So here’s the setup: EVO 13.5 about 2 months old but I used old LR from a tank that had high phosphates in the past (and GHA) issues. Probably should have cooked it longer but, I didn’t. GHA and more feathery looking algae started within a few weeks (before any fish or feeding) and now is getting fierce. Corals are happy but it’s only a matter of time before they get bothered or overrun, and weekly changes aren’t cutting it.
I have one occelaris, fed about 1/10th frozen cube per day, RODI for topoffs and changes reads no phosphate (although TDS is creeping up so probably will get new filters and membrane soon). So my best guess is the rock is leaching phosphate and/or nitrate. Yes, I should just ditch it for clean rock, but it’s got good shapes and biodiversity and is all set up. Hard to aquascape such a silly small tank. Plus I’m stubborn. So I’m giving fluconazole a shot. Reef Flux is the brand I’m using. Maybe it’s partly an early tank phase, but given the super old rock, I went ahead and dosed it.
300 mg fluconazole into probably 12 gal of water so roughly 25 mg/gal. (The scientist in me cringes at this unit...) Ok, 6.6 mg/L. Much better. Kinda thought it would be fun to take pics and observations over the next 4 weeks or so as the fluconazole (hopefully) works it’s magic!
Here’s FTS at T-0 for baseline, after a 35% water change to remove some of the longest strings. EVO has stock light and pump for now, with floss and GFO in chamber 1, and a chaeto refugium mod in chamber 2. (Dosed 7/27 at 12AM)
There’s softer more typical GHA, some slightly tougher feathery stuff (probably Bryopsis) and very stiff wiry turf type algae, so I’m curious to see how they all fare! My understanding is chaeto and red gracilaria shouldn’t be bothered. Here goes!
I have one occelaris, fed about 1/10th frozen cube per day, RODI for topoffs and changes reads no phosphate (although TDS is creeping up so probably will get new filters and membrane soon). So my best guess is the rock is leaching phosphate and/or nitrate. Yes, I should just ditch it for clean rock, but it’s got good shapes and biodiversity and is all set up. Hard to aquascape such a silly small tank. Plus I’m stubborn. So I’m giving fluconazole a shot. Reef Flux is the brand I’m using. Maybe it’s partly an early tank phase, but given the super old rock, I went ahead and dosed it.
300 mg fluconazole into probably 12 gal of water so roughly 25 mg/gal. (The scientist in me cringes at this unit...) Ok, 6.6 mg/L. Much better. Kinda thought it would be fun to take pics and observations over the next 4 weeks or so as the fluconazole (hopefully) works it’s magic!
Here’s FTS at T-0 for baseline, after a 35% water change to remove some of the longest strings. EVO has stock light and pump for now, with floss and GFO in chamber 1, and a chaeto refugium mod in chamber 2. (Dosed 7/27 at 12AM)
There’s softer more typical GHA, some slightly tougher feathery stuff (probably Bryopsis) and very stiff wiry turf type algae, so I’m curious to see how they all fare! My understanding is chaeto and red gracilaria shouldn’t be bothered. Here goes!