Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

[LoneWolfReefer]

I'm going with probably. Looks shaggy, but still can't tell if it's fern-like. There's lots a variations though I believe. You can see the structure from this shot from my tank.

I would say it’s very similar I’m structure just much smaller at this stage. Thanks!

+1 that it’s bryopsis. I had that on my sand also. Nothing outcompetes bryopsis and it drains all the nutrients from everything else!

I’ve finished treatments in both systems, and it was completely eradicated. Thank God for this treatment!

I believe it! Glad to hear it worked for you! I’m on day 4 and not a lot has happened yet. The ends of the structure may have lost a little color though..

 

[MartinM]

Give it some more time. Any bryopsis will be gone inside of 2 weeks IME.

 

[shwareefer]

Second round seems to have worked. Went 24 days and then did a regular water change and added a small amount of carbon. It's been 2 weeks since and I still don't see any. Coral coloration is better and some cyano has appeared in places. I think bryopsis must guzzle the nutrients.

 

[Dulcolaxiom]

Can anyone speak to the effects of using FluxRX (flucanozole) while keeping Macroalgae, specifically Halimenia and Botryocladia? I've got some Bryposis and GHA that I've been manually removing, but it's spreading more and I'd like a bigger and better weapon. I'm just concerned about my Macroalgae.

 

[NormanB]

Hi All! I've slowly wading my way through this monster tread. At page 76, but decided to give flucon a shot.

Dosed 2000mg on 10/16/22, so this makes it day 2. I think I see a few lighter maybe grayish tips, but it could just be wishful thinking. However, I do see some small pieces floating around the tank, so maybe, just maybe, things are starting to happen.

I've been fighting bryopsis for about a year with minimal success. I have a 75g DT and 55g sump, with rock, sand and equipment I usually assume 80g total system. So, I went with 2000mg as that was all that I had on hand.

I removed the skimmer cup and left it running, didn't have any carbon in the system, so no issues, left Phosguard running to keep PO4 under control.

Prior to dosing:
PO4 was 0.02, at day 2 it was unchanged
NO3 was 1.3, at day 2 1.5 (this is a color chart so maybe unchanged who knows)

I use mostly 200 micron socks and had a new one in just prior, changed with another 200 micron sock on day 2.

Everything looks fine, so keeping fingers crossed and can't wait for days 4-5 to really seeing this evil plant die!

Oh, my picture taking skills suck, so nothing I'm willing to post. Sorry

Thanks all for the hard work and information sharing.

 

[homer1475]

I'm on treatment number 4 now. It does die off after the fluc treatment, but always seems to come back.

Might actually try an extended period of it this time around to see what happens.

 

[KStatefan]

I'm on treatment number 4 now. It does die off after the fluc treatment, but always seems to come back.

Might actually try an extended period of it this time around to see what happens.

How long are you doing each treatment and what are you doing between treatments? I am on day 7 of my treatment.

 

[homer1475]

I just follow the bottle directions. 3 days no skimmer(actually just let it overflow into the sump), 3 weeks no carbon. Then large WC at the end of 3 weeks.

Between treatments, nothing out of the ordinary, run carbon and a little bit of GFO mixed in.

After 6 or so months, it just seems to pop back up. I never have plague proportion, but it seems to love my mint chip pavona.

 

[NormanB]

Day 3 lights are coming up...no real noticeable change. I know, I know, it takes time, just soooo impatient. lol

 

[NormanB]

Day 4...I think some tufts may be starting to gray.

Keeping my fingers crossed.

I'll check PO4 and NO3 again tomorrow and post.

 

[NormanB]

Day 5...definitely some tufts are turning gray!!!

There is a bit more broken pieces floating around and getting captured. The lower light and low flow areas are not progressing as quickly, as to the point that they are not changing yet. I have a mix of GHA and bryopsis, so that could also account for the different level of changes in the algae.

Tested today:

PO4 0.03
NO3 1.8

So there has been a slight rise, but nothing drastic. I changed the Phosguard and added 0.25 cup of GAC just to cover the bases.

Skimmer is still cup off and dumping into the sump and changed the filter sock today. I saw a few larger chunks of algae in it along with the usual gunk.

Still making progress, so time will tell.

 

[NormanB]

Day 6...not much to report...slowly turning gray.

All inhabitants look just fine.

It's a slow process for sure.

 

[NormanB]

Day 7...certainly a noticeable change for sure! There are areas where there is very little bryopsis and others with less, but turning more whitish/gray. GHA slowly dissapearing, too Filter socks are changed every 2-3 days, but that isn't far from the norm.

Looks like this thread has become more of reference than active members posting their results.

 

[homer1475]

I will say that through the years, and reading this thread, the spots that do not get a lot of light, will not die off completely. Photosynthesis has a lot do with how the fluc works.

 

[homer1475]

Day 7...certainly a noticeable change for sure! There are areas where there is very little bryopsis and others with less, but turning more whitish/gray. GHA slowly dissapearing, too Filter socks are changed every 2-3 days, but that isn't far from the norm.

Looks like this thread has become more of reference than active members posting their results.

We know it works, how, and why, hence the thread has become more of a repository for info then anyone actually psoting how it works anymore.

 

[NormanB]

I understand, thanks.

 

[NormanB]

I changed my vote to Yes.

All bryopsis is gone as is 95%+ of the GHA. I am such a happy camper.

Today is day 20, so tomorrow a water change is planned and move forward!!

Thanks to all for this solution.

 

[Sasquatchv]

How do i convince my doctor to prescribe it to me in a dose suitable for a horse??

 

[anthonymckay]

Well, I finally decided to try fluconazole to see if I could kill off some very stubborn turf algae along with bubble algae. I've tried manual removal, urchins, foxface fish, etc. No one ever wants to touch it and it just keeps coming back thick as ever. I've read that 3-4x the dosage will work on bubble algae but haven't seen anything regard turf algae effectiveness, so we'll see. Dosed 6400mg into my 80g system a few days ago (80mg/gal - 4x dose). Within a day or two I did notice that my large colony of purple monster zoas , pink diamond zoas, and my green alveopora aren't fully open. Not closed, but just not full and fluffy like they normally are. My Pink Floyd acro also seems a bit stressed and doesn't have the long polyp extension that it usually has. Everything else seems to be doing ok. Will keep an eye on things and report results regarding bubble/turf algae.

 

[anthonymckay]

After a week of the 4x dosage, I had to pull the plug. In that week of treatment it had zero affect on the turf algae unfortunately. Unsure if longer would have done anything. Most of my corals were unaffected, but those that were affected seemed were declining fast, hence why I stopped the treatment. I did a 25% water change, followed by another 10% change 2 days later. I threw in a fresh bag of chemipure elite and began running the skimmer again. My purple monsters are still mostly closed, but seem to be starting to open again. Pink diamond zoas never closed, but they still look shriveled and unhealthy.

My Pink Floyd acro is finally starting to extend polyps again, but it lost all its vibrant color and started browning out. Same with my strawberry shortcake acro. My other sps had no issues with polyps retracting during treatment, but some of them are definitely showing signs of stress and losing color/browing unfortunately.

My jester torch also started looking very stressed, and the days after I stopped treatment started showing signs of BJD. I quickly fragged off the affected heads, and have began a daily KFC dip routine. Hoping they pull through this!

So my lesson here to others...
I fully believe fluconazole is probably fine in normal doses, but be VERY weary of the 3-4x dosage recommended by people for treating bubble algae. All the coral I mentioned were thriving, bright, and fluffy prior to this treatment. All my water parameters were are within ideal windows (measured multiple times a week with a Mastertronic/Alkatronic), and unfortunately the above mentioned corals all took a nose dive the day I began treatment.

Hopefully everything bounces back in the coming weeks/months.