I tried fluconazole in my 280 gallon system (yup, all 28 capsules) to address GHA, which was persisting even after Phosphate and Nitrates were brought under control. Did the regular protocol, and now have done two 35% water changes and running carbon for a week to clear out. For what it is worth, I did all of this during a 72-day fish fallow period (fish were just reintroduced this weekend).
Results are as follows:
(1) GHA is gone. Took a few weeks, then it turned brown/black and disintegrated.
(2) Unfortunately, dinoflagellates have replaced the GHA and I've got green goo and air bubbles roughly everywhere the GHA used to be.
(3) Monti, maze, birds nest and candy cane corals were all wiped out (nothing but white skeleton). Very similar to RTN, just sloughed away during second week of treatment. They are not even near each other.
(4) Several LPS are unhappy, but not yet dead. Hammer holding on. Pipe organ doing great.
(5) Most of my urchins dropped spines and died. Other inverts (crabs and shrimp) are fine.
(6) Fish (reintroduced over weekend) seem happy to be back home, all good.
Current parameters: pH: 8.15, KH: 8.6, Nitrates: 0, Phosphate: 0.03, SG: 1.024, Temp: 79 degrees.
Any thoughts on what happened? Reintroduction of fish will bring up the nitrates, I know, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the fluconazole was somehow to blame for stressing the coral, not low nitrates or absence of fish.
Results are as follows:
(1) GHA is gone. Took a few weeks, then it turned brown/black and disintegrated.
(2) Unfortunately, dinoflagellates have replaced the GHA and I've got green goo and air bubbles roughly everywhere the GHA used to be.
(3) Monti, maze, birds nest and candy cane corals were all wiped out (nothing but white skeleton). Very similar to RTN, just sloughed away during second week of treatment. They are not even near each other.
(4) Several LPS are unhappy, but not yet dead. Hammer holding on. Pipe organ doing great.
(5) Most of my urchins dropped spines and died. Other inverts (crabs and shrimp) are fine.
(6) Fish (reintroduced over weekend) seem happy to be back home, all good.
Current parameters: pH: 8.15, KH: 8.6, Nitrates: 0, Phosphate: 0.03, SG: 1.024, Temp: 79 degrees.
Any thoughts on what happened? Reintroduction of fish will bring up the nitrates, I know, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the fluconazole was somehow to blame for stressing the coral, not low nitrates or absence of fish.
