Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

[cnseekatz]

Ergosterol is the predominant sterol of fungi and green algae. Fluconizole inhibits it's enzymatic synthesis. Although the biosynthetic pathway for sterol synthesis in fungi is well known, not much has been published regarding it's synthesis in Algae. Symbiodinium may not contain lanosterol 14- α-demethylase (the inhibited enzyme), so it may be "reef safe", but there always could be a variant species. Use caution, and congrats for venturing into the world of unknown in science.

You do and you clean it up!

 

[ksanfranfan]

Does fluconazole kill any other types of algae? I have been dealing with red hair algae for over 3 years...I have tried all types of inverts to eat it. They dont eat this algae. foxface, and tangs do not eat it either.
Note: Im not talking about cyano. Its red hair algae. They look just like GHA. The only thing that kills it is peroxide. I take the rocks out and squirt peroxide on them. They turn white and die off. They keep coming back. I brake some corals everytime I do this.... I wonder if fluconazole will kill this.

At the moment it's unclear what other types of algae that fluconazole will treat other than bryopsis.
I had a red hair algae about 6 years ago maybe in another tank. It looked like little cotton puffs. After searching around on forums found out that it was being called cotton candy algae because of the pinkish-red color and cotton ball like structure. If you pick at it, it breaks apart.
I know that I was able to get rid of it with Mexican Turbo Snails. Many places sold Zebra Turbo Snails thinking they were the same as Mexican Turbo Snails but these 2 varieties do not consume the exact same types of things. I read many threads on various forums that had success with Mexican Turbos ridding their tanks before I was able to finally get the right variety for the job.
Mexican Turbo Snail

Zebra Turbo Snail

 

[ksanfranfan]

I'm loving all these breakthrough treatments the hobby has been experiencing lately. We just need a reef safe treatment for ich and dinoflagellates and we'll be in great shape.

This thread comes at a good time. I just moved my tank to a new house and 2 weeks later, i'm seeing bryopsis EVERYWHERE. It's growing on almost every inch of the glass, top to bottom, all the way around the tank, including the back wall. I started dosing Vibrant again but it's nice to know there's a nuclear option if it gets out of hand.

A safe in tank treatment for AEFW'S would be nice too. Something that kills the eggs as well as the adults.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

I think @mdbannister cleared up his dinos and you're just about Bryopsis free so there should be no excuses now for not getting a HW.

This may actually be in the works...but I'll never tell...

 

[ksanfranfan]

Will this kill macroalgae in the tank

I don't think anyone knows for sure yet how fluconazole will affect macro algae. I'm treating both of my tanks with chaeto at the moment with no signs of die off but I'm only 2 days in while my bryopsis is showing great signs of being put to rest.

 

[Rick.45cal]

This may actually be in the works...but I'll never tell...

You know what they say... "Without pics=Didn't happen"

I won't lie, I'm a little gunshy on the homewrecker! I just dunno if I could live with myself if I woke up one morning and it was gone . Pretty sure I would cry.

That being said tenius frags have been doing really well so far in my tank, might need to test the waters with a big fat frag of WD

 

[Sabellafella]

I don't think anyone knows for sure yet how fluconazole will affect macro algae. I'm treating both of my tanks with chaeto at the moment with no signs of die off but I'm only 2 days in while my bryopsis is showing great signs of being put to rest.

So far for a buddy of mine, it hasnt. He runs a handfull of macros. But well see! Its only ben 2 nights since he started

 

[Sabellafella]

Okay guys(and gals),There have been a lot of messages thanking me for making this thread and I just want you to know that this experiment was not done by me alone. I did research it as much as I could for a couple of weeks but there were only a few people over seas that had tried this treatment, so there wasn't much info out there.I had planned on just trying this myself and not posting anything until it was over and then share it if it worked but @Sabellafella happen to start a thread about it the same day that my order of Fluconazole came in so his post brought me out of "lurk mode"so to speak. Then while I was going to just post a few things in his thread @redfishbluefish urged(forced ) me to go ahead and start another thread to document my experience. This treatment has been a great success and I am happy for my tank and everyone else's tank that has,is and will be trying this in the future. I think this was an amazing find and will end up saving a lot of reef tanks. I hope everyone is as happy about this as I am. This experiment was a Reef2Reef team effort and I'm glad that I was a part of it.


Now let's destroy some Bryopsis!!

Thank you! I wish i had bryopsis so in can watch it die! Lol.
Im so glad its working for everyone, bryopsis just doesnt let up. Hopefully long term it will keep it perished. Maybe have to do alot of water changes, floss, some wet skimming, stuff like that to keep all the junk that accumulates from the die off out of our tanks.

 

[NCreefguy]

Thank you! I wish i had bryopsis so in can watch it die! Lol

Well I would send you some, but I can't.....Mine is all gone!

 

[DSPENCE]

Been reef-keeping for about 20 years and never had Bryopsis until last year and it's out of control. ...just placed my order and will be giving it a try. Does the Vibrant kill red turf algae?

 

[renato120]

Have you tried Vibrant?

Yes I tried vibrant for over two months. The only thing vibrant did was giving me a bad cyano outbrake.... its does make the water clear and glass algae free..

 

[renato120]

At the moment it's unclear what other types of algae that fluconazole will treat other than bryopsis.
I had a red hair algae about 6 years ago maybe in another tank. It looked like little cotton puffs. After searching around on forums found out that it was being called cotton candy algae because of the pinkish-red color and cotton ball like structure. If you pick at it, it breaks apart.
I know that I was able to get rid of it with Mexican Turbo Snails. Many places sold Zebra Turbo Snails thinking they were the same as Mexican Turbo Snails but these 2 varieties do not consume the exact same types of things. I read many threads on various forums that had success with Mexican Turbos ridding their tanks before I was able to finally get the right variety for the job.
Mexican Turbo Snail

Zebra Turbo Snail

Thank you for the info.... I do have both in my tank. I will buy some more mexican turbo snails. Maybe the new ones will eat it.

 

[stevo01]

Anyone dosing or have other knowledge of this medication please try to comment on this.

Im on full day 4.5 right now. Ive been making personal notes here and there.

-About 24 hours into treatment there were some white tips here and there.
-About 48 hours into treatment there was a noticable effect on Bryopsis in many places in the tank
-Each following 24 hours have been about twice the noticable effect as to prior.

-There are a couple very low light/low flow areas in my tank where there has been almost zero effect!

Is light or high flow a key in the process? I am thinking about increasing my white light today. If its a key I should see the effects quickly.

 

[stevo01]

Increasing light right now.

 

[Skindog]

Hey, how's it all going, get on top of it yet, the photos of your acro looks like it showed positive signs,,,,

 

[Joshky]

I did my dose of 1800mg today. I'd document it but there's not much bryopsis to document right now even though it's in there, I've been keeping it at bay by keeping nutrients below where they need to be for my corals health and continuously pruning it. I foresee very happy acros in my future, thanks @Sabellafella @NCreefguy and everyone else in this thread. This thread has brought a glimmer of hope back and I'm looking forward to new coral purchases again in the future.

Here's a good representation of how bad my bryopsis was before I started dosing Vibrant and really trying to get rid of it.

 

[Rick.45cal]

I've only got one tiniest of tiny patches on the rocks that looks like somewhere between day 1-2. Other than that, mine is gone! There is some tiny white nubs that haven't been munched off yet, but I spent a good 5-10 mins searching for any surviving pockets of it. There's one hemostat's pluck worth of it slowly dying.

Other than that only the unreachable stuff on the inside of my pumps is still there, and it is very clearly turning white now.

My lights are VERY bright, light intensity may play a factor, mine has disappeared quick! (Not complaining )

 

[Bolognaboy]

Only one dose of 200mg/10gal. (20mg/gal)! It really is that easy!

Thanks a lot haha. Currently placing my order now. Can I also assume were all taking out our carbon? I didn't see it specified anywhere and just wanted to be sure.

 

[Rick.45cal]

Thanks a lot haha. Currently placing my order now. Can I also assume were all taking out our carbon? I didn't see it specified anywhere and just wanted to be sure.

I did, but there is at least one person on here that didn't and still is bryopsis free.

 

[Up2no6ood]

Anyone have 400mg they wanna sell me