Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

[PeterErc]

Just got Fluconazole today from https://www.payless-petproducts.com/fluconazole200.html, ordered it Sunday morning using PayPal. Trying something a little different, see if results are positive. Tank is 150g, plus sump, minus coral and rock, so total volume could be anywhere between 100-150g? Best guess would be around 130g. Removed GAC, filter socks and turned off skimmers.
Mixed two 200mg capsules in a cup of RODI and poured it in the sump for a total of 400mg Fluconazole. If volume is actually 130g that should put the dose around 3mg per gallon. Let's see if a lower dose will still work to kill the crud.
here's a few pics before the dose, will try to take daily pictures, but may not update thread daily.
02-01-17a by daddeee, on Flickr
02-01-17b by daddeee, on Flickr
02-01-17c by daddeee, on Flickr

Three day update, well almost a full 72 hrs. Bryopsis appears to becoming dead. Dosed a 29g bio cube with 200mg the same time to see if a heavier dose worked quicker. Did not take reference pics but Bryopis in cube is dying and looks about the same as the algae in the 150. Will keep updating.
02-04-17
02-04-17a by daddeee, on Flickr
02-04-17b by daddeee, on Flickr
02-04-17c by daddeee, on Flickr

 

[ithk21620]

So it's been 3-4 days and my bryopsis hasn't changed much but my hair algae seems to be turning more white. If the treatment doesn't work I will dose just the frag tank and isolate it from the main system.

 

[Rick.45cal]

@cmcoker your leather may have gotten some of whatever is in the binder as a precipitate on it. It definitely doesn't look happy. It's pretty hard to kill one, hopefully it will just heal or shed and just go back to it's previous glory. I'm sorry if the tablets are the cause of that. I personally dosed the white milky mess of tankwater mixed with the capsules into the return section of my sump. (Return pump blows behind the rocks in the tank and not directly out into the display).

I'm thinking probably the most prudent location to dose it is in your filter socks if you have them, especially if you are using the tablets. (@Ssindt The picture of the pink liquid is a little bothersome, but I am glad nothing seems bothered by it). The capsules are definitely the best choice, if you have that luxury.

 

[bbazemore]

Started my dose tonight 340 gallon TWV system with Bry and HA infestation. Dosed 6000 mg of fluc caps. Cut skimmer and reactor off will monitor results and keep everyone up to date. Have not used Vibrant so expect a little longer for results.

 

[KenO]

Has there been any evidence or research on doing water changes during treatment? If exporting n03 is performed mainly by water changes by reefer in a small aquarium and not carbon dosing or using vibrant.

I have an AWC running, but I did dose the Fluconazole in my fresh SW bucket. I didn't want to take any chances.

 

[cmcoker]

@Rick.45cal Thanks. When I did my water change today I added 50mg into a 5g bucket of salt and let a pump run with a heater. Thus seemed to allow the medication to dissolve completely before being added. I don't have a sump in this tank, otherwise I would have dosed there. And really it was my own impatience/laziness/cheapness using the tablets as it was the easiest, fastest, cheapest way for me to get Fluconazole, so I'm OK with it. I am hopeful that the toadstool will recover, but they are pretty easy to obtain a frag of in my area so at least there's that.

Since pretty much everyone is doing a water change before dosing, I would suggest adding your dose to the water change water and letting it run with pump and heater. Once fully dissolved do the water change and add the medicated water. I would recommend this for anyone with a sumpless setup, and especially if you are using tablets.

 

[tjnorthdakota]

Not sure what others are experiencing but I'm on day 9 now with my treatment and while a lot of it has disappeared there is still some substantial chunks of it in my tank still. Guess there is still 5 days left in the treatment. If I'm not satisfied with what it looks like on day 14 I may retreat the tank, maybe I have a bad strain of the bryopsis.

 

[Luis Figueroa]

I have an AWC running, but I did dose the Fluconazole in my fresh SW bucket. I didn't want to take any chances.

That makes sense. Add a little to your wc so if any is removed it will be replaced. Doesn't look like there's an overdosing of flucon so it wouldn't hurt it I guess.

 

[Luis Figueroa]

Does anyone know what to use to measure 1 Mg of the flucon. I was thinking of using the spoon from the red Sea calcium test kit or the salifert nitrate test kit, but don't know if those are 1mg

 

[Rick.45cal]

Does anyone know what to use to measure 1 Mg of the flucon. I was thinking of using the spoon from the red Sea calcium test kit or the salifert nitrate test kit, but don't know if those are 1mg

It won't work that way! There's binder in with the medicine. The contents of the capsules will weigh more than 200mg! You could weigh the whole capsule (just it's contents) and split it by weight, and that might be reasonably accurate. If that's not possilbe I would probably round down one capsule.

 

[Luis Figueroa]

I did 1 capsule for my 30 gallon with 30 lbs of lr. It's worked but for changing water I don't want to use a full capsule. I saw a post on here where someone used 5mg per gallon and it still had the same effect so I was trying to use that amount.

 

[cmcoker]

I did 1 capsule for my 30 gallon with 30 lbs of lr. It's worked but for changing water I don't want to use a full capsule. I saw a post on here where someone used 5mg per gallon and it still had the same effect so I was trying to use that amount.

For this I would dissolve one capsule in like 200ml of water, maybe warm the water a little to help dissolve. Then you in theory have a 1mg/ml solution if you can get it all to dissolve so you can add by volume. If it won't all dissolve then at least give it a good stir before you draw up your desired volume.
Hope that makes sense. It may not be entirely accurate but will probably be close enough...

 

[tjnorthdakota]

Another source for the fix, can confirm its the stuff and was super fast shipping from california to north dakota.
https://fishantibiotics.net/

 

[tjnorthdakota]

So any results from the folks that were testing Flucon in FW Planted tanks?

Moght be to early to say but I think my bba has really bleached out

 

[KenO]

Moght be to early to say but I think my bba has really bleached out

Now that is encouraging. I wonder if you were to do an H2O2 treatment would that deliver the final blow.

 

[stevo01]

Moght be to early to say but I think my bba has really bleached out

WOOT! Ill have to try it.

 

[CoralNerd]

Not sure what others are experiencing but I'm on day 9 now with my treatment and while a lot of it has disappeared there is still some substantial chunks of it in my tank still. Guess there is still 5 days left in the treatment. If I'm not satisfied with what it looks like on day 14 I may retreat the tank, maybe I have a bad strain of the bryopsis.

I'm in a similar boat as you...since the original dose I added 1 200mg additional doses two times and today I added an additional two 200mg..all above the original 8 pills for 80 g. I think my skimmer might of taken some meds out so I've took the cup of it.

Did you skim any? What dose did you use?

 

[philfree]

Day1 vs. Day6

I think its safe to say it works for sure.
Although i may have gone through a tank crash of sorts, possibly unrelated to the medication. Not sure.
Alk, Ca, No3, PO4, and salinity are all normal. so im not sure what happened exactly to cause some corals to freak.
Coincidence im sure.
Aside from that. It works. also noticing hair algae is looking weak and can be easily removed.

 

[tjnorthdakota]

Thanks again for all the experimenting, documenting and sharing in this thread. I do have one small request though. As this thread is starting to get really really long, it is getting tough for new people to read and they start asking the same questions that have been asked and answered a number of times. Perhaps it's time to compile the "directions" with a list of the most frequently asked questions and some sample images to be made into it's own thread?
Just a suggestion - feel free to ignore me if you like

There needs to be a pemanant thread in the algae forum on bryopsis treatment with fluconazole how too

 

[KenO]

I'm in a similar boat as you...since the original dose I added 1 200mg additional doses two times and today I added an additional two 200mg..all above the original 8 pills for 80 g. I think my skimmer might of taken some meds out so I've took the cup of it.

Did you skim any? What dose did you use?

I found that the Bryopsis disappeared faster on the tank with the skimmer vs my nano that doesn't have a skimmer.