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Unread 04/03/2018, 01:48 PM   #1
dodgy67
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Fluconazole for algae

I have a outbreak of gha in my dt and dosed the other day 1 capsule of Fluconazole 150mg from a chemist that's all we can buy over the counter in the UK at £6 it has made a tiny impact on some small strands on a rock in my dt about 50 galls volume. I have just ordered 20 capsules from Russia on Ebay 1/4 UK price I need to dose about 3 to 4 capsules into my 50 galls volume my concern is I have Halimeda macro algae growing in my dt will the Fluconazole break this down or just the small strands of gha, is a water change required after the gha is gone


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Unread 04/03/2018, 10:20 PM   #2
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Some tanks will do better with some water changes. That depends on how much nutrient export the tank has, and what the total volume of hair algae is. I'd probably do a couple of 15% changes or so to help cut down on the nutrients a bit, but every tank is a bit different.


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Unread 04/06/2018, 07:52 PM   #3
Googlymoogly
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I just bought a bottle of it and was going to try it out soon. I dont have green hair algae but I do have red in my tank that im hoping to get rid of.... it wont hurt my tank to dose it if I dont have green hair algae will it?


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Unread 04/06/2018, 11:09 PM   #4
bertoni
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It should be as safe. I don't know how reef-safe fluconazole actually is, but it seems not to cause major problems.


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Unread 04/07/2018, 04:53 PM   #5
rjjr1963
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Remove as much of the GHA as you can.


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Unread 04/07/2018, 05:34 PM   #6
BeachBumm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rjjr1963 View Post
remove as much of the gha as you can.
+1


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Unread 04/12/2018, 05:12 AM   #7
SBV
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Has anyone tried dosing more than the 20mg/gallon for hair algae? I have some Ulva and hair algae to get rid of. The Fluconazole worked on my Bryopsis. Thanks!


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Unread 04/14/2018, 09:37 AM   #8
Jose Mayo
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Fluconazole works by blocking the ergosterol synthesis pathway, a structural lipid that makes up the cell walls of fungi in general and some GREEN and BROWN algae. By blocking this synthesis of ergosterol, fluconazole renders the wall of the algae brittle and permeable, and this succumbs to the aggressiveness of the environment in which it lives. In addition, fluconazole also alters the production of diterpenoids by algae, which are the allelochemicals with which they defend against herbivores, so it is not uncommon for algae to be attacked by snails, crustaceans and fish herbivores, who previously refused to eat them.

RED ALGAE has cholesterol on its walls, not ergosterol, so it's almost never affected. Some macroalgae, such as Caulerpa sp, Codium sp and Halimeda sp, may be affected by fluconazole at high dosages. Cladophoráceas, such as Cladophora sp, Cladophoropsis sp and Chaetomorpha sp are resistant, but not totally "immune" to fluconazole.

ATS beds should be removed during treatment and sterilized before returning to the system, as well as all equipment used in the aquarium and that can store algae spores, otherwise they will "return" after the treatment is finished and the effect of fluconazole ceases .

All animals, from protozoa to higher animals, have cholesterol in their cell membranes and do not synthesize ergosterol, so they are not affected by fluconazole even at high dosage. What can happen, and will run, if no precautions are taken, is that in aquaria where algae infestation is very advanced, and if these algae are toxic, the fauna may be affected by products released in the decomposition of these algae.

In highly affected aquaria, the largest quantities of algae should be manually removed first and then treated with fluconazole to completely eradicate them.


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Unread 04/14/2018, 10:42 PM   #9
rjjr1963
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SBV View Post
Has anyone tried dosing more than the 20mg/gallon for hair algae? I have some Ulva and hair algae to get rid of. The Fluconazole worked on my Bryopsis. Thanks!
I accidentally overdosed 500% with no negative effects.


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Unread 04/15/2018, 02:29 AM   #10
homer1475
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While it's great for bryopsis, it did nothing for my GHA. Even 3 doses did nothing.


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Unread 04/15/2018, 04:55 AM   #11
Jose Mayo
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Quote:
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While it's great for bryopsis, it did nothing for my GHA. Even 3 doses did nothing.
A relatively easy way to assess whether green or brown filamentous algae we have will be sensitive to Fluconazole is to check its structure under a microscope ... if the filaments observed are cenocytic or siphonous, ie if they are multinucleated, but not have true cell divisions (such as Bryopsis sp, Derbesia sp), will most likely be eliminated by Fluconazole. If the filaments have clear cell divisions (such as Cladophora sp, Cladophoropsis sp), they will probably withstand the same doses and treatment times that are effective for Bryopsis.


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Unread 04/15/2018, 05:23 AM   #12
homer1475
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Yeah don't think I'm buying a microscope to figure out I have algae, or what kind it is other then GHA.

Nutrient export, and manual removal is all thats needed for GHA.


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Unread 04/17/2018, 10:22 PM   #13
idan555
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I had also outbreak about 5 months ago, I remove as much I can by hand and then used Flu... amazing resoult ater 10 days all gone, my fish, live stock and LPS was doing great no one die.
I dont remmber where I bought it from but I can look if you want too.


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Unread 04/17/2018, 10:29 PM   #14
idan555
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I didnt do any water change untill its was all gone (10 days in my case), I had to dose again after 5 days and it did the work.
Flu its a fish med or somthing like that, I dont remmber the whole story.
Im not sure about the Halimeda macro algae, there is some forum with the guy who used it first and he can tell you all about it.

hope it helps,
Dan


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Unread 04/19/2018, 12:07 PM   #15
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I had the same experience, Fluconazole didn't kill everything.

Here is a recent post i just made about my plan to tackle the rest of the algae.

"
Everyone is right, false low reading and no export.

Personally i dimmed the lights 50%, doing 30% - 50% weekly water changes (small tank) and bought a phosphate reactor.

The phosphate reactor (IMO) is the best addon. This will strip the water column of PO4 and keep it there. REMEMBER, when you starve out alges (lights off) your releasing all the nutrients BACK into the water. You need to constantly be removing them.

I also ordered Reef Vibrant (which you can do your own research on)
"


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Unread 07/12/2020, 02:11 PM   #16
AquamanE
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I ran Fluconazole for thick tufts of GHA. It took 4 weeks but totally gone. Now 6 months later its back. I was wondering if anyone has tried a “Maintenance dose”.

Yes I’m an avid WC and keeping nutrients under control person. Highest PHO4 ever gets is 0.1 with a HANNA UL meter, and Nitrate-5, with Nyos test kit. I run GFO as needed to keep those levels.


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Unread 07/12/2020, 06:01 PM   #17
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I haven't heard of a problem like that. I'd try running the full dose for a few months after the algae seems to be gone.


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Unread 07/13/2020, 11:40 AM   #18
Sk8r
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I suspect your rockwork and/or sand is the gift that continues to give. I fought it for 2 years and hundreds of dollars. Fluconazole got it at one try, but at that point, I think my rock and sand were running out of 'gift.'


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