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Fluconazole - Bryopsis Silver Bullet?


cnseekatz

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Based on some conversations I've had with a few guys on R2R, and the thread that followed (http://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bryopsis-cure-my-battle-with-bryopsis-using-fluconazole.285096/), I wanted to share this information with my NR family.

 

This is about a medication called Fluconazole, and it's apparent ability to destroy bryopsis. I have used this product myself and will share my results.

 

I run a 45g display with a 30 gallon sump. I had been having some severe dinoflagellate problems, and began using Vibrant. This treatment got rid of the dinos but caused a huge bryopsis outbreak, that just kept getting worse. The Vibrant is advertised to be able to kill bryo, but I decided to try this method.

 

I dosed 1000mg of Fluconazole which I purchased here:

 

https://www.payless-petproducts.com/fluconazole200.html

 

My tank is a mixed reef with fish, inverts, crustaceans, SPS, LPS, softies, zoos, BTAs, clams, etc. I have seen absolutely no adverse effects from the medication, and I have noticed a distinct disintegration of my bryopsis. I have not seen any effect on any other algae in my tank, whether nuisance, or macro. I have chaeto and dragon's breath, and it has not been effected.

Granted, I am only 3 days into my trial, but all is well so far. I would encourage anyone suffering from byropsis infestation to check out this thread, and see if it makes sense for you. Please make sure you do your own research before you add anything, including this medication, into your tank...

 

http://www.reef2reef.com/threads/bryopsis-cure-my-battle-with-bryopsis-using-fluconazole.285096/

 

Treatment1_zps5da8yk7l.jpg

 

Treatment4_zpsisjl5hjb.jpg

 

Treatment5_zpsaywiyazb.jpg

 

Treatment3_zpspkkpg5yr.jpg

 

Treatment2_zpse7o3zkjf.jpg

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Thats a powerful antifungal, has there been any long term effects noted by nyone using it in a reef?

 

None that I've seen reported...

 

There's not a ton of tracking on this, as it seems to be a pretty recent development in the US, but there are a few threads that have shown continued success without side affects for a long time.

 

Of course, we'll have to track this over the long run, but my searches haven't turned up any reports of negative impact.

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cnseekatz, I was also following the thread on Reef2Reef and just ordered my Fluconazole and will also try this (and report back). They mention a few different dosing options - dosing all at once vs. over a period of 5-10 days. Which did you do? I have a 29g biocube, so am figuring 600mg/day. I am hesitant to dump all that at once. I have been using Vibrant for several months now and it seemed to be working - the hair algae was turning white and falling off, but then started coming back. So I will be switching to the Fluconazole. I'm so frustrated!!! Been battling this algae for 6 months now and have been testing/changing my water religiously and can not get rid of it. ARGH! I stopped buying corals or anything else since I was thinking of shutting down the tank. Hopefully this will be the silver bullet!

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so the Tech M treatment is no longer effective?

 

I heard that they changed the formula, and that the new product is not effective against bryopsis, but I don't know that for sure.

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cnseekatz, I was also following the thread on Reef2Reef and just ordered my Fluconazole and will also try this (and report back). They mention a few different dosing options - dosing all at once vs. over a period of 5-10 days. Which did you do? I have a 29g biocube, so am figuring 600mg/day. I am hesitant to dump all that at once. I have been using Vibrant for several months now and it seemed to be working - the hair algae was turning white and falling off, but then started coming back. So I will be switching to the Fluconazole. I'm so frustrated!!! Been battling this algae for 6 months now and have been testing/changing my water religiously and can not get rid of it. ARGH! I stopped buying corals or anything else since I was thinking of shutting down the tank. Hopefully this will be the silver bullet!

 

CAREFUL: This is a ONE-TIME dose, not a daily or repeated dose. I suppose you can take the one dose and spread it out, but you do not need to dose repeatedly.

 

The dosing instructions I read were either 5mg per liter, or 9mg per liter. I went with the lower dose of 5mg/L. I figured that my display is 45 and my sump is 30, then reduced by 25% to account for rock, to get me to 50g = 189L. I rounded up (because that's how I roll) to 200L, and multiplied by 5 to get to 1000mg. Each capsule is 200mg, so I used 5. I dumped the powder out of the capsules into tank water and mixed it as best I could. Then added a little at a time into the feed for my return pump, which I figured would mix it as well as possible.

 

The water was cloudy for about a half an hour.

 

I have no plan to dose again.

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I have been using Vibrant for several months now and it seemed to be working - the hair algae was turning white and falling off, but then started coming back. So I will be switching to the Fluconazole. I'm so frustrated!!! Been battling this algae for 6 months now...

Surf&Turf, I don't believe this will get rid of common hair algae (only bryopsis). However, if it's bryopsis that you are dealing with, then I'd say go for it.

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Surf&Turf, I don't believe this will get rid of common hair algae (only bryopsis). However, if it's bryopsis that you are dealing with, then I'd say go for it.

 

Correct. It doesn't seem to have any effect on other types of algae... including GHA or even chaeto!

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Thanks all! I'm pretty sure it is bryopsis and not hair algae. OK, I'll dose all at once. I'm estimating that my Biocube is roughly 95 liters (29 gallons, minus 5 gallons displaced by sand/rocks - I don't have a lot of sand/rocks and no sump) - and looking to dose 8mg/L (middle ground)... so 600mg in a single dose. OK! Here goes nothing...

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Isn't Fluconazole used for yeast infections lol?

Yup! Anti-fungal.

 

Someone on the R2R thread was researching the Brazilian trials of this stuff, and found this... A little hard to follow, but explains the mechanism that makes this work. Translation is a little rough, but you get the idea.

 

"Abstract

The green alga Bryopsis pennata Lamouroux, collected from the coast of Karachi, has Been investigated for its sterol and fatty acid compositions Four sterols and fatty acids have 19. (78.12%), while other three with ergostatic skeleton occurred in traces. (1) H-NMR, El- & GC-MS techniques The sterol having cholesta skeleton was found to be major constituents (5% to 9%), and 7% to 12% (12.58%) than 12 unsaturated ones (27.41%), the latter included 7 monoenoic, 2 dicenoic, 2 trienoic and 1 pentaenoic adds. The highest amount (30.24%), cyclopentenyl undecanoic and heneicosapentaenoic acids were the unique and rare fatty acids detected.

 

The mechanism of action of fluconazole is based precisely on blocking the synthesis of ergosterol, one of the structural fats, also of the cell wall of Bryopsis. With ergosterol blockade, in the case of Bryopsis, it is expected that it will stop growing first and then languish because of the "defects" that the lack of ergosterol imposes on the cell wall of the seaweed, exposing it to aggression Of the environment.

 

If, now that seaweed is more vulnerable, you raise magnesium levels a little (by dosing magnesium chloride), algae will "pro sack", but you have to go slowly if the amount of algae is large, because when you die , Can release humic acids and toxins into the water, so when they start to "yellow," it is good to have a good activated carbon bag in range and the "ready" skimmer.

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natalia_la_loca

This is really intriguing. I've read through the whole R2R thread over the last few days.

 

I have what I assume is bryopsis in my reefbowl (the fibers have a feathery structure). It's not really visible in my pics because I spot-treat it with 35% peroxide each week during water changes, but it's like playing whack-a-mole, it never goes away completely.

 

So I've got some fluconazole coming in the mail. We'll see how well it works in a bowl reef.

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natalia_la_loca

Supposedly you don't need a script if it's for fish tanks. I thought the website was pretty sketchy and would ship from Vanuatu or something, but my fluconazole is shipping from Minnesota, so I guess/hope it's legit.

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I'm on day 3 and it's dieing already -- it's a damn miracle.

 

My suggestion is buy a good dose of the stuff because I'm pretty sure this is borderline and all it's going to take is one guy to report these websites and then we will struggle to get prescriptions.

 

So buy now the stuff works!

 

Payless pet products got me it in 3 days!

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Possibly but then other medications have been sold for decades for aquarium use that require a Rx for any other use and government doesn't seem to care.

 

If it was banned for use with a RX anyone know if Veterinarians can prescribe it?

 

 

 

 

 

I'm on day 3 and it's dieing already -- it's a damn miracle.

 

My suggestion is buy a good dose of the stuff because I'm pretty sure this is borderline and all it's going to take is one guy to report these websites and then we will struggle to get prescriptions.

 

So buy now the stuff works!

 

Payless pet products got me it in 3 days!

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how do you get a prescription for it?

 

Check out the link in OP

I'm on day 3 and it's dieing already -- it's a damn miracle.

 

My suggestion is buy a good dose of the stuff because I'm pretty sure this is borderline and all it's going to take is one guy to report these websites and then we will struggle to get prescriptions.

 

So buy now the stuff works!

 

Payless pet products got me it in 3 days!

 

Awesome!

My bryopsis is almost entirely gone. There are a few strands left, clinging to life. Still no side-effects that I can see.

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Looks like I'll be joining this band wagon. TechM never totally got rid of my bryopsis. Vibrant has gotten rid of everything else, including Cyano. But the Bryo keeps popping up, even after removing/replacing all of the rock that I thought it was growing on.

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