Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

[homer1475]

Me too!

I keep coming home from work each day to see this massive die off, or spike in parameters. Granted the bryopsis isn't quite dying yet, I have not seen any issues.

Of course I just jinxed myself!

 

[homer1475]

Bout a week now......

No coral die off, 2 part consumption has stayed the same, but my nutrients have certainly spiked! Purely due to not having any WC's, running GFO, or any macro.

Bryopsis is about 99% gone, and hair algae I had is 100% gone. My tank hasn't skipped a beat during treatment.

Makes me wonder why some have massive coral die off, while others like myself have it worked great without causing a single issue?

I think the only thing I do different then what I have seen others post, I dose live phyto daily to my tank. While I don't honestly think that has much to do with it, it is the only thing I do different then what I have seen those that have issues do. Yet others that haven't had any issues probably don't dose live phyto either.

 

[RobertTheNurse]

Gonna be prolly dosing Flux myself soon. Maybe I'll add to this massive thread!!

 

[homer1475]

This is the second time in a few years now I have dose my tank with fluc. First time I bought the pills from some shady overseas supplier, this time I used reef flux from BRS.

Both times it's killed my bryopsis and has had 0 impact on my tank other then killing the algae.

 

[ScottB]

This is the second time in a few years now I have dose my tank with fluc. First time I bought the pills from some shady overseas supplier, this time I used reef flux from BRS.

Both times it's killed my bryopsis and has had 0 impact on my tank other then killing the algae.

I have tried repeatedly to figure out why some small minority of SPS tanks get wiped out. At one point I thought it might be a paly toxin reaction, but there were too many cases where there were no paly or zoas. The crash I witnessed did have a load of very upset paly. Even the fish were getting knocked out.

My pet theory is that SOME few of our systems have an unusual population of some fungi or sponge that goes nuclear when hit with fluconazole. It is a fungicide after all.

 

[homer1475]

Thought I would post some before and after pics. I'm still in week 2 of treatment, but 99% of the bryopsis is gone.

These pics are from the same exact location. Of course I had it in several places, but this was the worst it was, and the best place I could get a closeup.

This poor wall hammer had it the worst:

And 2 weeks into treatment:

 

[ScottB]

Thought I would post some before and after pics. I'm still in week 2 of treatment, but 99% of the bryopsis is gone.

These pics are from the same exact location. Of course I had it in several places, but this was the worst it was, and the best place I could get a closeup.

This poor wall hammer had it the worst:

And 2 weeks into treatment:

If there is any part of the bryopsis that is shaded, try to shift the rock so it gets cooked properly. The process requires solid photosynthesis to work properly.

Looking real good though!

 

[homer1475]

So just to wrap this up.......

Today I do my large WC and put some carbon in. Nothing skipped a beat. Alk and CAl consumption stayed the same, all bryopsis and GHA is gone. All coral is still healthy, colorful, growing, and showing full PE.

I do find it very interesting that some have massive die off, while other like myself haven't seen a decline in anything.

 

[Fishel]

It’s appearing in my new 10 gallon coral quarantine tank. Think it came on the GSP frag I picked up from my LFS a couple weeks ago. Thank goodness I’m quarantining. Ordered some ReefHD Reef Flux so I’ll start that when it arrives. Here’s a pic.

 

[Chessmanmark]

I have tried repeatedly to figure out why some small minority of SPS tanks get wiped out. At one point I thought it might be a paly toxin reaction, but there were too many cases where there were no paly or zoas. The crash I witnessed did have a load of very upset paly. Even the fish were getting knocked out.

My pet theory is that SOME few of our systems have an unusual population of some fungi or sponge that goes nuclear when hit with fluconazole. It is a fungicide after all.

I’ve been debating with myself to try this after manually pulling bryopsis for months. My rock is 18 years old and there is a lot of sponge growth. I’m terrified to wipe out my SPS.

A lot of people without SPS talk about positive results, but with SPS there is more risk involved.

 

[ScottB]

I’ve been debating with myself to try this after manually pulling bryopsis for months. My rock is 18 years old and there is a lot of sponge growth. I’m terrified to wipe out my SPS.

A lot of people without SPS talk about positive results, but with SPS there is more risk involved.

Yeah, wish I could help you but I cannot pick up a pattern at all. Some folks use Fluc to solve for simple GHA and I always discourage that; it is so simple (not easy, but simple) to solve for GHA. Bryopsis on the other hand, I don't know what alternatives you realistically have. Maybe someone has discovered something I have not.

There should be a way to stair-step into the dosage with a way to bail out the moment you see something "off". Just making stuff up, but...
a) Have a LOT of new salt water with matching temp & salinity at the ready.
b) Have ample GA carbon ready to deploy.
c) When you have time to observe/react, dose 1/4 recommended.
d) Assuming OK, add another 1/4 next day.
e) Keep going or bail out.

In my experience, the fiascos happen pretty hard and fast. Just my experience. LPS were not spared either.

 

[Chessmanmark]

Yeah, wish I could help you but I cannot pick up a pattern at all. Some folks use Fluc to solve for simple GHA and I always discourage that; it is so simple (not easy, but simple) to solve for GHA. Bryopsis on the other hand, I don't know what alternatives you realistically have. Maybe someone has discovered something I have not.

There should be a way to stair-step into the dosage with a way to bail out the moment you see something "off". Just making stuff up, but...
a) Have a LOT of new salt water with matching temp & salinity at the ready.
b) Have ample GA carbon ready to deploy.
c) When you have time to observe/react, dose 1/4 recommended.
d) Assuming OK, add another 1/4 next day.
e) Keep going or bail out.

In my experience, the fiascos happen pretty hard and fast. Just my experience. LPS were not spared either.

Thank you for your well thought out advice.

I moved my tank 11 years ago and got wiped out because 1) I went back to work and wasn’t around to monitor the tank. 2) Got home hours after the problem and couldn’t get any fresh saltwater.

An extra day off to observe and make up fresh SW might have saved my tank, but honestly I was exhausted and overwhelmed by the move. Selling and buying a new house all at once is exciting, but stressful. Add a tank move on top of that and it can crush you if you don’t have access to enough water for a large water change. The longer you have rock in a tank the more nutrients are going to come out of it during a move.

Carbon, fresh sw, and time with your system are key during a crisis.

 

[ScottB]

Thank you for your well thought out advice.

I moved my tank 11 years ago and got wiped out because 1) I went back to work and wasn’t around to monitor the tank. 2) Got home hours after the problem and couldn’t get any fresh saltwater.

An extra day off to observe and make up fresh SW might have saved my tank, but honestly I was exhausted and overwhelmed by the move. Selling and buying a new house all at once is exciting, but stressful. Add a tank move on top of that and it can crush you if you don’t have access to enough water for a large water change. The longer you have rock in a tank the more nutrients are going to come out of it during a move.

Carbon, fresh sw, and time with your system are key during a crisis.

Moving "old systems" is a whole 'nother ball of wax. There are a couple miracle posts on those around here. But they are rare and expensive. And they probably end in divorce. Which is MUCH more expensive. Take your pic.

 

[Fishel]

It’s appearing in my new 10 gallon coral quarantine tank. Think it came on the GSP frag I picked up from my LFS a couple weeks ago. Thank goodness I’m quarantining. Ordered some ReefHD Reef Flux so I’ll start that when it arrives. Here’s a pic.

I ended up doing a 2nd dose 1 week after the 1st dose. I wasn’t really seeing much progress and algae started growing on the Zoa and GSP frags. I cleaned that up as much as I could using a soft toothbrush. ReefHD directions say you can double the dose for faster results.

 

[Onthefly]

Dealing with Algae and Dino Outbreaks....I have to share the little victories!

Day 0

Day 4

Day 10

Every other tuft of Bryopsis is gone as well....Not seeing any effect on my corals, AlK is stable....gonna let it ride until Day 21.

 

[FortLivingRoom]

How much of an increase in phosphate and nitrate did y’all see?

 

[MaxTremors]

How much of an increase in phosphate and nitrate did y’all see?

For me, massive. Phosphates not as much as nitrates as my tank has always had really low phosphate, but nitrates went from 10-15ppm to over 50 (tested with Hanna LR, haven’t checked with another test kit to see just how far above 50). I did a water change and redosed roughly the percentage of the original dose that would’ve been taken out with the WC. At first it didn’t have any effect on my caulerpa, but now 15 days in its all but gone (the Mexicana is gone, the Brachypus is fine). The original reason I started treatment is still somewhat resistant, but it is slowing dying back and is somewhat easier to pull off the rocks. I think it may be cladophora and not bryopsis/Derbesia.

 

[Ross Petersen]

Pondering a dose of fluconazole for emergent bryopsis in a 40 gallon mixed reef with some pricey sticks.

I'm trying to get a sense for failure rates here with SPS... Is it fair to say about 80% of SPS owners see little to no side effects at the recommended dose?

Many thanks

 

[ScottB]

Pondering a dose of fluconazole for emergent bryopsis in a 40 gallon mixed reef with some pricey sticks.

I'm trying to get a sense for failure rates here with SPS... Is it fair to say about 80% of SPS owners see little to no side effects at the recommended dose?

Many thanks

I think that is a fair number -- anecdotally of course. I've been following this thread for a long long time and that feels about right.

When it goes bad, it can go bad very quickly. Other times it can cause a slower decline I've never been able to understand when/why, but I have seen it first hand and it isn't pretty. That is why I never recommend it for just simple GHA. For bryopsis though, you really don't have another alternative other than removing rock.

If you have a buddy with a nice stable stick system, maybe park some pieces until you are clear? If you see things turn bad, be rerady to do the usual WC and carbon, but also be sure to SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS. Maybe watch ALK as well.

 

[Ross Petersen]

I think that is a fair number -- anecdotally of course. I've been following this thread for a long long time and that feels about right.

When it goes bad, it can go bad very quickly. Other times it can cause a slower decline I've never been able to understand when/why, but I have seen it first hand and it isn't pretty. That is why I never recommend it for just simple GHA. For bryopsis though, you really don't have another alternative other than removing rock.

If you have a buddy with a nice stable stick system, maybe park some pieces until you are clear? If you see things turn bad, be rerady to do the usual WC and carbon, but also be sure to SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS. Maybe watch ALK as well.

Good idea about keeping a few nice frags with friends. Couldn't hurt.

What's the light situation - I know fluconazole kills bryopsis when photosynthesis is ongoing. Is the drug not toxic itself... but rather some bryopsis (or other) metabolite released into the water? Sorry - didn't see this in the thread, but didn't read all 292...