Fluconazole for bryopsis

fishyfish22

Premium member
I'm starting a fluconazole treatment today. I'll use this thread to log and record data as well as upload pics, hopefully it'll help someone else down the road!

It started a few months ago, when a small bit of fuzz started growing in my 60 gallon macro tank. Things were kind of relaxed until it got longer and, mistaking it for caulerpa, it started growing out of control. Soon it took over my pinecone algae garden, and even in my botryocladia! Enough was enough, I tried tech M, it didn't work. All but putting a tang in there, there seemed to be no hope for eliminating or controlling it!
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I'm resorting through the final attempt, Fluconazole.
I'm going for a relatively mid range dose, my biggest worry is the affect of it on macroalgae which is something I will be monitoring as well.

I've removed carbon, but the reactor is running blank. I've put the skimmer drain into the sump. Everything shall remain the same so as to not remove and reintroduce a bryopsis cells back into the water.

I will be attempting a 1 time dose of 20mg/gallon. With 260g water volume that's about 5200mg of fluconazole. at 200 per pill, that's 26 tablets.
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I carefully removed the cases, and added them into a specimen cup before stirring and adding it into the tank directly. I placed it into a powerhead so as to distribute it through the tank.

Water was cloudy maybe an hour and a half before clearing up, so far there has yet to be any affect or reaction from fish or coral. I will be posting daily with updates, feel free to ask any questions!
 
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fishyfish22

Premium member
Day 6, noticing more melting on the bryo. Maybe a heavier dose would've had a faster effect, but I couldn't risk the macroalgae.

So far nothing else seems to have had any reaction to the fluconazole. The botryocladia that had it growing out of the bubbles does seem to be turning white though
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fishyfish22

Premium member
Day 7, bryo really took a hit. No algae effects still, skimmer is going back online today. Caulerpa is growing beautifully, halimeda opunta is actually branching upwards.

Even the botryocladia is coloring back up

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fishyfish22

Premium member
Day 9, happy with results so far. Did a 10 gallon water change, added 1 tablet of fluconazole to make up for lost water and skimmate20200202_121000.jpg20200202_121006.jpg
 

jrwoltman

Member
I did the same thing a few years ago at the recommendation of @trackfast and it worked great, never saw bryopsis again. I am glad you are experiencing similar results.
 
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