Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole
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Marine algae in general, but more specifically unicellular algae, absorb nutrients from their environment by diffusion or active transport on virtually all of their surface, whether their rhizomes, their pseudo stems or their pseudo leaves. All algae belonging to the Bryopsidales family, which have a cenocytic structure, although they do not appear to be, are UNICELLULAR; although they are multinucleated there is no real division between their cells that actually share the same cytoplasm.
Particularly the species of Bryopsis, and what can be widely observed after administration of fluconazole, begin to disintegrate by the growth tips of their filaments, not by the base. This seems to indicate that the absorption of fluconazole by these algae may preferably be done, or at least initially, at sites where the cell wall is not yet "consolidated". If this hypothesis is true, the pseudo roots of Bryopsis should be the part of the algae less suitable for the absorption of fluconazole, which would also justify, in some cases of early cessation of treatment, Bryopsis sprouting from non-injured roots.
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NCreefguy
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Hey all, I think I've got bryopsis (see below). Can someone help me confirm the ID? Also, this is a new tank, not quite 4 months post- cycle now. I'm wondering if what I'm seeing could be part of the uglies that would go away, or if this demands treatment. If I need to treat, I've heard of both the fluconazole treatment discussed here and elevated magnesium discussed elsewhere. Thoughts on advantages/disadvantages? I've got a clownfish, a cleaner shrimp, snails (nassarius, cerith, dwarf cerith, nerite) and a few coral frags (zoas and a duncan). I've also got quite a bit of cyano that I keep sucking out.
I've got BRS Pukani that I only did a soak on, so I know I could have PO4 problems from that (haven't gotten a phosphate test kit yet - are the API ones fine?), and my nitrates have generally been in the 10-15 range. It's a 29 gallon with no sump, and I haven't been running a skimmer... still trying to find something in-tank that's small but effective. To combat nutrient build up, I've been doing (at least) weekly 5 gallon water changes, but maybe that's not enough. It's only on the past few that I've been digging into the sandbed and sucking up more of the junk there, so I wonder if that's part of my problem.
Ok, I just rambled on and asked a million questions, so I'll end it here - any advice?
Some forms of GHA resembles Bryopsis with having fan-like blades. Yours does appear to look like Bryopsis though with the same stalks that mine had but I'm not sure. Lets see if @Jose Mayo can tell.
You should definitely get some test kits so you can see where your nutrient levels are. If you already have cyano as well then you already have a nutrient build up.
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NCreefguy
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Any idea on this ID? Sand bed only, it’s in clumps and easy to move.
It's kind of hard to tell from the blurry pic but it looks like GHA. If you could pull some of it out and put it on a white background like these pics..... https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/b...sing-fluconazole.285096/page-249#post-4551808 it would be easier to tell.
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NCreefguy
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After the treatment you can just go back to your regular maintenance schedule. 20-30% water change is fine. From what we've seen most of the meds are removed after the first few water changes. Depending on the amount of algae die off, your skimmer will just have a more green tint to the waste but won't really go crazy like running chemiclean does. If you run the skimmer early on in the treatment (with the cup on)you may see a more white looking waste from it pulling some of the meds out.That's why we suggest just removing the skimmer cup for the first few days.
Hey all, I think I've got bryopsis (see below). Can someone help me confirm the ID? Also, this is a new tank, not quite 4 months post- cycle now. I'm wondering if what I'm seeing could be part of the uglies that would go away, or if this demands treatment. If I need to treat, I've heard of both the fluconazole treatment discussed here and elevated magnesium discussed elsewhere. Thoughts on advantages/disadvantages? I've got a clownfish, a cleaner shrimp, snails (nassarius, cerith, dwarf cerith, nerite) and a few coral frags (zoas and a duncan). I've also got quite a bit of cyano that I keep sucking out.
I've got BRS Pukani that I only did a soak on, so I know I could have PO4 problems from that (haven't gotten a phosphate test kit yet - are the API ones fine?), and my nitrates have generally been in the 10-15 range. It's a 29 gallon with no sump, and I haven't been running a skimmer... still trying to find something in-tank that's small but effective. To combat nutrient build up, I've been doing (at least) weekly 5 gallon water changes, but maybe that's not enough. It's only on the past few that I've been digging into the sandbed and sucking up more of the junk there, so I wonder if that's part of my problem.
Ok, I just rambled on and asked a million questions, so I'll end it here - any advice?
Yes, this form of growth in the form of a bush and the end of the feathered stems is very typical of the genus Bryopsis sp, although it is not exclusive.
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coralcruze
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Hi all, Posting a follow up for those interested.
My tank has FINALLY turned around after my floucon dosing that killed a few mature sps colonies that I grew out from frags. Unfortunately none of the colonies that bleached right after floucon dosing survived. They all pretty much starved and died after floucon bleaching event. The only small piece that survived the bleaching is a 1/2" single coralite piece of my Hawkins echinata sps. In total I lost 5 colonies and 4 frags. ALL other 120+ acros, LPS and softies have not reacted the same way. some lost some color and others just showed distress with polyp closing ect.
It does looks like floucon also finally killed the small patch of Bryopsis that was in my sump.
Overall in my case I attempted to use floucon to kill small patch of Bryopsis to thwart any future issues with the stuff. However, this plan backfired and the use of floucon seemed to have caused bleaching to (thankfully) only a handful of SPS corals.
I would not recommend this if you have a sps dominant system. At least that has been my experience with this stuff.
I will post if Bryopsis returns as I read many people have been experiencing a return of Bryopsis after treatment.
My tank has FINALLY turned around after my floucon dosing that killed a few mature sps colonies that I grew out from frags. Unfortunately none of the colonies that bleached right after floucon dosing survived. They all pretty much starved and died after floucon bleaching event. The only small piece that survived the bleaching is a 1/2" single coralite piece of my Hawkins echinata sps. In total I lost 5 colonies and 4 frags. ALL other 120+ acros, LPS and softies have not reacted the same way. some lost some color and others just showed distress with polyp closing ect.
It does looks like floucon also finally killed the small patch of Bryopsis that was in my sump.
Overall in my case I attempted to use floucon to kill small patch of Bryopsis to thwart any future issues with the stuff. However, this plan backfired and the use of floucon seemed to have caused bleaching to (thankfully) only a handful of SPS corals.
I would not recommend this if you have a sps dominant system. At least that has been my experience with this stuff.
I will post if Bryopsis returns as I read many people have been experiencing a return of Bryopsis after treatment.
Thanks all. I definitely seem to have nutrient problems but I'm not really sure where to go from here. I've been feeding less, but if the rocks are putting off phosphate and the water changes aren't doing enough, I don't know what I'm going to do. Even the small skimmers seem too big for my 29g with no sump, and anything that's not huge is rated poorly anyway. I guess I'll just keep up with water changes, maybe run a course of the flucon and give it some time.
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NCreefguy
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I wouldn't say the plan backfired as you don't have a tank overrun with Bryopsis that you're having to break down. If you look at the first picture in this thread you'll see what your tank would/could have ended up looking like dealing with bryopsis. I also don't see how your corals starved and died from fluconazole as there was nutrients in the water as you have already said in your past posts.You even said your po4 levels were elavated. The raised nutrients may have caused problems in your tank but they didn't bleach from starving.I personally have over 7 tanks along with working with a coral importer who has many systems and we are not seeing anything like what you have went through. Some of the biggest SPS guys in the industry are using Fluconazole and not seeing anything like that.
Making a comment like "I will post if Bryopsis returns as I read many people have been experiencing a return of Bryopsis after treatment." looks like you're laying the groundwork for a future post so let me go ahead and do the same by reminding you that you started your water changes before all of the Bryopsis died so you may have some remaining Bryopsis cells in your tank. Many people are not experiencing a return of Bryopsis here without reintroducing it into their system or not having killed all of the bryopsis cells to begin with.Or they actually had GHA in the first place when they thought it was Bryopsis.As I keep reminding others that once fluconazole is out of your system GHA can return if you don't address the nutrient problem that was there to allow its growth to begin with.
I used to find this a complete mystery but after seeing who "liked" your post right after you posted it it's starting to become much clearer for me now.
Just some words of advice...Don't let someone get you in trouble here. The same person trolling all the fluconazole threads was run off from RC for their trolling ways along with being told by mods to stay out of this thread for the same reason.I'll have a mod watching this.
There is nothing wrong with you coming in a stating your opinion on the treatment with your tank but you asked for our opinions on it and after we gave it to you,you told us that we were all wrong.
Anything you do in your system that raises or lowers nutrients could effect your corals. Whether you carbon dose,dose other suppliments,not skimming,over skimming,water change schedule..Really the list goes on and on. Killing algae in your tank raised nutrients higher than normal as you said in an earlier post and this would have happened the same way no matter what you used to kill the algae if you didn't export the excess nutrients before your corals were effected. Saying that Fluconazole caused your corals to bleach because it killed algae in your tank then well......I guess you would have had the same outcome with thinking happy little thoughts and having the algae die off that way as well. Not exporting your excess nutrients was most likely the problem in your system.
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NCreefguy
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Sorry to hear that you're struggling right now. Don't let it get you down as we've all been there at some point in time or another.I've had tanks for years and can tell you that out of nowhere things can change in our systems sometimes sending it into an ugly mess. It really doesn't take much at all to have bad things happen.
A skimmer would definitly help if you can manage to add one but there are plenty of people who run without them. As far as the rocks go, there are people who argue for and against the fact of them leaching po4 into your system. If there were once living things in the rocks that died then my opinion is that they can now be leaching nutrients back out of them.
Sometimes you just have to keep trying things until you get things to make a turn for the better. That might be switching out your rocks with different "live" rock from a local store or friend that has their system stable.It could mean that you might need to remove your sand and clean and replace it or it could be that you can just keep doing what you're doing with water changes and waiting it out to see if it runs it's course.
Don't be afraid to make changes though because it's your tank and the important thing is for you to be happy with it.
dstrbd1969
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I HAVE A 32GAL BIOCUBE, 1 CLOWN, 1 BLENNY, ZOAS. FEED SMALL SLIVER OF MYSIS ONCE A WEEK FOR FISH, SMALL AMOUNT OF REEFROIDS ONCE A WEEK, I HAVE A GHA OUTBREAK ALL OVER MY ROCK. JUST DOSED FLUCON 1 WEEK AGO. ONLY HAVE FILTER FLOSS IN MEDIA BASKET (CHANGED 2X DAILY). NO SKIMMER. PARAMETERS ARE GOOD EXCEPT MAGNESIUM IS 1500 AND CALCIUM IS 480. I KNOW I NEED TO RUN DOSAGE FOR 4-6 WEEKS (600MG FOR 30 GAL). WHEN SHOULD I ADD MY PHOSGUARD AND CHEMIPURE ELITE BACK TO MY MEDIA BASKET.
THANK YOU
RUSTY
THANK YOU
RUSTY
HmoneyReefOkc
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I can’t seem to find the original link this thread once had to buy Fluconazole for cheap from that Chinese place... I bought if forever ago and now need more to try and eradicate this GHA.
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NCreefguy
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You can go ahead and run your phosguard but wait until after the treatment to run the chemipure.
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NCreefguy
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I don't know of any chinese places to order Fluconazole from but you can order from Payless Pet Products. They are located in the US.
https://www.payless-petproducts.com/fluconazole200.html
dstrbd1969
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THANKS
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NCreefguy
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You're welcome.
40B Knasty
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What you said is 100% the truth. This hobby has so many twists and turns. Riding out a tank issue is the hardest thing to do. Heck yeah we would love instant gratification. Unfortunately it just does not work that way.
I am currently in my 2nd round of the bryopsis battle. I was kind of expecting it since some others have said they are on their 2nd or 3rd round. Well I planned ahead and have enough for round 3 & 4. The fluconazole worked on the first round and I did everything right. Bryopsis is a deeper routing algae from what I have seen here also. If there is a round 3. So be it. I am going to keep my head up and keep at winning the battle.
If anyone is having trouble finding fluconazole. You can pickup some from BRS. Reef Flux by Reef HD. They are capsules. Free shipping.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/reef-flux-fluconazole-treatment-reefhd.html
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NCreefguy
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Can you post some pics of the algae that you have coming back on you. I know from your last pics you had some GHA mixed in there as well so I just wanted to see if maybe that's what is returning or both. We'll let Jose take a look at the pics to get an ID on it for you. Also refresh my memory on how long you ran the treatment. Did you do an early water change or something because it looked like the algae was gone? I may be thinking of someone else.If it is GHA it will keep coming back more than likely because once you remove the meds,your tank is just returning to the way it was before the treatment. You can however run a continuous low dose (20%) of your original dose and replace the meds after water changes if your tank has higher nutrients and problems keeping GHA away.
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40B Knasty
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My first treatment I did for 15 days with 7x200mg capsules. I have a 65g. I ran the skimmer, but did not skim. Raised the collection cup so it would not. Also ran Phosguard only to help with the phosphates if there was ever an issue. That was the only chemical media left in. After 15 days. I used a small bag of carbon & Purigen. The GHA is completely gone. Bryopsis is back after a month in the exact spots as last time. I did a 14g water change after 15 days. Watch the video at 7:15 minutes in. You can see the bryopsis all along the top rocks very well. They are starting to turn whiter. This round I did the same thing. 7 capsules. Lift collection cup. Only Phosguard. Started treatment last Friday night. The video was done this past Friday afternoon.
Lights out right now. That's the best I can do. I will get some pictures up today or tomorrow.
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