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Originally Posted by strezman
Tank is only 30 gallons. I didn't know it was only mature bubbles that release spores?? That's interesting. And mature ones become soft? I'm leaning lots here! Thanks!
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You don't have a lot of options for predation then. I've tried various urchins and no luck there at all. Large male Emerald Crabs are one of the best options, but be aware they may also catch small fish. The females won't catch fish because their pincers are too small, but they are not as good for eating Bubble Algae. If you add enough Emerald Crabs they will eradicate Bubble Algae. Many Tangs and Foxface eat Bubble Algae too, but even a tiny one is not suitable for a 30-gallon tank.
If you have the type of Bubble Algae that forms large bubbles you'll have to manually remove those. Emerald Crabs won't eat anything more than 3/8" or so.
Also be aware, as with any algae, when predation is used to eradicate it, the animals poop all the algae nutrients into the tank, so this can create a never ending cycle if you don't remove the nutrients from the tank with effective water changes. I think this is why people blame "Emerald Crabs made it worse". Lazy Reefer Syndrome.
