Treating with Vitamin C

[Pufferpunk]

Some of you have heard my complaints of losing entire colonies of zoas/palys that have been wonderful for years & for no apparent reason, got pinched/stretched, covered with brown & melted away, while colonies right next to them are fine. I read somewhere about raising your coral's immune system with vitamin C.
All I found was this article:
http://www.reefs.org/library/aquariu...996/996_4.html

I decided to try vit C. At 1st I used 1x1000mg in the tank morning & 1 at night (tank is 90g/20g fuge/20g sump). I didn't see much improvement in my zoas, so I raised it to 2000 morning & night. I really think I'm seeing improvements! The last straw was seeing my really nice colony of Tub's blues closing & pinching/stretching & getting brown. I knew what was coming next...

I have been dosing vit C for about 2 weeks now. I put the whole tablet into the sump, where there is most agitation, where the water dumps in from the overflow. I have rubble in there, to help with bubbles so I'm sure the tab fals in between. That's also where I do all my other dosing.

Now, most are open & looking great again--only a couple are still closed. Same with some of my other faltering colonies. Recession has stopped completely & my zoas/palys have never looked better or more colorful.

I just tested:
dKH 8.5
pH 8.2
Ca 430
NO3 1
Exactly what it was before adding the vitamin C, 2 weeks ago.

Has anyone every try this method or read anything about it? Can I do any harm by keeping this up indefinately? I'd really like to see someone that is having the same problem try this & tell me it isn't just a coincidence.

 

[InADream]

It is a great idea, Selcon and most of the Vitamin supplements for Our corals and fish use it... The dosage is definately different, You are using 4000mg a day and Selcon uses 200mg per serving... I am definately going to keep an eye on this thread, but hey if it is working with no adverse affects go for it... Especially if your zoos are looking better.. Good Luck, I may try this in the week coming since I have time off...


Dream

 

[Pufferpunk]

Just to show you, this is the kind of thing I've been dealing with in the past:

 

[Echidna09]

And what do they look like now..?

 

[Pufferpunk]

That's an old pic. I have lots of pics to show what my colonies were going thru but all those had died. I didn't bother to take more pics before treating with the C as I didn't realize the great sucess I'd have with it.

 

[650-IS350]

I had some small colonies show that type of fungus.. I just chunked the pieces instead of getting it more on other colonies..

 

[geoxman]

This is very interesting and I followed your thread on the other site. Can you please update us on how everything is doing and your over all opinion of using the vitamin c. I do know it is in a few of the coral foods that use, but in smaller qty. I started using it two days ago just for fun and I cant tell a difference-but it has only been 2 days and I am doing 1000mg twice a day on 70 or so gallons. Thanks much and good luck
PL

 

[Im Lon 2]

Tagging along as well. Having a heck of a time..

What brand of Vitamin C are you using? Pills?

 

[Pufferpunk]

I backed off to 1/2 dose for a few days (1000mg, 2x/day) & my Tubs blues started receding again. Back to 2000mg, 2x/day & they are opening up again. No adverse effects that I can tell. I mean if it's not upsetting my dinner plate-sized RBTA, I guess it won't bother anything else, right?

It's just using the generic Sam's Club brand of 1000mg tablets. In put them in the sump, where the overflow drops in & aggitates the water. That's where all my dosing goes on.

 

[Cristina_j]

Great Idea, can we see some pictures of how they look now?

 

[geoxman]

How many total gallons is your system? I am on day #3 and I have seen no adverse effects. I do not have any ill or stressed corals but I am going to monitor growth and color differences. I am using the generic Walgreen's brand with rose hips. Have you given any thought about adding some of the"B" vitamins as well?

 

[geoxman]

^^^ I dont want his one to get lost- I think it could be an interesting thread!

 

[Pufferpunk]

I estimate my system to be around 100g of water, out of a 90g tank w/5-6" DSB, 1/3 full 20g sump & full 20g fuge. Could be less than 100g--hard to tell--I've got a ton of rock in my tank. I can't take pics., my computer deleted my Photoshop for some reason.

How much are you dosing?

 

[geoxman]

right now I am at 1000mg twice a day and I might bump it up to 2000 twice a day like you. I already and have been using my own "papino" method of food and after reading what is in Reef Plus I am going to try with some of the B vitamins as well. Have you given the B's any thought?

Last spring I had great coloration when adding large amounts of pollen to my system. That was short lived as the pollen burst only last a week or two

 

[mnestroy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11315811#post11315811 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
I backed off to 1/2 dose for a few days (1000mg, 2x/day) & my Tubs blues started receding again. Back to 2000mg, 2x/day & they are opening up again. No adverse effects that I can tell. I mean if it's not upsetting my dinner plate-sized RBTA, I guess it won't bother anything else, right?

It's just using the generic Sam's Club brand of 1000mg tablets. In put them in the sump, where the overflow drops in & aggitates the water. That's where all my dosing goes on.

The pills your using, are they the same ones for humans? Are they hard pills, or the ones where u can separate the two halves?

If they are the hard ones, do you just throw the pill in the sump and let it dissolve on its own?

I'm willing to try anything at this point. (I have a super healthy tank, full of softies, but for the life of me I can't keep zoos alive, tried all the dips, funa2, iodine, none helped)

 

[Pufferpunk]

I use tablets & place into the sump where the overflow drops down & aggitates the most.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Thanks for the excellent article mnestroy: http://www.athiel.com/lib2/pguide/vitami1.html

 

[FishAreFriends2]

would dosing selcon or vita chem work?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Not nearly enough. I do soak foods in Selcon already. Can you afford to dose that much Selcon? I can't!

 

[FishAreFriends2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11328147#post11328147 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
I use tablets & place into the sump where the overflow drops down & aggitates the most.

What brand and where can I get it?