Treating with Vitamin C

[motopsycho]

Has anyone noticed any affects on other corals? I've only been dosing for 3 days now, zoas look good but the 'shrooms have been getting smaller and staying shrivelled up since starting.

I have about 250g in total water volume and dosed 1/4tsp in the morning and at night.

Any thoughts?

 

[gindobuck]

is the above melting?

it use to look like this:

 

[Ace1]

Puffer, for the record is it ok to dose Vit C in a SPS dominated system??

Also my zoos are crenging and have been for about 2 weeks now, i recently upgraded my lights to HQI and began running a GFO reactor while adding some sps frags (that are nowhere near the zoos) but each colony seems to be affected, they start the dusk period as if all is well then quickly creng up as if they want to open but just cant..

Any hint tips or other advice you can recomend for getting them back in shape?
Will Vit C help (sorry if this is redundent question but i haven read to the whole threads)

then and now pix
coming

Then Zoo Colony 1
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/153873then1.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/153873then.jpg

Now Zoo Colony 2
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/153873IMG_1901.jpg
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/153873IMG_1904.jpg

 

[Pufferpunk]

Motopsycho, ¼ tsp in a 250g system won’t show anyting positive or negative. That’s <2ppm.

gindobuck, I forgot the size of your system? How long have you been dosing & how fast did you raise the VC to 1 tsp? It does not look like your zoas are melting at allâ€"just closed. Do some daily water changes to get your alk down. What test kit are you using? Test the alk of your mixed SW.

Ace1, I have some very nice SPS: Oregon tort, Sunset/Superman/Rainbow montis & lots of other SPs & they all look fantastic.


I have been dosing 1 tsp in the mornig & 2 tsp at night for over a year now.

Guess it’s time for some pics again:

FTS:

 

[Pufferpunk]

Ace1, I see you edited your post. I feel that the issue you are having w/your zoas is exactly the kind of thing VC should be able to repair.

 

[gindobuck]

i am using the api test kit
i was at 1/8 for 3-4 days
1/4 for 3 days
then 1/2 for 2 days maybe
now i just did the 1 teaspoon and the zoos wont open. i just checked them, they still didnt open today just halfway.

i will test the alk in the salt mix next time i do a water change
thanks for the advice

btw im so jealous of your tank.

 

[Pufferpunk]

How many gallons? You really need to get that alk in check, before going any further with this. Get it tested at your LFS for comparison. How old is the test kit? What about your Ca & Mg?

 

[Ace1]

Puff, im excited but i need to get you the full scoop on what im doing to be sure im safe param wise..

Currently Dosing:
Bio Clean system (Bio Digest & Biotptim)
Coral Vitalizor - 1st week
Phols Extra - will start tommarrow
Dt's Phytoplankton - 2nd week

Alk = 10.9
PH - 7.9-8.0
Calcium =475
Magnesium = 1450
Phosphates = 0ppm
Nitrates =5-10 ppm
Salinity =1.025 (based on calibration fluid at 35ppt.) trying to get to 1.026
Orp = 119

Using Natural Sea Water for top off and slow introduction (tryin to slowly raise Salinity)
will eventually go all NSW

Media:
GFO reactor
Carbon
Purigen
Matrix & Denitrate (will discontinue once i get N03 down)

Issues:
-Always had high Nitrates and N03 (slowly seems to be coming down since dosing Bio Clean) and adding Matrix & Denitrate. But i want to discontinue as mentioned above.
-Cyano seems to be creeping in now that im Dosing Bio Clean (although all other algae's have pretty much disappeared in less than 4 day!!)

Questions:
I read that VC may help with N03: any details
I also read that its a source of carbon: can this supplement Bioptim once that run out? (not ready to dose VSV)
I also read that a guy had RTN on sps while dosing VC, any words on that?

thanx sooo much for this thread, and your thorough response to us zoo killiers ;-)

 

[Pufferpunk]

I am not familiar with any of those products you are using.

In no time at all your nitrate will be 0 w/o all that extra stuff, just by dosing VC. Mine is undetectable in the 90g DT & 40g softie predator tanks all the time. I had a 15g w/a mantis shrimp in it & the nitrate was always >100, even with 80% weekly WC. Even after not changing the water for 3 weeks, it remains <10.

I did lose a blue stag at one time but since all my other SPS are doing so well, I can't blame the VC for that.

 

[Ace1]

WOW - Nitrate to 0!!! thats music to my eyes !!

The Bio system is Ultra Low Nutrient system designed to provide dentrifying bacteria that feeds on organic wast etc.. it has works ok so far

the other stuff is just coral food and Amino Acids

what about my params will they suffice??
any other suggestion prior to dosing

 

[Pufferpunk]

Your pH is a bit low. Best to start around 8.2-8.3 but it will suffice. What are you using for alk/pH?

 

[Ace1]

i have a 2 part solution from Bulk reef but i havent dosed it yet for anything other than Calcium
i have tried Sodium Carbonate t oraise it but i gave up, cuz it just came back down in a day or so..

plus i test some fresh sea water and it was the exact same so i figured it was ok

 

[Pufferpunk]

I don't understand enough about reef chemistry to get why folk's pH would be low & their alk high or visa-versa. Are you doing water changes or just topping off? How much stuff do you have in there now?

 

[Ace1]

Can you elaborate on VC as a source of carbon?

Also have there been any algae issues or benefits to dosing VC??

 

[gindobuck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13945006#post13945006 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pufferpunk
How many gallons? You really need to get that alk in check, before going any further with this. Get it tested at your LFS for comparison. How old is the test kit? What about your Ca & Mg?

its a 46 gallon tank
when i got free time i will definately get that alk in check.
i have also heard that high alk causes low ph
i think thats y my ph is 7.8 =(
i use api test kit for ca and ph
ca is 500
mg i dont have a test kit.
test kits were just bought less than a month ago.

 

[Pufferpunk]

I haven't seen it help my tanks with algae at all, that I can see. I've always had issues battling red turf algae. Again, since I don't isderstand reef chemistry, I don't know how carbon source works. This is what more scientific types have been claiming VC does. You sound like just the right person to read this thread from the beginning. A lot of scientific discussion has gone on here.

 

[Ace1]

ok..

yeah i want to lower my alk too, wonder if t his woulf being as though it is acidic and all

 

[Pufferpunk]

The pH of buffered VC is 7.1. Not enough to lower alk. Yours is fine. (15 is way too high.) I'd like to see your pH up a bit though but I don't know how to raise pH w/o raising alk.

 

[Ace1]

I dont either really, i seems that pure sodium bicarbonate should do it but it hasnt, maybe i will dose my water change water, that seems to work well when raising any of the big 3..

Also could i use pure ascorbate acid, and buffer it myself? i see the NOW brand at my local grocer every other day, they are a vegan store and sell non filler items, plus i saw it on you iherb site.. Just for convenience, i dont like ordering online if i dont have too..

The Now version buffered is a bit more potent too..

How did you calculate the ppm from grams & milli grams??

 

[Pufferpunk]

We took the origional dosage chart from here & tranlated it into grams/gallons:
http://www.livingreefs.com/forums/saltwater-aquarium-articles/590-use-vitamin-c.html

I prefer using buffered VC. Buffering is also mentioned in that article.