That's what I thought, just double checking. Will the algae be completely gone or will some need to be removed manually?It's recommended 15 days after the initial dose.
Awesome thanks!I have found that as the algae dies off, tank inhabitants will start grazing on it. Usually within that 15 day period all signs are gone. If there is any remaining after that time, a soft bristle brushing would probably do the trick. I haven't had to do that though.
HTH :bigeyes:
Is the fluke (I'm not gonna try and spell it lol)
The same stuff I see advertised as fish meds?
YES. It is advertised as fish meds. Here is the cheapest place we've been able to find it so far:
https://www.fishlifeantibiotics.com/collections/frontpage/products/fluconazole-200mg
And does anyone know how it effects cheato? My cheato is slowly becoming a ball of gha. Yet still packed with amph/copepods... so I'm hoping not to have to toss it and kill them all :-/
I have a separate Macro-algae/refugium connected to my system with various Macros which were all unaffected (including Chaeto).
I will check into that vibrant...My only concern is that Reefers have been using Fluconazole mainly to eradicate Bryopsis. That's what I used it for, and it worked great with that 15 day treatment. But I have also heard that some Reefers experienced Cyanobacteria and/or Dinoflagellate outbreaks after the treatment, which makes me question what kind of shape their tank was in to begin with.
My tank was clean and virtually algae free whenever I used the Fluconazole, with only a small patch of Bryopsis. So my die off was very minimal, and I never saw any adverse effects. I'm concerned that those who have experienced the Cyano/Dinos afterwards may have had a fairly grungy tank to begin with, i.e.: Hair algae, Dinoflagellates, Turf algae, etc. If all of that was present in the tank at the time of dosing the Fluconazole, the large amount of die off may have been what led to the Cyano/Dinos afterwards. From what I witnessed, the Fluconazole is very potent. I watched the Bryopsis die and disintegrate within the first 3 days of treatment. I can't imagine what would happen in a tank full of nuisance algae. Maybe some other users of the product can chime in here with their experience.
Later down the road, my rocks started developing a stubborn Turf algae. Emerald crabs helped with this, but they weren't making much of a dent. I started dosing my system with Vibrant Reef Cleaner, and within 2 months, it looks like my rocks have been acid washed. It dissolved the Turf algae and it also killed off the small amount of Bubble algae I had in my tank. I'm wondering if this shouldn't be the road that you consider instead of Fluconazole? The Vibrant route is a much slower process, and you maintain your normal water change practices throughout the dosing period. I didn't see any noticeable change until about week 6, but the difference is amazing.
Here is the product. I found it on Amazon:
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And here is more information on the product and the guys who developed it:
https://www.uwcmn.com/vibrant-liquid-aquarium-cleaner
HTH :bigeyes:
I am the same as you... I don't like chemicals in my tank...unless very last resort...I believe that my algae issues have been rock related. From the start, it was all "cured" Fiji "live rock" purchased from a LFS, but I believe that it is the type that is shipped moist wrapped in newspaper. Then it sat in a stinky holding tank at the LFS for who knows how long?
I know that most seasoned Reefers prefer the "No chemicals" method to doing things (and I am one of those, too), but sometimes the proven products can really help get things back in shape. Once the worst of the nuisance is gone, then you can make the adjustments necessary to maintain it that way.
I have personally used:
* Chemiclean to treat an initial Cyano outbreak. Afterwards, I increased the flow in my tank, and I haven't had an outbreak since.
* Aiptasia X to treat Aiptasia. It works, but you still can't get to the Aiptasia that you can't see or don't have access to. I have since incorporated the help of Berghia Nudibranch, and the verdict is still out on these little boogers. Time will tell.
* Vibrant Reef Cleaner to treat the Turf algae. I'm honestly not sure how the Turf algae even got started, but the Vibrant product has done wonders. I have tried to increase the use of Chaetomorpha algae in my refugium to help absorb nutrients, but I see nothing wrong with the continued dosing of Vibrant to keep the Turf and Bubble algae at bay. The listed ingredients seem to resemble that of Carbon (vinegar/vodka) dosing.
In summary, I am all about prevention with proper routine maintenance in combination with aggressive nutrient export in combination with live critters that have a taste for nuisance algae, but I am also an advocate for the use of proven products to help get the uglies back under control. :bigeyes: