Bubble Algae?

noticed this green shinny ball in my sandbed today, in the pic you can see some GHA that's been growing on the sandbed as well. First time i've seen this ball

 

I would have to say it is bubble algae, Our LFS had a bunch of that in one of their tanks... Was pretty neat looking but probably not the best to have.

 

ok, i wonder if i can take it out without popping it

 

Yup bubble algae

 

Description: Almost cool looking, almost. Can have a metallic look to it. Once it takes hold it can grow very fast and dominate a tank in a month.

Manual Removal - Don't be clumsy and spread this one. Get em small, cover them with a baster, scrape the baster along the rock, when the Valonia comes off release the plunger and suck it up. Discard and repeat. If you have a lot to do, by the time you are done you will be ready to add new mixed water to complete the water change. Be aggressive with your manual removal.

Clean Up Crew- Emerald Crabs

Why it happened - You didn't quarantine, and you have available nutrients for it.

Starving it out - Use a phosban reactor or a macro like chaeto to take down phosphate. If you have a nitrate problem too, you can add more live rock or rubble to the tank, do some more wcs, add macro, add dsb, etc...

Tip - Juvenile Emeralds are better for the task, the smaller the better. Get one per handful amount of the bubble. (After aggressive manual removal, remember to limit based on tank size etc....that recommendation is only based on the bubble algae - it does not consider the crabs needs do your research, etc....)

^Via ReefCleaners.org.

 

i hate algae! i hope it doesn't spread! my CUC is doing a good job on the glass and have started to get almost all the algae off but hvent touched the rocks or sandbed yet.

 

thanks

 

so i got it out, no problem. I felt it and it was really hard. but i was able to smash it with my nail

 

LOL was it amusing?

 

lol it really was i was playing around with in my hand assuming it was going to be smushy and possilby have green algae goo inside, but it wasn't. It was just a hard ball full of air