Gibbo Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Hi, I have a couple pieces of coral rock in the tank which have developed a number of green bubble like attachments. These are hard to the touch and I would almost describe these as hard air bubbles. Any Ideas? I notcied 2 a few weeks ago and I now have quite a few on that rock and a couple have appeared on the rock next to it. I have tried to get photos, but can not get a clear shot at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 sounds like bubble algae Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Green algae bubbles of bubble algae...Who'd have thought? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibbo Posted May 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 sounds like bubble algae So stupid question.... How do I get rid of it? and is it bad? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camnbron Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 I find the Xtalreef hitchhiker FAQ page to be handy in ID'ing stuff. My advice if it is bubble algae is manual removal of them. If possible remove the affected piece of live rock into another container of tank water and "ping" the bubble algae off with a little flathead screwdriver. Then when you are happy you have removed them return the live rock to the tank. If you can't remove the live rock, then you can do it in tank. "Ping" them off, trying not to pop them and pick them out as the float around. Hope that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drifty Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 you can try manual removal, or if your tank is big enough and you can keep one you can try a sailfin tang. I have heard sailfins eat it but its not a definate answer as some might eat it and some might not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 It is worth putting effort into removing them because they will become a plague. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 How do I get rid of it? and is it bad? valonia, its a PITA. yes its bad as they grow quick, covering all your rock. nutrients will help them grow, but poor lighting is more likely the culprit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 but poor lighting is more likely the culprit i doubt it. How do I get rid of it? Remove the rock and brush it off. Check water conditions and get a tang. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 i doubt it. cool, so explain to me how in my system, there is not a trace of valonia in the display tank yet in the refugium its become riddled with valonia now that the bulbs are getting yellow? same volume of water - same level of nutrients. as the bulbs age, the kelvin reduces. algae prefer a lower kelvin, around the 7k mark. this is about the kelvin level of sunlight. aim for 10k or higher, preferably 14k. ensure your bulbs are not too old and still retain there intensity. same thing happened when i had T8's, as the lighting aged valonia started growing hard out. i removed the rock and scraped them and they came back. did the same, next time replacing the bulbs and no growth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reef Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 cool, so explain to me how in my system, there is not a trace of valonia in the display tank yet in the refugium its become riddled with valonia now that the bulbs are getting yellow? same volume of water - same level of nutrients. There could be hundred of reasons why you have valonia growing in your sump and maybe it could be the bulbs as they change spectrum as they get old, and new bulbs can also cause algae growth as they bring out the problems in poor water quality. However to say that the culprit is the bulbs is highly unlikly in this thread. So if i put old bulbs in my tank i will then end up with valonia? i think not, but if i have poor water quality then yes it will cause the valonia to spread in my tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chimera Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 you will get all sorts of bad algae with poor water quality. all im saying is valonia seem to flourish under poor lighting. need to know more info about your tank gibbo, what lighting, age of bulbs, what levels of nitrate/phosphates, flow? etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie extreme Posted May 31, 2008 Report Share Posted May 31, 2008 friend of mine had perfect water but heaps of bubble algae, some as big as an eyeball! no other algae. he also had great lighting. one of his new tangs finally ate it and now its gone. i reckon it depends on many factors interacting and its impossible to "blame" one single reason. i have bubble in my overflow but stopped worrying about it. i guess something (tang) in my tank eats it but have no clue which one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
puttputt Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 I've got plenty, and good new lighting, good water quality etc etc. My tangs eat the small ones, but I remove the big ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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