Water params during fluconazole tratment

[ahl]

Hello folks,

My tank is going through fallow because of ich and also a treatment with fluconazole to combat a bloom of GHA I had simultaneously.

Some corals don't seem too happy. My zoas used to grow like crazy and they have kind of stalled. One small frag is not even opening anymore. Because of the Fluc treatment I haven't changed water in the last 3 weeks. Today's parameters are below:

NO3 - 5ppm
PO4 - 0.5
Alk - 8.9
Ca - 440
Mg - 1440

About a week ago I read almost 0 nitrated and phosphates and I know they are also important in lower measures so I started ghost feeding a bit to get the water a little richer.

What do you think?

 

[B-ridge]

I’m not a expert but I thought directions said to do 30% water change after 14 days?

 

[ahl]

For GHA it normally takes longer. I did some research and there is no known problems that arise from leave it it longer. I just did a WC last weekend tho.

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I found my phosphate went in the opposite direction and increased (due to algae die off). Because of this, I left my GFO reactor online during treatment. It seems like 0.0 to 0.5 is quite a jump. What were you running your phosphates at before you started treatment? Also, what are you using to test phosphate?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Don’t worry about the nutrients while dosing fluconazole.
It’ll resolve itself after the treatment.

Think of it like a sprained ankle.
Hurt your ankle running , you’ll be a little out shape for a bit

 

[B-ridge]

I dosed flucanozole for the first time last night. I woke up this morning and I’m noticing bluish-greenish cyano. I have been dosing microbacter7 for the last 6 days. I stopped dosing microbacter7 today cause I’m using fluconazole. I also dosed vibrant once a week on Tuesday for the last 2 weeks. I plan on letting the fluconazole do its thing for a week before I put skimmer back online. Only issue with that is won’t the skimmer take out the fluconazole treatment? I plan on doing 30% water change as directed after 14 days and putting carbon back on line.
Question is what do I do to combat the cyano?

 

[ahl]

Thanks @saltyfilmfolks , my concern is more around the unhappy corals. Anything from my params that could be causing a major upset? Zoas are not growing as they had and one is not even opening. Other corals don't seem too happy either.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I dosed flucanozole for the first time last night. I woke up this morning and I’m noticing bluish-greenish cyano. I have been dosing microbacter7 for the last 6 days. I stopped dosing microbacter7 today cause I’m using fluconazole. I also dosed vibrant once a week on Tuesday for the last 2 weeks. I plan on letting the fluconazole do its thing for a week before I put skimmer back online. Only issue with that is won’t the skimmer take out the fluconazole treatment? I plan on doing 30% water change as directed after 14 days and putting carbon back on line.
Question is what do I do to combat the cyano?

Cyano is very common with vibrant.
It has an organic carbon component (feeds bacteria) plus it kills algae so you get the nutrients from die off.
Micro bacter also has an organic carbon component (feeds bacteria)

If just stick to one treatment at a time. The cyano will fade.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Thanks @saltyfilmfolks , my concern is more around the unhappy corals. Anything from my params that could be causing a major upset? Zoas are not growing as they had and one is not even opening. Other corals don't seem too happy either.

No worries. I had ,(as most do) zero effect on any corals. Zoas in fact are well known to like dirtier water.

So I’m not sure where the problem is.

 

[B-ridge]

@saltyfilmfolks
Thanks for your feedback and help. I was just dosing microbacter7 for 2 weeks because of there recommendations. I’ll discontinue dosing both until fluconazole treatment is over. Once it’s done would you suggest I start the 2 weeks over with the microbacter7 or just continue dosing the vibrant once a week?

 

[40B Knasty]

You want to keep all equipment online while doing treatment. Raise the collection cup on your skimmer so it does not skim, but helps pump O² back into the tank. Remove all chemical medias like GFO, carbon, Phosguard, Purigen, etc.., because those will pull the treatment out of the tank.
If you are wanting to remove GHA. Remove the nutrients or silicates it is using to feed off of or it will be back most likely.
Bacter Clean M by Continnium is a good product for GHA.

 

[B-ridge]

I gotta go downstairs in basement and turn gfo then. I thought it started to remove carbon but gfo was fine. Supposed to help keel po4 down. I can see where keeping the skimmer on for oxygen is beneficial. I’ll have to do that also. Thanks for the info
Reading on the bacter clean m sounds just like microbacter7

 

[40B Knasty]

I gotta go downstairs in basement and turn gfo then. I thought it started to remove carbon but gfo was fine. Supposed to help keel po4 down. I can see where keeping the skimmer on for oxygen is beneficial. I’ll have to do that also. Thanks for the info
Reading on the bacter clean m sounds just like microbacter7

I used fluconazole for bryopsis. I was told to remove all chemical medias by NC Reefer and Jose Mayo when dosing fluconazole

 

[B-ridge]

Ok. Did they suggest when to turn skimmer back on? When to do water change and put chemical media’s back on line? Or did you follow the instructions with skimmer after 3 days and 30% water change after 14 days?
I too am battling and using it for bryopsis. I also have some hair algae i would like to eradicate also. Some people said it killed there hair algae. Others said it did nothing.

 

[40B Knasty]

Before I dosed I did a 20g water change for the 65g tank. Cleaned all my equipment and left them online. Pulled the Purigen bag out. I did leave the Phosguard bag in, because I was told it was okay. Then later told it "might" actually pull the medication..
Lifted the skimmer to it's highest point and trying not to skim anything for 14 days.
Mixed 6 1/2 capsules in some tank water when the lights were out at night and all the fish were sleeping. Dumped the dose in the tank.
After 14th day total. The 15th day I put the skimmer cup down and threw some new Purigen in and BRS ROX.08 to pull the medication. Did a 20g water change.
Problem is.. I unfortunately have the bryopsis that can take up to either 30 or 60 days to rid of a tank. (I will have to go back and check it out before doing it again.)

If you feel the need to do a water change. Just make sure you have the right amount of capsules left to the water volume you plan to pull out. So if it is 10 gallons make sure you have 1 pill. 20 gallons you need 2 pills. It is keep the dose at the proper therapeutic level.

If any of the dose is pulled out by the collection cup. Just dump it back in.
Clean the filter floss/sponge/socks as much as possible. Every 2 days I recommend during treatment as the bryopsis starts to die off and GHA. You don't want to leave the spores of the algae or die off causing nutrients for the algae to feed off. This all is pending on how bad the case is. The more die off. The more you need to keep them clean.

 

[B-ridge]

Before I dosed I did a 65 gallon water change. Took carbon out but left gfo in(that has now been taken offline) After water change I let skimmer run for couple hours. While I was waiting I split apart 30 capsules(have a 240 gallon tank. 125 gallon sump. 75 gallon fuge). Placed medication in a cup with my tank water. I didn’t dose directly into tank which I did think about. I went in basement and put on filter socks. I dosed directly into sump. I also did mine st night(12am) to be exact.
Then it was around 11-12 this afternoon I noticed 4 spots of bluish-greenish cyano

 

[DivingTheWorld]

I gotta go downstairs in basement and turn gfo then. I thought it started to remove carbon but gfo was fine. Supposed to help keel po4 down. I can see where keeping the skimmer on for oxygen is beneficial. I’ll have to do that also. Thanks for the info
Reading on the bacter clean m sounds just like microbacter7

From personal experience, GFO will not remove it from the water. I ran HC GFO during both my treatments and it had no affect, other than keeping my phosphate down. My personal belief is that the few people that have trouble with their corals during treatment have shut off everything (GFO included) and got a nutrient spike from the die off.

Remove things like carbon, poly filter, or other chemical removing media.

As others have said, leave your Skimmer online for oxygen. As the algae dies off the oxygen level will decrease and the Skimmer will help to offset. Some people even suggest adding an air stone to supplement oxygen. I just ran a tube from my collection cup directly back into my sump and had no issues with fish or corals.

For removal, I recommend hooking your Skimmer cup tube up to a bucket and skim out your water change water. I did a double size water change (20g vs 10g). Once that’s complete, put your carbon back online and it should filter out the rest in less than a day.

 

[40B Knasty]

Before I dosed I did a 65 gallon water change. Took carbon out but left gfo in(that has now been taken offline) After water change I let skimmer run for couple hours. While I was waiting I split apart 30 capsules(have a 240 gallon tank. 125 gallon sump. 75 gallon fuge). Placed medication in a cup with my tank water. I didn’t dose directly into tank which I did think about. I went in basement and put on filter socks. I dosed directly into sump. I also did mine st night(12am) to be exact.
Then it was around 11-12 this afternoon I noticed 4 spots of bluish-greenish cyano

Your tank's total water volume is 440G. 440÷10 = 44 capsules. So you are way under the recommendation capsules by 14. I hope you do not have to do a 2nd dose.

 

[B-ridge]

Update
All bryopsis and hair algae are gone. I am still dealing with the bluish-greenish cyano though. I finally got around to doing water change at the 15 day mark instead of 14. Placed brand new carbon and gfo back online. Did notice a increase in po4. I did dose 30ml of microbacter7. It seemed to “clean up” some of the cyano but on one side of the tank the sandbed is covered