't break while doing so. This is the ONLY sure fire, long term method of BA removal I have used, and I've tried 'em all.

[sumpfinfishe]

Thanks Bev, I knew I wasn't the only nutbar to respond with extreme measures:mrgreen: :wink:

Tho some critters and fish will work on algae's, this process takes time thus giving the algae more time to spread. IMO it just make sense to stop a bad thing right away than over time.

[Beverly]

Thanks Bev, I knew I wasn't the only nut bar to respond with extreme measures

Nutbar :eek: You're calling me a NUTBAR !!????!!!!

Well, I've been called far worse by better people than you, so nutbar I am :lol: :razz: :wink:

[DanG]

My emerald crab cleaned up all the bubble algae in my tank except for the 3 small bubbles that are attached to one of my turbo snails. Turbo, he is not. I haven't caught him eating anything else, just algae.

[OCDP]

Well thanks a bunch guys. I am still not sure what to do. I'll start off by doing more frequent water changes for a while.. cut my lighting back an hour or so.. and feed less mysis for the time being. If I don't see ANY improvement , then I will possibly search out for an emerald. I just don't want him eating anything other than BA, and there is no guarantee , so I may not take the risk. I'll try and do it the old fashioned way first haha.

Bev and Rich... although your suggestions are sure fire ways to remove the BA. I will have to use it as a *last* resort, I just don't want to have anything gto do with removing everything from the tank... haha been there , done that.. too many times. Things just finally started to settle in and mature / grow, etc... so that's why I am so against removing the rock. I will definately keep it in mind though.

Thanks again.