Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

[NCreefguy]

well, duh. I missed that you can change your vote.

Yeah we wouldn't just leave everyone stuck with "I'm treating my tank with it now" forever.

 

[nova65ss]

Pink tablets worked perfect for me dissolved them in water and dumped them in my skimmerless tank. No losses other than every bit of bryopsis and hair algae!

 

[Ocean Lotion]

Pink tablets worked perfect for me dissolved them in water and dumped them in my skimmerless tank. No losses other than every bit of bryopsis and hair algae!

Hey nova. I used the punk tablets at 200 mg/10val and while it put a sereous hurting on my gha it did not wipe it out in one dose. How infested was your tank with gha?

 

[Vegasgundog]

All these successes with hair algae.....I so hope I'm not the one with algea immune to fluconazole. Added Sunday and no ill effects on inhabitants.

 

[Untamedrose]

OK where are yall buying this from? Places I've check want an rx from either from a doc or a vet :lol: Was thinking about calling foster smith..."look it's for the fish tank, I'm not taking my rocks to the vet!"

 

[tonymacc]

It's still hit or miss. Someone posted a few days ago that the lesser dose didn't work for them. It's odd why it works for some but not others.

Perhaps that could depend on the amount of Bryopsis/Algae there is to start?

 

[johnthehermit]

Fluconazole has killed some forms of Derbesia but there are over 20 something different species of it I believe so there is no definite answer. I hope it works for you though.

I understand. I'm hoping that most, if not all, species of Derbesia use ergosterol the same way and so should be vulnerable, but time will tell. I'm also wondering whether the different structure of Bryopsis compared to ordinary hair algae make it more susceptible to this medication. Bryopsis being a fern like algae has more surface area on each frond than ordinary hair algae and perhaps absorbs the medication quicker. This might explain why it takes longer to kill Deresia. From peoples observations it does seem that the algae starts dying from the tips down, so that could be the way it absorbs the fluconazole. Just guessing of course. My capsules have now been processed through the facility at the UK airport so we'll see how long it takes for Royal mail to deliver. I've got to say the US side of things has been pretty quick.
all the best
John

 

[johnthehermit]

Perhaps that could depend on the amount of Bryopsis/Algae there is to start?

If the algae absorbs the medication that would make complete sense. The more algae there is the less medication for each frond.

 

[maroun.c]

Got this algae in 2 small tanks i was going to restart. Its muxed with some HA as well. Can u confirm if this is bryopsis? Would want to exoeriment with flucanozole before restarting.

 

[NCreefguy]

Got this algae in 2 small tanks i was going to restart. Its muxed with some HA as well. Can u confirm if this is bryopsis? Would want to exoeriment with flucanozole before restarting.

Yep that's Bryopsis. I can see the fern/fan blades. Fluconazole will clear that up.

 

[tonymacc]

Well today is day 3 and there are signs of die-off
Saturday



Today


Saturday


Today


Saturday


Today


More noticeable in the top pair of photos but it is indeed starting to die off.

 

[Biokabe]

Another Fluco success story here. Can't remember if I uploaded pictures or not when I first started, but I'm happy to report that for the first time in months, the tank is completely 100% free of nuisance algae. It took a multi-pronged attack, and I definitely lost some corals to it, but I finally feel like my tank is in a good spot to be starting over. Vibrant to knock out a bunch of lesser algae, Fluco to annihilate the bryopsis that wouldn't die no matter what else I did, and finally a double dose of ChemiClean to clear out the cyano that moved in once everything else was gone (I think my high doseage of Vibrant may have contributed to the cyano outbreak).

Add in moving 60 miles south of where I used to live in the middle, and most of my corals definitely were not happy with me by the end of it - lost two chalice corals, a bird's nest, two acros, a poccilopora, three different acan colonies, a fungia, a trumpet coral, a hammer coral, a lobo, a blue ridge, a lepto and two montipora (all killed by a combination of bryopsis overgrowth, cyano overgrowth, moving stress and medication stress).

Now that the algae are gone, though, I can focus on getting the parameters back into order, rebuilding the coral population and preparing for a new tank in a few months.

I'll put up a before-and-after shot when I get home.

 

[Rob Lion]

I understand. I'm hoping that most, if not all, species of Derbesia use ergosterol the same way and so should be vulnerable, but time will tell. I'm also wondering whether the different structure of Bryopsis compared to ordinary hair algae make it more susceptible to this medication. Bryopsis being a fern like algae has more surface area on each frond than ordinary hair algae and perhaps absorbs the medication quicker. This might explain why it takes longer to kill Deresia. From peoples observations it does seem that the algae starts dying from the tips down, so that could be the way it absorbs the fluconazole. Just guessing of course. My capsules have now been processed through the facility at the UK airport so we'll see how long it takes for Royal mail to deliver. I've got to say the US side of things has been pretty quick.
all the best
John

once it's cleared customs, it will delivered by royal mail special delivery the next day
customs didn't take any interest in my package, its well wrapped and labeled fish medication and is well packed.

 

[nova65ss]

Hey nova. I used the punk tablets at 200 mg/10val and while it put a sereous hurting on my gha it did not wipe it out in one dose. How infested was your tank with gha?

Before

After

 

[NCreefguy]

Before

After

That is outstanding!!

 

[Bolognaboy]

Ok so it's been a few weeks since I've posted on this, but long story short I got the meds and am on day 5 of treatment. I can happily say that ALL the bryopsis is gone from my tank, and that the hair algae is starting to turn white. I got about a week left of treatment before I can really call it the miracle, but it's well on its way

 

[prsnlty]

That is outstanding!!

+!!

 

[nova65ss]

I saw 75 percent gone within the week. Did a second half dose took about two additional weeks for the stubborn stuff to finally die off.

 

[Rob Lion]

Update Day 9.....

NO3 1.0ppm (dosing 4ml NOPOX) not worried about the nitrates as I've finally got PO4 down
PO4 0.009ppm (dosing 2ml LC)

water now crystal clear, still only skimming at night, clean filter sock every 2 days.

Area 1 now 90% clear of bryopsis ! only the hard edge by/under the encrusting coral to go.

Area 2 100% clear !!! Mr scrubs my clearer shrimp is doing his happy dance

Area 3 Sump (sorry for blurry pic and air bubbles!) 80% clear

I'm hoping to be 100% clear of bryopsis on day 14..... can't wait to do the happy dance!


Note to others, If I was to do this again, I would definitely leave the skimmer off for at least a week and used a filter BAG from day 1.

 

[prsnlty]

Update Day 9.....

NO3 1.0ppm (dosing 4ml NOPOX) not worried about the nitrates as I've finally got PO4 down
PO4 0.009ppm (dosing 2ml LC)

water now crystal clear, still only skimming at night, clean filter sock every 2 days.

Area 1 now 90% clear of bryopsis ! only the hard edge by/under the encrusting coral to go.

Area 2 100% clear !!! Mr scrubs my clearer shrimp is doing his happy dance

Area 3 Sump (sorry for blurry pic and air bubbles!) 80% clear

I'm hoping to be 100% clear of bryopsis on day 14..... can't wait to do the happy dance!


Note to others, If I was to do this again, I would definitely leave the skimmer off for at least a week and used a filter BAG from day 1.

I concur!!! But 14 days to leave the skimmer off. I did one week, not quite long enough for me. Also the filter bag helps tremendously... I had to change mine daily lol