bubble algae???

I've got a problem with a piece of live rock in my tank. Right now it only seems to be on that one piece. I't a green, I think bubble algea. They're shaped like tubes or hotdogs if you will. Before I took the rock out of the tank and scraped the algea into the sink. I can't do that now I've got pollups, starfish, all kinds of little things living on this rock. Is there a way to remove it without taking it out of the tank?

Another qustion... I've got green really thin, long, hair like algae growing on most of my rocks. Do you normally leave that alone and just let it grow or should you try and remove it as well from the tank? If so how? I am assuming this is algae and not some sort of live rock grass or something.

 

My emerald crab took care of my bubble algae and my turbo snail works on the green hair algae.
I think I've read that you need to be real careful about manually removing bubble algae - if you pop one in the tank the spores will spread everywhere. I've also tried to pluck the green hair algae out of my tank myself. It's a pain and you want to make sure not to let any float free. Grab some, rip and rinse it off in a separate container of water. I also grab my one lonely turbo snail and move him to the hair algae if he's not working on it.
HTH

 

Ditto to everything pices23 said- emerald crabs are the best for removal and don't mess with them inside your tank

 

LOL i have to try that later. I have a little tuft of hair algae the turbos are ignoring they seem to be happy on the glass. I'll take my big one and sit hom on it and see what happens.

 

anything else that might remove bubble algea? Any chemicals or anything?

 

A emerald crab will probably do the job but could bring other problems as well. Mithrax crabs aren't safe period IME. I have never dealt with the longer "hot dog" shaped bubble algae but i have had the round shaped ones many times. The thing about popping them in tank and they will spread like crazy is BS IMO. I used to stick my hands in the tank and and go at them like it was bubble wrap. I have no knowledge of any chemicals that might remove those but i would not use any chemicals unless absolutely necessary.

JMHO

Marc.

 

Bubble algae

So is this bubble algae, does shape matter? Because I have green round ball-shaped bubbles that are a tad smaller than peas. I don't know if they are a good thing or bad? I took a couple out to check them out and they are very hard like plastic. There is about 10 of them in my tank. Are they bad?

 

Most likely bubble algae. Get rid of it ASAP. Use the method you prefer though.

Marc.

 

You can pop bubble algae as long as they're still small and not sexually mature. Heck, how do you think emerald crabs eat them? However, once they are sexually mature, popping them does spread spores around the tank.

'Bubble' Alage: Selected Descriptions, Controls and Comments by Horge Cortes-Jorge, Jr. - Reefkeeping.com

 

two mithrix cleaned my bubble algae in less than a few weeks. Malcom, when you say mithrix are bad, what was especially? I have two in my tank and have had them for about 4 months. One of them is pretty much the same size as he was when i got him, the other however has become a giant!! I mean his claws are about the size of my pinkies. I think it may be time to get him out of the tank. I have read that they will take small fish ( i think my clowns are still too big for him). wonder if my LFS would want him?