Coral reefer
Past President
Haven’t read the thread, but smashing and siphoning is what I try to do. I think smashing and dislodging can help tempt fish to try it as well sometimes
Massive bubble algae bloom (solutions?)
- Thread starter L/B Block
- Start date
Kensington Reefer
Supporting Member
The rabbitfish thanks you for considering the spacial limitations of your tank and it’s requirments.
That said a desjardini tang will get larger than a dinner plate
Coral reefer
Past President
Never heard of them. What do they look like?
My last tank was big enough- this one not so much. No big tangs either
Too many at this point!
MolaMola
Supporting Member
Thales
Past President
Biological controls are hit and miss, and you are likely going to want to scrape the algae off to get the hervirores to start eating the algae - they are like deer, they eat the shoots and leaves, not the branches (bigger one can eat the branches, but our tanks are generally too small for those fish).
I don't think nutirents have much at all to do with managing algae - algae are just too good at life. Take an hour, scape and brush, and your herbivores are more likely to help keep it in check.
I don't think nutirents have much at all to do with managing algae - algae are just too good at life. Take an hour, scape and brush, and your herbivores are more likely to help keep it in check.
Same as I told you yesterday. It’s not your nutrients as we discussed when you came in. Manually remove as much as you can reach, don’t worry about popping them!! Pop as much as you want, that’s how emerald crabs, fox faces, etc eat the Mc they have to pop them first. Like @Thales said, algae predators don’t eat whole trees, they want the fresh saplings, so pop away, use metal forceps and pull out as much as possible, it’s actually quite rewarding!!!! No pox isn’t going to make your algae go away, your nutrients seemed fine to me. Like I said on my 100gl reef, if high nutrients were the cause of algae then that tank would be covered in theory, being phosphate is about 1.2 and nitrates are at 100. I’ve been dosing no pox just to get my nutrients down a bit, nothing to do with algae control. when you looked at both my reefs yesterday, I explained to you that the reason for no algae being in either tank, even the one that was started with dry rock almost 3 months ago and has had no ugly stage, isn’t because I run ultra low nutrients, I run high nutrients on all my systems some are really high! No algae! All due to natural predators of algae. The more the merrier! I do still believe in red field ratio though, but that is a whole other topic that doesn’t need to be opened up here. Get more predators!!! And manually remove as much as you can get to, most of all have fun while your doing it, don’t treat it as a burden!
Going to need a small chisel or ice picker at this point to get it off the rocks!
But to @Thales & your point biological controls are hit and miss. I have definitely learned that over time. Nopox is now to bring down the levels a bit hopefully.
May be back @under_water_ninja to get a couple of crabs as well!
I thought about that. Do they sell them on Amazon?Dental tools are really great for stuff like this.
They do!!!
H2OPlayar
Supporting Member
Now you know why so many dentists are reefers too!Dental tools are really great for stuff like this.
rygh
Guest
The herbivore ideas are covered above, so I won't rehash that.
Unfortunately no perfect solution.
If algae is exploding, you should look at nutrient reduction.
Agree with Rich that Algae will grow no matter what. But you do want to avoid creating a perfect environment for it.
In particular, check phosphates. Add GFO in a sock if needed.
Another option is tough (easy) plating and encrusting corals, especially in lower areas.
Kill the bubble corals right next to the colony as it grows.
Eventually the coral takes over the rock, leaving no more spots for algae.
Unfortunately no perfect solution.
If algae is exploding, you should look at nutrient reduction.
Agree with Rich that Algae will grow no matter what. But you do want to avoid creating a perfect environment for it.
In particular, check phosphates. Add GFO in a sock if needed.
Another option is tough (easy) plating and encrusting corals, especially in lower areas.
Kill the bubble corals right next to the colony as it grows.
Eventually the coral takes over the rock, leaving no more spots for algae.
Thales
Past President
Fight me!
derek_SR
Supporting Member
Watch reefcleaners for pitho crabs, that’s where i got mine. He’s pretty awesome, but he flips corals on the sand bed like it’s a full time job. I see it as he’s really just holding me accountable to getting my corals glued down.
I don’t have any bubble algae so i can’t speak to that….correlation, or causation?!
I don’t have any bubble algae so i can’t speak to that….correlation, or causation?!
I've been using these to keep things from getting knocked over. You "screw" them into the sand and it really holds them down well. https://printedreef.com/products/frag-plug-sand-standWatch reefcleaners for pitho crabs, that’s where i got mine. He’s pretty awesome, but he flips corals on the sand bed like it’s a full time job. I see it as he’s really just holding me accountable to getting my corals glued down.
I don’t have any bubble algae so i can’t speak to that….correlation, or causation?!
I don’t keep corals on the sandbed as my tigershark goby just buries them! But it’s good to know about pithos. Currently out of stock but will be notified when they have them.Watch reefcleaners for pitho crabs, that’s where i got mine. He’s pretty awesome, but he flips corals on the sand bed like it’s a full time job. I see it as he’s really just holding me accountable to getting my corals glued down.
I don’t have any bubble algae so i can’t speak to that….correlation, or causation?!