Treating with Vitamin C
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Pufferpunk
New member
Yes, he was. An oldy but a goody & the only one of it's kind, until we decide to write one. 
Jeff
Premium Member
Yes, he was. An oldy but a goody & the only one of it's kind, until we decide to write one.
I know, I know... This winter...
Jeff
Premium Member
Jeff, why would VC drop alk?
RedFish, it's the same concept. However, it may also be healthy for softies. Using small amounts, I noticed an increase in zoanthid growth and my softies take off in growth. I added it to the tank by placing it in my prepared foods for the fish.
RedFish, it's the same concept. However, it may also be healthy for softies. Using small amounts, I noticed an increase in zoanthid growth and my softies take off in growth. I added it to the tank by placing it in my prepared foods for the fish.
Jeff
Premium Member
Well, it really doesnt anymore. Back when we were using vitamin c pills from the drugstore, they had a tendency to drop alk and ph slightly in a few tanks since they were not buffered. Every so often someone writes in that their alk was affected slightly but I think it could be attributed to not dosing properly.
The only thing I have seen VC drop in the last couple years in my reef were nitrates and phosphates
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ludnix
New member
Based on what Jeff just wrote it sounds like you're right. If we get around to writing a full article on this I think we'll have to do some testing to see exactly how it affects our tank water.
redfishsc
New member
This it can definitely do for tanks that don't have much encrustacean of corraline or SPS growth.
I am dosing 1/8 tsp 2 to 3 times per day in a 45g system.
My alk is now at 13dKH and I add no alk or kalkwassar to my tank. My SPS "biomass" is light right now, and at this point don't have a lot of corraline algae growth either.
It started out at 10 dkH, two weeks ago, and after the dosing, now it's at 13.
I am going to reduce the VC dosing back to 1/8th per day and watch the alk. I'll simply restart my dosing of sugar (glucose powder) since it adds no alk.
Hopefully once the corraline growth takes off I'll have enough alk consumption to dose more VC. My tank responds very nicely to it.
EDIT:
Would there be any way of neutralizing the buffer in this stuff? What if I mixed the 1/8 tsp with 2-3 ml of vinegar? Would the vinegar affect the VC or just the buffer?
Jeff
Premium Member
I wish I had an answer for you. This never happened to me after 2 years of dosing it.
Pufferpunk
New member
Same as Jeff states, I still dose 100ml alk to my 100g system nightly. I also started dosing 2 years ago into a very well established tank.
SIR PATRICK
New member
Figured I would check in. Have been thinking for a while that VC was possibly a carbon source, and wanted to ask to find out. It struck me that VC dosing was very similar to carbon dosing. (good skimmer, potential for cyno, almost imediate clear water, low no3 and po4 ect..)
Clicked on the last page, and there is the answer.
I am looking into carbon/bacteria dosing. Have been thinking about using the VC instead of vodka/vinagar.
Couple questions-
Since dosing VC is dosing a carbon source, should higher alk be avoided for those that have sps in their tanks?
Pretty sure I have read some bad experiances from those who have stonies in their tanks. Am I seeing a conection? Possible solution for those that had negative results?
Has bacteria additions ever been tried along with VC dosing?
VC is starting to make alot more sence to me after looking into carbon dosing. Sounds like they are possibly directly conected. Am I way off base here or on the right track?
Sorry if this has all been covered, but I havnt checked this thread out in a while....
Good to see you still working hard on this pufferpunk!
Clicked on the last page, and there is the answer.
I am looking into carbon/bacteria dosing. Have been thinking about using the VC instead of vodka/vinagar.
Couple questions-
Since dosing VC is dosing a carbon source, should higher alk be avoided for those that have sps in their tanks?
Pretty sure I have read some bad experiances from those who have stonies in their tanks. Am I seeing a conection? Possible solution for those that had negative results?
Has bacteria additions ever been tried along with VC dosing?
VC is starting to make alot more sence to me after looking into carbon dosing. Sounds like they are possibly directly conected. Am I way off base here or on the right track?
Sorry if this has all been covered, but I havnt checked this thread out in a while....
Good to see you still working hard on this pufferpunk!
SIR PATRICK
New member
If I am on the right track, dosing somthing like MB7 (or another source of bacteria) might be a key for those experiancing cyno blooms from VC dosing. The added bacteria out competes cyno in most cases.
Jeff
Premium Member
VC will outcompete the cyano for nutients itself if dosed long enough. A lot of people get a cyano bloom after starting vc but it will go away rather quickly if you stick with the recommended dosing schedule. The same thing happens when starting sugar, vodka, MB7 etc in a lot of cases. Cyano is bacteria and vc is feeding bacteria. Patience will prevail.
SIR PATRICK
New member
Gonna check in later.
Last edited:
Sirpatrick, I can give you my perspective on VC dosing. Personally, and this is my opinion, I think it is a good additive to the reef aquarium. However, with almost any additive there seems to be a quagmire of information out there on how to dose properly. Small additions seemed to drastically help out ailing zoanthid colonies. Not all, but the effects on certain colonies was astonishing. Also, LPS and softies grew faster and seemed fuller (though not really a scientific term). As for the sps, the quantity of VC that is recommended is surreal in this thread. Though not always problematic, the amounts suggested could lead to a complete meltdown within a reef at this initial additions. If you pursue this as a carbon source, I would highly recommend titrating to effect. I'm unsure of what expectations you hold but I would recommend working from 0.1ppm upward in 0.1ppm increments. It of course will take longer but minimizing excess VC should be encouraged. Best of luck with your dosing strategy! :thumbsup:
