I have small dark colored eggs (?) on a rock

[cproctor]

Hi

I have three small round eggs (bubles, whatever) on a rock in my tank and I don't know what they are. I've posted a picture of it to my profile. I just want to make sure I take care of it, if it's a problem.

Thanks!

[leebca]

Not good news.

What you have there is what is referred to as Bubble Algae. Inside the 'bubble' is a whole (bubble full) of spores. When the bubble breaks the spores will spread everywhere and then you'll have dozens to hundreds of these all over the place.

Sink a clean plastic bag into the water and carefully slip the rock into the bag with some of its water so as to not disturb or break those bubbles. Take the rock out.

If I were you I'd throw the rock out. Take no chances.

As an alternative, take the rock out of the water and remove the bubbles without breaking them. Rinse the rock thoroughly in salt water. You should also scrub the area they were stuck to.

If at anytime the bubble breaks or collapses, throw the rock out.

Inspect the tank and look for any more. If there are already many others showing up, start removing them too, without breaking the bubble. In this case, you'll want to save the rock, so scrub, scrub, scrub off the area where you see them.

They are not bad per se or in anyway dangerous or unhealthy for fish or corals. But they can 'take over' and become unsightly. Enough of them will start to push the corals towards death as they try to take over more and more space.

[Tinman]

What about putting in an emerald crab? I have one and he eats all the bubble algae.

[Bloodydecks]

What about putting in an emerald crab? I have one and he eats all the bubble algae.

Don't go there

[Tinman]

OK, I have to ask, what's wrong with an emerald crab?

[Bloodydecks]

Tin,
I have never had any issues with them...but there is another post that I recommended them to control bubble algae, and was educated on the possible risks.

I also read several other threads with comments that relay "negative" feeling about "crabs". LOL. I will go back and find the link I was involved in, and post it here for you. Although it did have info that I was not aware of, and I did learn from... And that is a good thing, and why I came to this site.

The one thing with aquariums....every situation that has a text book answer, does not always fix a "real life" aquarium issue.

Here is the link
Red algae and bubble