I have lost the battle......

[Mark75]

As some of you know, I have been dealing with a nasty bubble algae problem. I have finally thrown in the towel. I have tried everything I know of and can not get rid of it. It has covered every single rock and has now started covering my power heads. I am tearing the tank down and starting over.

I need some guidance. I have no fish to deal with but I do have a few coral I would like to save but not at the risk of reintroducing this supernatural bubble algae. How far should I go? Is it in my sump? Should I sterilize everything and do a complete restart? One of my zoa colonies has bubble algae growing between the polyps and I am sure other corals have some I can't see.

Thanks guys!

 

[Reeflogic]

Bummer, I had asked in your previous "black-out" thread how things were going and never got a response, sorry to see you lost the battle. At least, you are starting over and not getting out! Good luck!

 

[Mark75]

Sorry about that Reeflogic,...I have been busy and frustrated with the the tank so I have been absent from the hobby/club for a while.

 

[Reeflogic]

Sorry about that Reeflogic,...I have been busy and frustrated with the tank so I have been absent from the hobby/club for a while.

No worries man, I completely understand the frustration you are facing!! It sucks!!! You have a great looking set-up, so I'm just happy you are going to get a fresh start! FWIW, if you are going to start over, I'd do a full reboot, so you have peace of mind going back in. Can you remove the corals and set up a quarantine to treat them for now, while the system cycles? That way you can watch the frags/colonies and get the system going. That's what I would do anyways.

Not to completely sidetrack what your plans are, but have you tried h2o2 dosing? I've been reading a lot on it lately and there seems to be people who have had positive results doing this. Just food for thought!

 

[Rob.D]

Cut the corals from any LR or frag plugs and dip any skeleton in hydrogen peroxide.

 

[Mark75]

I am concerned that everything is covered in spores, such as my skimmer, sump, pumps, and it will return if I don't actually sanitize/kill everything?

I intended on posting this on our main forum,...can you move it @Rob.D.

 

[cee]

I suspect that even if you do kill it all off and sanatize everything that some four frag or colony will contain valonia.

 

[Reeflogic]

This whole subject is a loaded pistol. You could get 10,000 different answers, but the bottom line is there is always a battle in keeping our slices of the ocean. There is always a chance that any of the unwanted "pests" can enter our system, it's how we deal with them. The due diligence required to maintain a pristine, beautiful display. We all go through peaks and valleys in this hobby, it's what we learn along the journey that keeps us passionate about it. You seem to be at the end of the rope and facing an uphill battle, so tearing down and starting over appears to be the only solution you are willing to accept. Which is fine, knowing what I read in the other thread and how you feel doing an acid bath with lanthanum chloride will stop the phosphate leaching that you attribute to the valonia to begin with.

If you have another tank / system / tub that you can use as a QT for 4-6 weeks and dip whatever you manage to cut off and save, on a regular basis, while your system reboots and cycles, you're going to be fine. But then, it all depends on your QT approach to anything you place in the tank down the road... It only takes one micron of a pest to wreak havoc. Almost every successful reef I've seen over the years has bubble algae in it, just not in plague proportions. If you keep an animal known to eat it, it will keep it in check if other parameters are in check, you're golden.

I always cringe when I leave these posts because I feel that who I'm writing to has already made up their mind anyway, but I also feel that I'd like to support that person with a "forum hug", because I've been there, done that. So whatever you chose to do, do it with confidence and be thorough. Again, I really like your system, it's gorgeous, something to be proud of, so get it back!!

 

[CastAway]

Man, sorry to hear. Exciting that you're starting over, but bummed that you have to.

I would think (not based on any experience whatsoever) that if you cut out your corals, placed them in a new QT, and then emptied and sterilized everything, that once the new system was cycled you could reintroduce your corals and be okay.

My ignorant logic is that once the valona is not at plaque proportions, that conventional measures will be much more effective.

 

[Mark75]

Will peroxide kill the bubble algae?

I have a 2" frag disc that has a 20polyp zoa colony on it. In between the polyps are mats of bubble algae. How could I kill the bubble algae and not the zoas?

Other than it being unethical, there is nothing in the tank I am not willing to lose to ensure I am completely bubble algae free.

I have a large clean up crew of crabs and snails,...can they transport the bubble algae?

 

[Rob.D]

I am concerned that everything is covered in spores, such as my skimmer, sump, pumps, and it will return if I don't actually sanitize/kill everything?

I intended on posting this on our main forum,...can you move it @Rob.D.

Sure man, what forum?

 

[Mark75]

Sure man, what forum?

Our clubs main forum.

 

[Mark75]

Here is what I am dealing with.

Every rock is completely covered. It will be impossible to get it all.

 

[Reeflogic]

Holy Green Balls, Batman!!!

 

[Jonty]

Peroxide treatment and a fox face.

 

[Mark75]

Holy Green Balls, Batman!!!

That rock has already been scrubbed!

Okay,...scrubbing rock is not gonna work, need a new plan.

 

[jmp21677]

Cook the rock and start over

 

[Robink]

Foxface eat that??

 

[ngvu1]

Oh my, how long does it take to get from a few to this jungle?
For the zoas frags with ba on it, I would make sure the bubble are burst then make sure all the zoas polyps close up and dip that frag in H2O2 for 15 mins. The ba is wiped on my frag that way for me.

The rocks with ba only I would acid dip that then sun bathe those for a few days or more

 

[Mark75]

Never had a few,..started as microscopic green film that has grown into what you see. Down through the years I think I have had bubble algae in all my tanks at one time or another,..this is something different.