I got Bubble Algae

[BostonBill678]

And I heard Reef Flux is great for that so I got a bottle coming next week but now I got this like brown powder on the inside of my glass that I gotta wipe every day .Does anybody know what it is?Sorry I got no pictures yet I’ll take some tonight.What is it and what can I use to kill it?

 

[ChrisV]

I think this may not be bubble algae. Pictures will help when you can post them. Also, what's happening in terms of water chemistry and clean up crew?

 

[MarkSzy]

Plus one on Chris, emerald crabs like bubble algae

 

[Edward]

If it looks brown and is more of a film with bubbles trapped in it then I would say its cyano. Do you have pictures?

 

[Joker]

I will say this about emerald crabs not all of them will eat bubble algae. I have bubble algae in my main tank and over the last year I have added close to 20 emeralds and none of them ate any bubble algae. I have to manually remove it every few weeks.

 

[srit1]

I've found foxface fish to be far more effective although they are limited by 2 main factors, they need to be in a large tank and they cannot get in some nooks where bubble algae can grow. However they absolutely keep it from getting out of control.

 

[Owen386]

Manual removal and good husbandry. Make sure to only use rodi

 

[Groot]

I don't believe reef flux will work for bubble alga. Bubble alga is not that big of deal just manually remove.

 

[LaneBrain]

I just posted my “DIY bubble algae vacuum”. Check that out, make one, and use it!

 

[stingythingy45]

I picked up 2 emerald crabs from the LFS and they completely rid my tank of it. I even had some on my mag-float and lowed it to the sand bed. Next day the float was clean.

 

[Zirky]

I had a sailfin tang kept it in check in my last tank.

 

[Skmaiden]

Brown film is likely diatoms, generally common in newer tanks or during nutrient spikes.

Emerald crabs and manual removal is the best option to remove bubble algae.

 

[Groot]

I picked up 2 emerald crabs from the LFS and they completely rid my tank of it. I even had some on my mag-float and lowed it to the sand bed. Next day the float was clean.

I would like to rent those crabs. What store did you pick them up from?

 

[BostonBill678]

I got them at petco

 

[Groot]

I feel I always have bad luck with emerald grabs eating my high end zoas

 

[BostonBill678]

They have these plastic cases you can put over your Zoas they are 7$ a piece they sell them on eBay and Amazonworked for me my puffer sometimes nibbles I gotta keep him well fed