Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

[Travis Stewart]

Has anyone seen any good results with GHA?

 

[ksanfranfan]

So I've been reading up on ergosterol, bryopsis and other related information.
I came across a reef club website from South America. It appears that someone started treating bryopsis as far back as January 2015 in their reef tank. I haven't had a chance to read through everything.
Here is the link:
http://www.reefclub.com.br/community/index.php?threads/ajuda-a-combater-alga-briopse.1212/

Forgot to mention, it's not in english, it's in Portuguese.

 

[ksanfranfan]

Here's another page from the same reef club in Brazil dating back to early 2014.
https://www.reefcorner.org/forum/topic_m.asp?TOPIC_ID=178664

Another forum thread from the same club:
http://www.reefcorner.org/forum/topic_m.asp?TOPIC_ID=180252


Obviously this treatment has been known down there for sometime now, at least dating back to ~3 years.
Here's part of a conversation discussing the possibility of fluconazole treating other types of algae as well,

"It works for diatomaceas too, but Walloon I'm not sure, I'll check and I'll talk again.

The diatomaceae in my case had a small focus near the filamentous and it disappeared also

I do not know if it would solve great infestations. But diatomaceas compared to filaments are simple to solve."

 

[cnseekatz]

Here's my observation after 3 days. The bryo is getting absolutely NUKED. Note: I am still using Vibrant, but the bryopsis die off is clearly attributed to the Fluco. I dosed 5 tablets (1000mg) for a 45 gallon display (and 30 gallon sump).

No adverse affects noted with fish, inverts/crustaceans, LPS, SPS, softies, zoos, clams or BTAs.

 

[NCreefguy]

Has anyone seen any good results with GHA?

Most of my gha is gone now. It took a little longer to turn white and thin out than the Bryopsis did.

 

[joekool]

I started this morning only used 22 capsules of the sudo standard dose of 25 or 27. I mixed it in a cup of water then I did turn off skimmer while it was still mixing in the tank.
iPad takes terrible photos I'll take some with my phone looks much better

 

[joekool]

Day 14 happy Valentine's Day. Down to the roots have added all 30 capsules now. Added last two yesterday.

 

[NCreefguy]

Here's another page from the same reef club in Brazil dating back to early 2014.
https://www.reefcorner.org/forum/topic_m.asp?TOPIC_ID=178664

Another forum thread from the same club:
http://www.reefcorner.org/forum/topic_m.asp?TOPIC_ID=180252


Obviously this treatment has been known down there for sometime now, at least dating back to ~3 years.
Here's part of a conversation discussing the possibility of fluconazole treating other types of algae as well,

"It works for diatomaceas too, but Walloon I'm not sure, I'll check and I'll talk again.

The diatomaceae in my case had a small focus near the filamentous and it disappeared also

I do not know if it would solve great infestations. But diatomaceas compared to filaments are simple to solve."

This could have helped people here 3 years ago!

 

[Luis Figueroa]

Most of my gha is gone now. It took a little longer to turn white and thin out than the Bryopsis did.

Was the gha in high flow area or high light?

 

[NCreefguy]

Was the gha in high flow area or high light?

All areas of the tank. The high light/flow areas turned white and thinned out first,then middle of the tank,then low light.

 

[Luis Figueroa]

All areas of the tank. The high light/flow areas turned white and thinned out first,then middle of the tank,then low light.

That's awesome! We definitely need to find out any long term affects it may have on our reefs so new reefers don't get too lax on the nutrient export and just dose this stuff w/o doing regular wc.

 

[NCreefguy]

That's awesome! We definitely need to find out any long term affects it may have on our reefs so new reefers don't get too lax on the nutrient export and just dose this stuff w/o doing regular wc.

I guess we need to find someone who speaks Portuguese and ask the guys in Brazil how their tanks are doing since it's been three years after they treated theirs.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Just got back from the pharmacy. The other medication to treat algae in FW tank is "metronidazole". It can treat ich as well, but never being tried in SW tank.

 

[stevo01]

So I've been reading up on ergosterol, bryopsis and other related information.
I came across a reef club website from South America. It appears that someone started treating bryopsis as far back as January 2015 in their reef tank. I haven't had a chance to read through everything.
Here is the link:
http://www.reefclub.com.br/community/index.php?threads/ajuda-a-combater-alga-briopse.1212/

Forgot to mention, it's not in english, it's in Portuguese.

Everton,

Para combater algas filamentosas "difíceis", tanto a Bryopsis quanto a Derbésia, o que tenho usado e recomendado é o FLUCONAZOL, na dose de 9 mg/litro em DOSE ÚNICA e diretamente no display. É reef safe.

(^Here I see Jose recommened to dose using Fluconazole and also stating its reef safe.)

O fluconazol tem como mecanismo de ação o bloqueio da síntese do ergosterol, uma gordura estrutural, presente nas membranas celulares de algumas algas, dentre as quais as citadas, que lhes confere flexibilidade e resistência. Quando se bloqueia a síntese dessa gordura, também presente nos fungos, a parede celular e as membranas das algas enfraquecem, e elas ficam expostas à agressão do meio e, inclusive, à herbivoria; a equipe de limpeza e os algueiros de plantão passam a comê-las. Essa gordura, o ergosterol, não está presente nas membranas celulares de animais e plantas superiores e nem nas zooxantelas dos corais, por isso não os afeta.

(^Here he mentions Ergosterol, and I believe he is talking about how the cell structure breaks down)

O medicamento é comprado em qualquer farmácia, mas na Ultrafarma (clique no link) costuma ter melhor preço. É um antimicótico, não um antibiótico, então, não precisa de receita. Costuma vir em cápsulas de 150 mg, cheias de pó, que devem ser abertas e o pó (só o pó) dissolvido em um pouco de água deionizada, despejando então a solução assim obtida no display do aquário ou no sump, de preferência à noite.

(^ here I see mention to dissolve the capsule, in this case it was a capsule of 150mg)

Durante o período de tratamento, de mais ou menos 14 dias, devem ser retirados o copo do skimmer e o carvão ativado, para que não retirem o medicamento. O filtro UV, se tiver, também deve ser desligado (a ultravioleta degrada o medicamento). Convém também retirar o ATS durante o tratamento, porque as algas filamentosas que ali se criam também serão afetadas. Ao final do tratamento, basta retornar o copo do skimmer, o carvão ativado e os demais equipamentos; não é preciso fazer TPA.

Abs

(^ Here he is talking about the treatment duration of 14 days. And something about the skimmer, uv sterilizer)

I will try to get this fully translated by one of our brazialian associates here at work.

 

[stevo01]

Just got back from the pharmacy. The other medication to treat algae in FW tank is "metronidazole". It can treat ich as well, but never being tried in SW tank.

Thanks! So dosing Metroplex is used quite often in SW. What types of algae will this eliminate in a FW tank? Im assuming a similar resistant algae like black brush or other type of hair algae's.

 

[Donovan Joannes]

Thanks! So dosing Metroplex is used quite often in SW. What types of algae will this eliminate in a FW tank? Im assuming a similar resistant algae like black brush or other type of hair algae's.

Not sure. Possibly green slime algae which quite common problem here in the tropics. It is quite common method to treat ich in FW though.

 

[OGFrenchHorn]

Tagging along and book marking this thread.

 

[KenO]

Just got back from the pharmacy. The other medication to treat algae in FW tank is "metronidazole". It can treat ich as well, but never being tried in SW tank.

This is used to treat cyano in FW tanks. I haven't seen it have any effect on BBA.

I've used H2O2 in FW planted tanks for BBA. Plecos and shrimp are sensitive to it.

 

[leahfiish]

Does anyone who has treated have any urchins or starfish?

 

[bblumberg]

Not true. Ive read information that suggests otherwise. The missing ingredient believed to be LiCl. So we moved onto a high MG with LiCl from Kents new company. If he took the recipe you would think this would be it right? No better results. And results were terrible. And I bombed it hard.

I also tried high Mg, high Li for bryopsis without success.

Bruce