Beating Bryopsis and Turf Algae with fluconazole

[ReefStash]

Day 16 of Fluconazole treatment to kill off Bryopsis and some sort of nuisance turf algae = SUCCESS!

I first started trying to beat Bryopsis with raising magnesium to up over 1600 which helped to slow down the growth rate but it just wasn’t enough.

After posting about it a lot of you recommended a Fluconazole treatment… so I gave it a shot. THANK YOU! It was wildly successful.

The first pic is from day 4 of dosing and the second is at day 16 (today).

Fight Bryopsis with Fluconazole:
*Blue Life USA FluxRx 2000mg - https://amzn.to/3qg7hkU
Blue Life USA Fish Flux RX 4000mg - https://amzn.to/3IoUsuU
Reef Flux - https://amzn.to/3IpRoi2

#fluconazole #bryopsis #reefstache #turfalgae #howtokillbryopsis #howtokillturfalgae #fluxrx

 

[ReefStash]

Fluconazole for the win!

 

[JoJosReef]

Fluconazole for the win!

Good to see that it isn't bothering your corals. I'm running FluxRx at 4x concentration (80mg/gal) currently for Valonia and ulva, and it seems to be wearing them down and haven't seen yet negative effects on the corals (knock on wood). Running air stones, supplemental feedings and PNS Probio in parallel.

 

[ReefStash]

Good to see that it isn't bothering your corals. I'm running FluxRx at 4x concentration (80mg/gal) currently for Valonia and ulva, and it seems to be wearing them down and haven't seen yet negative effects on the corals (knock on wood). Running air stones, supplemental feedings and PNS Probio in parallel.

I’ve noticed at a full dose of Fluconazole coupled with Magnesium at 1600+ that one of my wall hammers has been receding and another wall hammer started to die off. My blueberry gorg has also not opened its polyps since I first raised the mag. I’m anxiously waiting to do a 30% water change and don’t want to rush it as that bryopsis is nasty and was smothering some of my corals. Planning to kick the skimmer back on in a few days and holding out as long as I can on the water change…. But it’s coming soon to bring that mag back down some.

I may start doing smaller water changes like a few gallons at a time so that the mag goes down slowly.

 

[jefferskn]

I am on day 9 of Reef Flux in my IM Nuvo 10 tank. I dosed 1 capsule worth of fluconazole and my bryopsis is almost gone. I am a total believer and will let it run the full 3 week course before a 30% water change. I have not had any livestock issues since starting fluconazole. I have fish corals, anemone, shrimp, snails and hermit crabs.

 

[Steve Fast]

Doing this too and on day 17. Plan to dose again and hold for another week or so. Last time I dosed for 3 weeks and it still came back from some long hidden roots very deep in the rock. So this time I dosed and gave it another dose after 10 days and I'm going to give it another dose after 20 days and hold it for 4 weeks. Hopefully that'll knock off any of those stray roots.

 

[McPuff]

Short answer... it definitely works!

 

[Mrod]

Worked for me also.

 

[Fritz05]

Works great. It took three weeks for me, so patience is key ( as so often in this hobby)!

 

[SrDudley]

I keep reading hit or miss with euphyllias can anyone weigh in on that side of things? Any other corals that might be sensitive to Fluconazole?
Thanks!

 

[ReefStash]

I keep reading hit or miss with euphyllias can anyone weigh in on that side of things? Any other corals that might be sensitive to Fluconazole?
Thanks!

My Torches, frogspawn and branching hammers all look great. Only issue I’ve had is with my wall hammers and blueberry gorg. The issue could also be related to Magnesium being over 1600 for a month now. I will slowly start bringing it back down next week which will be 3 weeks with the fluc treatment.

 

[wtdenk]

In my tank mushrooms have done the worst with fluconazole. Euphillia, SPS, LPS, zoas, and gonis have all done fine. Mushrooms i can see negative effects almost immediately.

That said, I've seen multiple phosphate spikes and alk drops during fluconazole treatments. These have set my sps back considerably.

Always kills the bryopsis though.

 

[SrDudley]

My Torches, frogspawn and branching hammers all look great. Only issue I’ve had is with my wall hammers and blueberry gorg. The issue could also be related to Magnesium being over 1600 for a month now. I will slowly start bringing it back down next week which will be 3 weeks with the fluc treatment.

Appreciate the insight thank you!

In my tank mushrooms have done the worst with fluconazole. Euphillia, SPS, LPS, zoas, and gonis have all done fine. Mushrooms i can see negative effects almost immediately.

That said, I've seen multiple phosphate spikes and alk drops during fluconazole treatments. These have set my sps back considerably.

Always kills the bryopsis though.

Well that’s terrible news also just got into bounce mushrooms haha og, Sunkist and frostbite looks like I’ll try a different method.

 

[twelvefive]

I'm on day 25. Dosed 20mg in a bc32 twice three weeks apart with a 30% wc before 2nd dose.

GHA is almost gone 90-95% gone. I did get some cyano growth starting on the rocks, 3 days of lights out and my CUC took care of it. It looks like I do have some lurking below the sand against the glass, but it hasn't been an issue yet.

Corals and fish have all been fine.
Hammers, BTA, rics, favia, flower pots, acans, blastos, chalices, and Zoas all good or better since they're not getting choked out by GHA now.

I dosed fritz yesterday, going to dose that 1oz a week for the remainder of the treatment with a final dose after last wc. Also dose phyto daily.

 

[ReefStash]

I'm on day 25. Dosed 20mg in a bc32 twice three weeks apart with a 30% wc before 2nd dose.

GHA is almost gone 90-95% gone. I did get some cyano growth starting on the rocks, 3 days of lights out and my CUC took care of it. It looks like I do have some lurking below the sand against the glass, but it hasn't been an issue yet.

Corals and fish have all been fine.
Hammers, BTA, rics, favia, flower pots, acans, blastos, chalices, and Zoas all good or better since they're not getting choked out by GHA now.

I dosed fritz yesterday, going to dose that 1oz a week for the remainder of the treatment with a final dose after last wc. Also dose phyto daily.

Nice work, I need to order some bacteria to boost the system again. Just kicked my skimmer back on and added some carbon to start removing the fluconazole. Instead of a 30% water change I’m going to start changing out a few gallons every day to accommodate the high magnesium and slowly bring it back down to the 1400 range. Currently it’s sitting over 1600.

 

[ReefStash]

Day 20 of Fluconazole treatment to kill off Bryopsis and some sort of nuisance turf algae.

In combination with the raised magnesium I have dosed a half dose of FluxRx 2000mg and a half dose of ReefFlux which equates to a full dose of “Fluconazole”.

Just started skimming again and tossed in some carbon.

On Monday I’ll begin doing daily 2-3g water changes to start bringing down the magnesium and to dilute the fluc treatment.

Rock is looking great and now just looking for that balance again.

Issues found: my wall hammers and Blueberry gorg did not like the fluc treatment and raised magnesium. (Maybe just one or combination of both - no way to tell). ‍ I Lost the hammer in the middle directly below the yellow tang:

 

[ReefStash]

Day 23 of Fluconazole treatment to kill off Bryopsis and some sort of nuisance turf algae and we are skimming again.

Added live nitrifying bacteria to boost the biological filter.
Started skimming again
Carbon added to help remove some of the fluc treatment.
Started daily 2-3g water changes to start bringing down the magnesium and to dilute the fluc treatment.

Follow-up with a live bacteria product such as the following:
Brightwell Aquatics MicroBacter live bacteria for saltwater aquariums - https://amzn.to/3N5eD2u
Fritz Turbo Start 900 live nitrifying bacteria - https://amzn.to/42Qm4AN

#livebacteria #nitrifyingbacteria #livesaltwaterbacteria

 

[CoralB]

Day 20 of Fluconazole treatment to kill off Bryopsis and some sort of nuisance turf algae.

In combination with the raised magnesium I have dosed a half dose of FluxRx 2000mg and a half dose of ReefFlux which equates to a full dose of “Fluconazole”.

Just started skimming again and tossed in some carbon.

On Monday I’ll begin doing daily 2-3g water changes to start bringing down the magnesium and to dilute the fluc treatment.

Rock is looking great and now just looking for that balance again.

Issues found: my wall hammers and Blueberry gorg did not like the fluc treatment and raised magnesium. (Maybe just one or combination of both - no way to tell). ‍ I Lost the hammer in the middle directly below the yellow tang:

I notice your goni’s are nice and full . Did you have any issues with them during treatment ?

 

[ReefStash]

I notice your goni’s are nice and full . Did you have any issues with them during treatment ?

Thank you, the goni’s did amazing along with the alveoporas. 100!

 

[merkmerk73]

I'm on day 25. Dosed 20mg in a bc32 twice three weeks apart with a 30% wc before 2nd dose.

GHA is almost gone 90-95% gone. I did get some cyano growth starting on the rocks, 3 days of lights out and my CUC took care of it. It looks like I do have some lurking below the sand against the glass, but it hasn't been an issue yet.

Corals and fish have all been fine.
Hammers, BTA, rics, favia, flower pots, acans, blastos, chalices, and Zoas all good or better since they're not getting choked out by GHA now.

I dosed fritz yesterday, going to dose that 1oz a week for the remainder of the treatment with a final dose after last wc. Also dose phyto daily.

I'm currently using Fluconazole as well.

I started with Vibrant about 4 weeks ago due to a GHA outbreak that I could not get under control through normal measures (it also takes a really long time to die with a blackout - my sump rock was completely carpetted with it and it stayed alive for weeks after pulling the fuge light. only died due to vibrant)

I just recently added in fluconazole because I noticed tiny patches of bryopsis starting up and these things are always best treated immediately if possible.

As far as corals go, I have had some losses due to botched H2O2 treatment where I got carried away blasting multiple areas of the tank and realized I had put way too much peroxide in after I was done. This predated my vibrant / fluconazole treatment. Lost a chalice and several heads of candy cane coral, as well as half of a cyphastrea plug before stabilized.

Since then I've lost a yellow fungia plate for unknown reasons - probably irritated too often with sand from a hectors & links goby.

I don't believe any of these losses are due to vibrant OR fluconazole. SPS (monti, acro, birds nest, etc), LPS (hammer etc) are all happy. I just mention it for transparency.