Bubble Algae! Help!

I keep getting red algae with bubbles growing on my sand. It started in my fuge but now its in the main. I clean the sand out and it comes back. My levels are all good. I dont think my clean up crew is of sufficient size for my tank. I have 15 astrea snails, 2 mexican turbos, 15 hermit crabs, 10 nassarius that i never see(all estimates). Is there anything i can add that will go for the bubble algae?

Another option that might help is a uv sterilizer. What about that idea? Will it hurt my pod population though? I have a mandarin and a leopard wrasse in the tank so i definately wouldnt want to hurt the pod population.

 

Try cutting down your feeding. I got red algae when I was overfeeding. It kind of comes off the sand in sheets. What is your nitrate level?

 

What you are describing is cyano, not bubble algae. A lot of different things can cause it. Flow, excessive lighting, old bulbs, nitrates, phosphates are all main causes

 

Get a Diamond Goby, they will tear up your sand so it cant grow.

 

My nitrates at 0, phosphate was at 0 before i started using gfo in my reactor so whatever my test kit couldn't pickup should be gone. Flow for tank is approx 30x. Yea it covers the sand in sheets, easy to clean off but annoying as it keeps coming back. I would consider a diamond goby, but wouldnt he interfere with my pod population for the mandarin? Im not getting it growing all over the tank yet, just in a certain area right under the light. I dont think its because of the lighting because its only in certain area unless its from the exterior light from the window as there is a window on the side of the growth. It doesnt get direct sun but does get light. Im sure its obviously helping it grow but what can i do to counter this growth? Its not that much i think i need somekind of animal that will do the job and not interfere with what im keeping right now.

Would diamond Goby or similar sand sifting goby interfere with pod population for mandarin? Would the Goby bother Lps and clams i have on ground by thrwing sand all over them? I plan to keep many acans zoas clams and others on sand.

 

I got rid of mine by reducing feedings from twice a day to once a day. My nitrates were also high at the time though. I'd give it time to go away on its own with reduced feedings before adding a goby. It took about a month to go away in my tank.

 

how long has your tank been set up? I got this algae when my tank was still a baby

 

tank is almost 3 months. Its only growing in 1 corner of tank. The corner that gets the most outside light. I moved the corals it was bothering to the other side yesterday. I also got 10 scarlet hermits along with 2 Conch's. The hermits went to work on the corner and conchs didnt do much. Im going to see if i have sufficient amount of clean up now. I plan to clean all the algae off and see if they can keep it from coming back. If not ill prob buy 10 more hermits.

 

hermits didnt touch mine at all, but 3 months is about the same time i went through this kind of bloom. New tanks go through all kinds of algae blooms as they are becoming established. Just keep cleaning it off every once in awhile, and hopefully soon it will stop coming back as long as nutrients are in check.

 

update,

It keeps growing! I moved the corals it was bothering away but it wont stop coming back. Are there any fish that eat this stuff? I have 2 tangs in QT, will they eat the algae when i let them in Main?

Heres a pic of what it looks like right now,


The rest of the tank is ok.