Fenbendazole for nuking GSP overgrowth?
 

Hi everyone,

So I have GSP everywhere. I bought the tank from another reefer as a newbie. I had no idea what this is, only to watch it take over the whole tank from 50% to maybe 85% now.

I now believe this was the reason other corals I bought died, along with lack of flow, possibly poor light etc.....which are all now corrected.

So.....

Apart from manually pulling it all off the rocks and dumping it, is the Fenbendazole or Fish Bendazole the only thing that really works when this thing is at alien takeover stage?
If so ill pull the trigger!

I do have inverts like a full clean up crew, cleaner shrimp, emerald crabs, snails, hermits, etc....along with Zoas, anemones etc....
I do not have the option of removing all the above..... if theres a chance of survival I will try, but its a 180 gallon system....

From what I heard manual removal it will always grow back....

Also from what I heard, get a pack of Fishbendazole, and go 1.5-2.0mg/gallon stop skimming and carbon for 3 days, then at day 3 start them up again and do 20% water-change.....sound about right?

I know some people try lower than 1-1.5mg/gallon but then the GSP became resistant I think and grew back they then tried higher concentrations and it wouldnt work even at 2.0mg/ml.....so I think id just hit it higher end!


Please any thoughts etc please let me know!

Holy sheez

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Wow, that's a lot of GSP. I can't imagine trying to remove it manually without tearing down the tank.

The biggest risk with a chemical approach is decaying GSP, in my opinion. I'd try removing as much as possible by hand to limit the decay, which could release toxins. No need to go for small spots, though. I'd also have a lot of activated carbon and water for changes on hand, as well as Amquel or something similar.

I did this for gsp and xenia. It completely erradicated both without any other tank inhabitants suffering.

What method did you use?
ie what source, how much etc

I’ve heard the use of this from dozens of people on other forums now

Some are pulling off in huge chunks like skin while others are in the nooks and crannies as they say and may be impossible to get off

So I was visiting a reefer friend who had Fluke Tabs, which I later learned was Fenbendazole. He told me this worked for him, and have me like half a pill and the medication dust in the bag. I mixed this with tank water, took the carbon out and put it in the sump. Over the course of a week or two all the gsp melted away. Sorry I don't have a more scientific answer for you. My tank is 80 gallons.

If the decay happens over a week or so, you might be safe enough with the toxins, ammonia, etc. That's a lot of organics, though.

At the minute the local expert is saying do manual removal as much as possible then hit the remaining bits with kalkwasser until dead

He really is insisting NOT to use the Fenbendazole method

Kalk likely will kill all the GSP stubs that it hits. You might miss some, but you could consider multiple applications. I have no experience with the drug approach, so I can't help much there. My GSPs never spread like that. Other people report success.