Bryopsis Cure: My Battle With Bryopsis Using Fluconazole

[homer1475]

Nope, my tank pretty much runs around 10 to 15 nitrate, and .1 to .2 phosphates.

Been this way for about 2 years now. Just seems to be where it settled.

Only thing I have been doing differently, is running a small bit of GFO(2tbs mixed in carbon to 85G) when I get above .2, which will bring me back down to .1 for a while.

 

[Garf]

Nope, my tank pretty much runs around 10 to 15 nitrate, and .1 to .2 phosphates.

Been this way for about 2 years now. Just seems to be where it settled.

Only thing I have been doing differently, is running a small bit of GFO(2tbs mixed in carbon to 85G) when I get above .2, which will bring me back down to .1 for a while.

Don’t suppose you are adding Lugols? Or other iodine for that matter. My Briopsis loved it, so I stopped it.

 

[homer1475]

Nope never dosed any of that.

I did for a while dose PO4(brightwells neo-phos), but haven't since before my first outbreak.

 

[homer1475]

3 weeks down!

Bryopsis to the naked eye is gone, again. Hopefully to stay away this time.

Tank never skipped a beat, alk and cal consumption never changed, no coral loss. Heck if anything my coral look better now that the strangling bryopsis is gone.

Since my nutrients have crept up(not doing any WC's for 3 weeks, and no macro's to soak up the excess), I'm planning on a roughly 80% WC. That should bring my nutrients back in line.

PO4 is kept in check with a small amount of GFO, but my nitrates have crept up to around 35ppm! While I haven't noticed any issues with my coral, I know from experience that number is a little on the high side(I normally run between 15 and 20ppm).

 

[ScottB]

3 weeks down!

Bryopsis to the naked eye is gone, again. Hopefully to stay away this time.

Tank never skipped a beat, alk and cal consumption never changed, no coral loss. Heck if anything my coral look better now that the strangling bryopsis is gone.

Since my nutrients have crept up(not doing any WC's for 3 weeks, and no macro's to soak up the excess), I'm planning on a roughly 80% WC. That should bring my nutrients back in line.

PO4 is kept in check with a small amount of GFO, but my nitrates have crept up to around 35ppm! While I haven't noticed any issues with my coral, I know from experience that number is a little on the high side(I normally run between 15 and 20ppm).

Awesome update; great to hear.

 

[56cbr600rr]

Thinking of starting this today. Did anyone have Dino’s or Cyano sometime after the fluco treatment?

 

[ScottB]

Thinking of starting this today. Did anyone have Dino’s or Cyano sometime after the fluco treatment?

I've been following this thread for a while and I cannot say that that is a common occurrence.

I suppose if you don't keep up with nitrate removal (from the melting bryopsis), cyano might take advantage. Or conversely, if you strip too much nutrient out of the system you end up with dinos. But that is more to do with husbandry than it is the fluc dose itself.

 

[56cbr600rr]

I've been following this thread for a while and I cannot say that that is a common occurrence.

I suppose if you don't keep up with nitrate removal (from the melting bryopsis), cyano might take advantage. Or conversely, if you strip too much nutrient out of the system you end up with dinos. But that is more to do with husbandry than it is the fluc dose itself.

Thanks for That. Was hoping that was the answer as it does sometimes occur after chemiclean, etc..

 

[ScottB]

Thanks for That. Was hoping that was the answer as it does sometimes occur after chemiclean, etc..

Yeah, dinos after chemiclean (or equivalent erythromycin treatments) is super common. You kill one surface competitor (cyano) only to have it replaced by another (dino). I don't think that is a good trade.

 

[shwareefer]

Day 4 of treating my frag tank with Flux RX following their instructions. These orange zoas are not impressed and turned south within the first 24 hours. They want to open so bad. The surrounding algae was not bothering them at all before the treatment. I don't know if they'll last 14 days. The PE polyp beside them is completely unfazed by the chemical as is the rest of the tank - many euphyllia, some different zoas, ricordea, devil's claws. The PE's grow new heads maybe once a year and the orange zoas grow like wildfire. Not sure if it has anything to do with it. The bryopsis looks like it's just starting to lose a little colour.

Before the bryopsis even got there.

 

[ajx]

So you can still use filter socks or roller Matt as usual?

 

[homer1475]

Yes you actually should. As the bryopsis dies, and looses it's grip, it will get sucked down your overflow.

 

[FrostyFrags]

Anyone aware of any risk to softies. Mainly zoa's and various mushroom?

 

[ajx]

Anyone aware of any risk to softies. Mainly zoa's and various mushroom?

I lost some zoas and softies sulked for a few days. On day 12 now and it hasn’t worked, so either I got duff powder or it’s not bryopsis I’m battling!

 

[trapphd]

How quickly should I expect to see discernible progress on the bryopsis withering away? Obviously the typical timeframe is ~2 weeks, but I've read so many reports of people seeing initial results within a few days so just curious! I'm on the fifth day after dosing Flux RX so it's still early, but eager to feel validated that it's working. One patch is in the shade so I don't expect that to happen imminently, but there are small bunches in direct lighting.

 

[NickHolmes]

I used 6x 200mg capsules in my 60 gallon tank to treat a fist sized patch of bryopsis on rock that couldn't be removed. In my case the bryopsis didn't turn white and whither away like others but instead it seems like it made it edible and I found my hermits munching on it every morning until it was completely gone after about 4 weeks. I had a bad feeling about that and a month later it started to return and is now back to its former glory in the exact same spot. I'm going to do another course of fluconazole but will try 10 x 200mg this time. Pic below as of today, the long stuff in between is some GHA

About 12 years ago I had a bad case of bryopsis in a previous tank. In desperation I mixed up a solution of Epsom Salt and old tank water and removed pieces of LR one at a time, squirted the solution directly over the affected areas, waited a few minutes then rinsed off in old tank water and returned to the display. It somehow worked and there were no ill effects on the SPS that were attached to the rocks.

I don't recommend this route but it was either that or shut down as fluconazole treatment hadn't been discovered yet.

 

[HowardRambo]

I started treatment yesterday on the advise of my LFS. He says it will take 10 days to work. I'll post my results then. Sure hope it works.

 

[DeniseAndy]

I dosed my 40g/20g system that I had been fighting for almost a year and on the third week, it is all gone. Crazy! I would have pictures, but I have been down ill.

 

[Ross Petersen]

Seeking an algae expert - does this look like bryopsis?

About 6 months ago I dosed fluconazole which seemed to have a mild affect on the algae (if any). The algae in the photos appears very wire-like with perhaps not as much branching as bryopsis typically shows?

What would you recommend?

Thx

 

[DeniseAndy]

Could be. White lights?