Treating with Vitamin C
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Pufferpunk
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Cool! And the before pics are... ?
.Sorry I don't have any good pictures just before I started dosing (Late September??) but here are some pics that I do have. The pink zoo colonies that I fragged from my 55gallon didn't do much until I started dosing. I had figured it was because of temperature (the seahorse tank is around 70-72F and the 55 gallon is aroung 80F), but I guess not because the colonies have been growing great since I have been dosing.
A picture from last march (sorry for bad quality, I took it with my phone)
You can see that big pink zoo colony as a couple of polyps in the upper right of this picture . . . from Late April . . (before dosing)
Tank in late May
The most amazing thing, though, is the way this nukes phosphates and nitrates! Anyone who keeps seahorses knows they are hard to keep low because of the amount of frozen food you need to feed them. Vitamin C dosing really makes this a non-issue.
My only problem with dosing is the bacteria it grows. This stuff really does clog up filter material, maxi-jets, etc.. So you really have to be on top of the maintenance of these devices.
A picture from last march (sorry for bad quality, I took it with my phone)
You can see that big pink zoo colony as a couple of polyps in the upper right of this picture . . . from Late April . . (before dosing)
Tank in late May
The most amazing thing, though, is the way this nukes phosphates and nitrates! Anyone who keeps seahorses knows they are hard to keep low because of the amount of frozen food you need to feed them. Vitamin C dosing really makes this a non-issue.
My only problem with dosing is the bacteria it grows. This stuff really does clog up filter material, maxi-jets, etc.. So you really have to be on top of the maintenance of these devices.
Sorry I don't have any good pictures just before I started dosing (Late September??) but here are some pics that I do have. The pink zoo colonies that I fragged from my 55gallon didn't do much until I started dosing. I had figured it was because of temperature (the seahorse tank is around 70-72F and the 55 gallon is aroung 80F), but I guess not because the colonies have been growing great since I have been dosing.
A picture from last march (sorry for bad quality, I took it with my phone)
You can see that big pink zoo colony as a couple of polyps in the upper right of this picture . . . from Late April . . (before dosing)
Tank in late May
The most amazing thing, though, is the way this nukes phosphates and nitrates! Anyone who keeps seahorses knows they are hard to keep low because of the amount of frozen food you need to feed them. Vitamin C dosing really makes this a non-issue.
My only problem with dosing is the bacteria it grows. This stuff really does clog up filter material, maxi-jets, etc.. So you really have to be on top of the maintenance of these devices.
A picture from last march (sorry for bad quality, I took it with my phone)
You can see that big pink zoo colony as a couple of polyps in the upper right of this picture . . . from Late April . . (before dosing)
Tank in late May
The most amazing thing, though, is the way this nukes phosphates and nitrates! Anyone who keeps seahorses knows they are hard to keep low because of the amount of frozen food you need to feed them. Vitamin C dosing really makes this a non-issue.
My only problem with dosing is the bacteria it grows. This stuff really does clog up filter material, maxi-jets, etc.. So you really have to be on top of the maintenance of these devices.
Pufferpunk
New member
Those few polyps weren't doing any growing until you started dosing & now they are that huge colony? In 72 degree water? How long have you been dosing & how much?
Logzor
New member
Has vitamin c dosing changed something in my tank?
Weeks ago, before I even heard of vitamin c dosing, I was feeding decent amounts of my homemade fish food. With the skimmer running full blast (MSX 200) I would see growth of algae on my rock. Although, my tank is just going on 5 months old.
When I began dosing vitamin c (which probably lasted 3 weeks) all of my algae problems were eliminated. During this time I was only feeding freeze dried cyclopeze twice a day - in fairly small amounts. My sps began to lose some of their color. I also made the mistake of doing a large feeding at night of my homemade food following a 5+ppm dosing of vitamin c (with the skimmer off). This caused the water in my tank to become slightly cloudy (possible bacteria bloom). I have ruled out it was due to a kalk slurry injection.
I quit dosing to work on the coloration of my corals. I have since been feeding large amount of my homemade food everyday. I have not seen the slightly increase in algae as I had before. Color has come back and they are more intense than ever. Note: I am also using amino acids (brightwells).
Could dosing vitamin c have changed the bacteria in my tank? Why are the feedings now not causing algae issues where before they were?
Anyways, I plan beginning a dosing regimen and making sure that I am not starving my tank. Even at 5ppm it literally stripped the nutrients from my system. Having a BB tank with high flow and good skimming probably enabled my nutrients to drop too quickly.
I believe a good balance of feeding, dosing, and using amino acids could prove to be very beneficial (and even better colors).
The main thing that I have noticed since ending my dosing regimen is that I have to clean my glass!
Weeks ago, before I even heard of vitamin c dosing, I was feeding decent amounts of my homemade fish food. With the skimmer running full blast (MSX 200) I would see growth of algae on my rock. Although, my tank is just going on 5 months old.
When I began dosing vitamin c (which probably lasted 3 weeks) all of my algae problems were eliminated. During this time I was only feeding freeze dried cyclopeze twice a day - in fairly small amounts. My sps began to lose some of their color. I also made the mistake of doing a large feeding at night of my homemade food following a 5+ppm dosing of vitamin c (with the skimmer off). This caused the water in my tank to become slightly cloudy (possible bacteria bloom). I have ruled out it was due to a kalk slurry injection.
I quit dosing to work on the coloration of my corals. I have since been feeding large amount of my homemade food everyday. I have not seen the slightly increase in algae as I had before. Color has come back and they are more intense than ever. Note: I am also using amino acids (brightwells).
Could dosing vitamin c have changed the bacteria in my tank? Why are the feedings now not causing algae issues where before they were?
Anyways, I plan beginning a dosing regimen and making sure that I am not starving my tank. Even at 5ppm it literally stripped the nutrients from my system. Having a BB tank with high flow and good skimming probably enabled my nutrients to drop too quickly.
I believe a good balance of feeding, dosing, and using amino acids could prove to be very beneficial (and even better colors).
The main thing that I have noticed since ending my dosing regimen is that I have to clean my glass!
Not much growing at all. A polyp or two every few weeks -- if that? The same type was growing much quicker in my 55 gallon. And yes, the water is about 72 degrees, I've been dosing 1/4 teaspoon twice a day in my 29 gallon since September or October.
Overall i think the stuff is amazing. Besides the thinck bateria mats in the filters and on the sponges, I have not seen any negative side effects. I'm wondering if the increased growth rate has more to do with lowering the nitrates and phosphates than with the vitamin c . . . being a seahorse tank both are usually realitively high.
Anyway -- good stuff.
tangafish
Premium Member
I just finished reading the ENTIRE thread including all the splits yesterday. For the life of me I dont know why this hasnt already won thread of the month. I have read parts of it several times but just finished reading all of it. I have been interested in trying this out for a while and just got 3 16 oz bottles of Sodium Ascorbate in from Iherb a couple days ago. Before I start dosing I will take alot of pics for some side by side comparison later. After all a picture is worth a thousand words, right. 
I primarily am just going to dose for improved growth and color. I have a mixed reef tank that has mainly zoo frags, a few lps and some sps and ricordea, which is my biggest concern so I am going to start off a little slower than normal just to be safe. I just received a few zoo's in the other day that are not fully opened yet so I am anxious to see what affect the C will have on them.
I noticed several posts mentioning algae outbreaks when you initially start dosing. How bad of an outbreak should I expect and how long before it subsides.
I have printed out the chart that Jeff has so kindly posted numerous times for everyone. Thanks Jeff! Now to figure out my dosing amount :hmm5:
I primarily am just going to dose for improved growth and color. I have a mixed reef tank that has mainly zoo frags, a few lps and some sps and ricordea, which is my biggest concern so I am going to start off a little slower than normal just to be safe. I just received a few zoo's in the other day that are not fully opened yet so I am anxious to see what affect the C will have on them.
I noticed several posts mentioning algae outbreaks when you initially start dosing. How bad of an outbreak should I expect and how long before it subsides.
I have printed out the chart that Jeff has so kindly posted numerous times for everyone. Thanks Jeff! Now to figure out my dosing amount :hmm5:
Pufferpunk
New member
Is it algae or are folks really describing the brown "slime" many folks are complaining that is clogging their socks & sponges (2 othings I do not use in my systems).? I do believe that once your nitrate is gone/reduced, these issues desist.
tangafish
Premium Member
your right it was the slime they were referring too. i dont use sponges or filter socks in the tank i am planning on treating with the vitamin c anyway so that isn't a problem. i do have a gfo reactor i am running carbon and phosphate remover in that i guess i can move to another tank.
Pufferpunk
New member
No need to remove either, unless your concern is their clogging.
LCDRDATA
New member
I'm cross-posting this from the Vitamin "c" dosing Calling the experts... thread
Well, I've been at the therapeutic dose (30 ppm) for two weeks now. I'm not sure if things were too far gone, but my frogspawns are down to little or no visible live tissue, same with the open brain; my montipora has bleached almost completely except for a few remaining pencil-dots of color (which with my luck right now are probably red bugs vice polyps). And now my bubble coral, which had been unaffected, looks like it's dying as well.
Here are before and after pics of the bubble:
18 Jan 09 -
last night (28 Feb) -
On top of all this my gorgonians seem unhappy and my anemone is looking really bad (shrunken, shriveled, foot not attached to anything) the last couple of days. I double-checked my params last night and there's no problem there I can see:
pH = 8.2
alk = 4.5 meq (12.6 dKH)
NO3 = PO4 = 0
calcium = 435
magnesium = 1450
I'm really getting discouraged. The only corals I have left that aren't dead or dying are my duncan and a blastomusa (I'm not counting my zoas, which I guess are fine). It's possible my favites is starting to come back, but what looks like some tissue return may just be the gelatinous clear bacterial slime that has accompanied my heavy VC dosing.
I wonder if what's left of several of these corals isn't just serving to keep a reservoir of the brown jelly pathogen in the water and spreading. If that's the case, perhaps it's best to just pull them out and boil them (the calcium skeleton could still be pretty). What's the best way to euthanize a coral - freezing?
I'm getting water ready for a larger (about 25%) water change, although I've been doing 5% about every third day for a couple of weeks now. I think I'm going to cut back the VC to about 10-15 ppm to see if the slime clears, since the 30 ppm was apparently unable (or too late) to save anything. Beyond that I'm more than open to suggestion and approaching desperate. HELP!
Well, I've been at the therapeutic dose (30 ppm) for two weeks now. I'm not sure if things were too far gone, but my frogspawns are down to little or no visible live tissue, same with the open brain; my montipora has bleached almost completely except for a few remaining pencil-dots of color (which with my luck right now are probably red bugs vice polyps). And now my bubble coral, which had been unaffected, looks like it's dying as well.
Here are before and after pics of the bubble:18 Jan 09 -
last night (28 Feb) -
On top of all this my gorgonians seem unhappy and my anemone is looking really bad (shrunken, shriveled, foot not attached to anything) the last couple of days. I double-checked my params last night and there's no problem there I can see:
pH = 8.2
alk = 4.5 meq (12.6 dKH)
NO3 = PO4 = 0
calcium = 435
magnesium = 1450
I'm really getting discouraged. The only corals I have left that aren't dead or dying are my duncan and a blastomusa (I'm not counting my zoas, which I guess are fine). It's possible my favites is starting to come back, but what looks like some tissue return may just be the gelatinous clear bacterial slime that has accompanied my heavy VC dosing.
I wonder if what's left of several of these corals isn't just serving to keep a reservoir of the brown jelly pathogen in the water and spreading. If that's the case, perhaps it's best to just pull them out and boil them (the calcium skeleton could still be pretty). What's the best way to euthanize a coral - freezing?
I'm getting water ready for a larger (about 25%) water change, although I've been doing 5% about every third day for a couple of weeks now. I think I'm going to cut back the VC to about 10-15 ppm to see if the slime clears, since the 30 ppm was apparently unable (or too late) to save anything. Beyond that I'm more than open to suggestion and approaching desperate. HELP!
triggerfreak
New member
I second that.I don't think that dosing was the cause.Alot of people have been dosing with this stuff and just as high as you are for longer periods of time with out any problems.Did yo ustart out dosing small and work your way up the the 30 ppm?
LCDRDATA
New member
On the salinity, my bad. I just tested and I'm at 1.027, just a tick high as I've been maintaining at 1.026 since I set the tank up back in June. I ran carbon about three weeks ago, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to run it again.
On the VC dosing, I started ramping up fairly slow but when my open brain took a turn for the worse I moved up from about 10 ppm to 30 ppm at about 5 ppm/day increase, knowing I might get some bacterial bloom but willing to accept the risk to try and treat my corals.
Triggerfreak, just to be sure we're on the same wavelength, when you say, "I don't think that dosing was the cause," exactly what do you mean? The only thing I'm attributing the high VC dose as a "cause" of is the clear bacterial slime, which I've also seen awhile back when I was dosing sugar. For the other problems the VC was a treatment, which, sadly, it doesn't seem to have been as successful at as I had hoped.
On the VC dosing, I started ramping up fairly slow but when my open brain took a turn for the worse I moved up from about 10 ppm to 30 ppm at about 5 ppm/day increase, knowing I might get some bacterial bloom but willing to accept the risk to try and treat my corals.
Triggerfreak, just to be sure we're on the same wavelength, when you say, "I don't think that dosing was the cause," exactly what do you mean? The only thing I'm attributing the high VC dose as a "cause" of is the clear bacterial slime, which I've also seen awhile back when I was dosing sugar. For the other problems the VC was a treatment, which, sadly, it doesn't seem to have been as successful at as I had hoped.
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