Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

[Cook]

I am treating GHA. I used Fluconazole before I took my tank apart and cleaned it with really no significant results, however the GHA came back really quickly, so I need another way to remove it. This time I used 150% of the recommended dosage and the GHA turned brown and has died back in some areas, but it is still really difficult to remove from the rocks. I have done two 20% water changes a week apart after 5 weeks and the GHA remaining is just beginning to turn green again.

Can I treat again at full strength now or should I run some Purigen to remove any residual Fluconazole before treating again at full strength? I'm not sure what the consensus is on how long it takes Fluconazole to break down. From scanning the thread, it seems that it is not removed by carbon, but it is removed through the protein skimmer. I turned my skimmer back on after three days per the directions. I will leave it off for the duration for the second dose.

 

[mattdg]

I made this video, on the topic, documenting the entire process of treating with Fluconazole. It is a real life play by play, on what to expect, as the treatment takes effect, over a month.

 

[mattdg]

One more tip. Many have mentioned that the bryopsis comes back after several months to a year. It is very important to at least clean the return pump, or manually raise the water line of the tank, so everything is completely submerged in the treatment. If there is some HA hanging out around the rim of your display, sump or tools you use to clean the tank, it can re populate very quickly.

 

[CK00020]

What is your vacuum device?

 

[ScottB]

Here are couple pictures of the algae.

Fundamentally yes, it does look like bryopsis to me, although my strands are not so long. Mine grow in a shorter, bush shape versus this long leggy look. If I had to put a probability number on it being bryopsis I would give it 80-85 percent certain.

I am increasingly cautious about using Fluc where SPS are involved, but at this level of infestation, I don't see an alternative.

Live ocean rock is so hard to come by these days that this really saddens me to see.

 

[Acros]

This is an update after 1 month. I did a big water change in between but added Fluc to the new water. I have some hair algae that is still present (and has grown in recent weeks), but I do not see any bryopsis.

Initial dose: May 24th
Pictures: June 25th

 

[Ross Petersen]

Meta question here: can a tank thrive with various SPS and LPS corals, alongside bryopsis?

I'm weighing the pros and cons of treating a 40 gallon tank that has lots of LPS and only 1 cheap SPS frag. Sounds like now is the time to treat if I do (before I add any more SPS frags).

 

[ScottB]

Meta question here: can a tank thrive with various SPS and LPS corals, alongside bryopsis?

I'm weighing the pros and cons of treating a 40 gallon tank that has lots of LPS and only 1 cheap SPS frag. Sounds like now is the time to treat if I do (before I add any more SPS frags).

Survive maybe but not really thrive. I guess running low nutrient could buy a lot of time, but I don't think it would leave you much joy when looking at the tank. The bryopsis will outcompete around the base of everything.

 

[Acros]

Is this bryopsis? I am thinking of doing a second dose. The first dose killed all the wavy stuff (I didn’t stick to the instructions and did a water change after 1 week).

I tried manually removing this algae and it is more stiff/bushy than hair algae.

 

[Ross Petersen]

Survive maybe but not really thrive. I guess running low nutrient could buy a lot of time, but I don't think it would leave you much joy when looking at the tank. The bryopsis will outcompete around the base of everything.

Thanks Scott. Is that one means by which bryopsis negatively affects corals - by literally growing on their calcareous base?

I'm seeing a system depletion of nutrients, which surely isn't a good thing for my scolymia and other LPS either.

Did a bunch of reading on this topic and some people seem to see little impacts on corals/fish while others are quite chronic. Most people tend to agree that fluconazole itself isn't the toxin but some downstream molecule released by whatever it is killing (fungi, protists, algae, etc.). Maybe it would be wise to treat for a day or two at the recommended dose, do a super large water change (i.e., 80-90% for us nano folks), and then redose. That way, toxic metabolites are quickly removed.

Thoughts on this one anyone?

 

[ScottB]

Is this bryopsis? I am thinking of doing a second dose. The first dose killed all the wavy stuff (I didn’t stick to the instructions and did a water change after 1 week).

I tried manually removing this algae and it is more stiff/bushy than hair algae.

While that is a pretty good close up picture I cannot be completely certain. But I don't feel like that is bryopsis. Seems like more of a turf variety.

 

[ScottB]

Thanks Scott. Is that one means by which bryopsis negatively affects corals - by literally growing on their calcareous base?

I'm seeing a system depletion of nutrients, which surely isn't a good thing for my scolymia and other LPS either.

Did a bunch of reading on this topic and some people seem to see little impacts on corals/fish while others are quite chronic. Most people tend to agree that fluconazole itself isn't the toxin but some downstream molecule released by whatever it is killing (fungi, protists, algae, etc.). Maybe it would be wise to treat for a day or two at the recommended dose, do a super large water change (i.e., 80-90% for us nano folks), and then redose. That way, toxic metabolites are quickly removed.

Thoughts on this one anyone?

They will shade around the bases. For a staghorn or tall branching it won't be that harmful. Cap montipora grow fast enough and dynamic enough that they can outcompete. The problem is with more of the low growing stuff like zoas, encrusting stuff, and blastos and the like.

 

[Ross Petersen]

9 days of treatment. Killed all bryopsis, killed callupra and a wild algae I obtained from a shore, dis not harm dragons breath, and did not harm any inhabitants. Grow out system with all types of corals ~200 pieces SPS/LPS/inverts + fish.

Dose 20mg gallon. Pics on request.

Now holding second treatment dose on hand should it return.

Dosed as original post. Skimmer cup off with carbon off as well as UV turned off on lights.

I would not do this strategy again. If I were to do it again I would not run carbon, delay skimming for 8-10 hours during drug absorption period, and would do daily water changes prior to dose to remove waste from die off days 3-10 of dosing. It is recommended for treatment with this drug to do water changes for other conditions, and I do not believe IMO that it would effect the end result as the drug has been absorbed and you replenish the dose the next day. Biologically speaking a water change is equivalent to liver/kidney funstion in the human body. If someone wants to send me bryopsis I believe this would be the most effective way to treat while maintaining stable nutrient levels in tank where this could be a concern.

Awesome that it works though!!!

Hey - can you clarify here. You would do a few water changes AFTER treatment to mitigate nutrient (and other toxin) spikes... and simply add more fluconazole to the new water? Cheers & Thx

 

[Ross Petersen]

Did anyone experiment with doing water changes after dosing fluconazole to reduce the risk of nutrient spikes, and other unknown toxins that may be associated with plant die-off?

If you did, did you simply re-dose fluconazole at the 20 mg/gallon target?

 

[ScottB]

Did anyone experiment with doing water changes after dosing fluconazole to reduce the risk of nutrient spikes, and other unknown toxins that may be associated with plant die-off?

If you did, did you simply re-dose fluconazole at the 20 mg/gallon target?

That is a good protocol I think. There are a few aquaculture folks that actually keep a "maintenance" level dose running in their systems for very extended -- even indefinite periods of time this way.

Running GAC to pull nasties has some attraction as well, but then you never know how much fluc to replace. I kept a reactor loaded and ready to deploy just in case I had any bad reactions.

 

[homer1475]

Pretty sure I got bryposis again.....

Had some reeflux sitting in my closet. It worked last time, but I didn't have any SPS then.

Finger crossed I don't loose any.

 

[ScottB]

Pretty sure I got bryposis again.....

Had some reeflux sitting in my closet. It worked last time, but I didn't have any SPS then.

Finger crossed I don't loose any.

Yup, that is the stuff. Good luck. I'll cross my toes for ya as well.

 

[homer1475]

Day one down, nothing looks worse for the wear. I am loosing my strawberry shortcake, but I believe thats due to being hammered by my torch, and not the Fluc. All acro's have full polyp extension this morning, and all LPS are full and fluffy.

 

[homer1475]

Day 3.....

No effect on my corals, or ALK, and CAL consumption.

Bryopsis is turning white, and I can visually see some of it disappearing.

 

[ScottB]

Day 3.....

No effect on my corals, or ALK, and CAL consumption.

Bryopsis is turning white, and I can visually see some of it disappearing.

Granted I've only been witness to one fluconazole driven SPS die-off, but generally if something bad is going to happen it is fairly immediate, like 24-48 hours. I am liking your odds better with each passing day.