Treating with Vitamin C

No, just pour it right into the tank, preferably in the sump return. You'll notice it almost completely dissolves immediately.
 
I wouldn't put it in the tank directly, without dissolving in RO water 1st. If you use a HOB skimmer, put the powder under your skimmer cup.
 
Has anyone tried to dose in a freshwater tank? I have a friend with a sick parrotfish that he has been trying to save for a couple months.
 
you are supposed to refridgerate after opening correct? Would it be ok to freeze instead? It would be easier since all the food is in the feezer anyway and there is a deep freexe in my fishroom.
 
I have been reading about Vit C for a long time and I finally within the past 2 weeks purchased the vit c powder from the website provided. I started dosing about a week and a half ago at about 1/4 teaspoon on my 90 gallon and have not done anything new to the system. Before the dosing my trates were hitting 20ppm even with WC's and I was thinking maybe someone else was feeding the tank when I wasn't around in the household haha. Anyways I just tested the water and the trates went to around 5ppm on an API test. I have not really seen any improvement with corals but I suspect its because I have not upped the dosage. I am mainly doing it for water quality and it really appears to be working. Thanks pufferpunk and everyone else who kept this thread alive and spread their knowledge.
 
After a week, bump it up to 1/2 tsp & see if anything looks different. Of course, this isn't an overnight thing. Very subtle at 1st & then one day, you'll go wow, I didn't know my tank was so colorful!
 
After a week, bump it up to 1/2 tsp & see if anything looks different. Of course, this isn't an overnight thing. Very subtle at 1st & then one day, you'll go wow, I didn't know my tank was so colorful!

I will give it a try tomorrow actually and post on any difference.
 
I have two small colonies that aren't opening as nicely as the others, everything in my tank is my baby, and I am an impulsive caregiver.

Sooooo... I just chuck a pill in there. Wish me luck!
 
Last edited:
That may work for a short time but eventually, adding non-buffered product will drop your alk & pH greatly. You are also adding extra fillers that hold this pill together, that you don't want in your system. If they are your babies, then I highly suggest doing this correctly. Please read the instructions I have offered, carefully:
Dosing Vitamin C Chart

Use this product:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=-7152293197697039798
$5 0ff coupon code: LUL789 (always good for first purchase).
Keep refrigerated.

To figure out how much to use, decide if you want to simply improve coral growth, spread, and color. If so, then you should dose around 5 ppm twice daily. If you are having problems with coral or fish health, dose up to around 30 ppm twice daily.

Calculate the total net number of gallons in your tank (minus rocks, sand, etc). Enter that number here ______.

You will now need to do a little math. The amounts below are for 100 gallons of water so if you have 50 net gallons, cut the amounts shown below in half etc. No need to be exact--I usually round to the nearest 1/4 tsp.

Dosing amounts using Iherb product:
1/4 tsp=1112 mg.

For every 100 gallons:

5 ppm ----- 1892 mg VC
10 ppm ---- 3785 mg VC
15 ppm ---- 5677 mg VC
20 ppm ---- 7570 mg VC
25 ppm ---- 9462 mg VC
30 ppm ---- 11355 mg VC

After you have figured out how much you want to dose at each dosing, enter that number here _____. This is your dose to be used twice a day. Try for at least one dose being done during lights out, as VC absorbs better in the dark.


Notes:
*Be sure your pH and alk are within normal reef limits before starting. Adjust if needed. Monitor weekly.
*Shoot for a ppm of around 5 if only dosing for improved coral growth, coloration, and spread. Shoot for higher amounts up to 30 ppm if you are having melting zoas or closed zoas and look for the causes of your problems as you dose. Check for high nitrates, pests, zoa pox, predators, and unstable water conditions.
*Dose low amounts and increase the amount slowly over the course of a few days to a couple weeks.
*Do NOT dose at high levels (>10ppm), if you don’t have a skimmer! Especially on a nano tank.
* If you notice an algae bloom or increased skim on your glass then cut back by half until it disappears.
* Watch your skimmer, it will start to skim more.
* Dose the amount twice a day in a fast moving area of your sump or overflow. You may dilute the vitamin c in ro/di water for a minute then pour into my overflow. If adding to sump, try and add the vitamin c after filtration such as skimmers and reactors.
* If you have a question, ask here. I check VC threads daily.
* The instructions in this guide and throughout this thread are based on using pure Sodium Ascorbate, not vitamin c pills and other non-buffered forms of vitamin c.

Be sure to take some "before" pics!
 
That may work for a short time but eventually, adding non-buffered product will drop your alk & pH greatly. You are also adding extra fillers that hold this pill together, that you don't want in your system. If they are your babies, then I highly suggest doing this correctly. Please read the instructions I have offered, carefully:

Dosing Vitamin C Chart

Use this product:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?c=1&pid=-7152293197697039798
$5 0ff coupon code: LUL789 (always good for first purchase).
Keep refrigerated.

To figure out how much to use, decide if you want to simply improve coral growth, spread, and color. If so, then you should dose around 5 ppm twice daily. If you are having problems with coral or fish health, dose up to around 30 ppm twice daily.

Calculate the total net number of gallons in your tank (minus rocks, sand, etc). Enter that number here ______.

You will now need to do a little math. The amounts below are for 100 gallons of water so if you have 50 net gallons, cut the amounts shown below in half etc. No need to be exact--I usually round to the nearest 1/4 tsp.

Dosing amounts using Iherb product:
1/4 tsp=1112 mg.

For every 100 gallons:

5 ppm ----- 1892 mg VC
10 ppm ---- 3785 mg VC
15 ppm ---- 5677 mg VC
20 ppm ---- 7570 mg VC
25 ppm ---- 9462 mg VC
30 ppm ---- 11355 mg VC

After you have figured out how much you want to dose at each dosing, enter that number here _____. This is your dose to be used twice a day. Try for at least one dose being done during lights out, as VC absorbs better in the dark.


Notes:
*Be sure your pH and alk are within normal reef limits before starting. Adjust if needed. Monitor weekly.
*Shoot for a ppm of around 5 if only dosing for improved coral growth, coloration, and spread. Shoot for higher amounts up to 30 ppm if you are having melting zoas or closed zoas and look for the causes of your problems as you dose. Check for high nitrates, pests, zoa pox, predators, and unstable water conditions.
*Dose low amounts and increase the amount slowly over the course of a few days to a couple weeks.
*Do NOT dose at high levels (>10ppm), if you don't have a skimmer! Especially on a nano tank.
* If you notice an algae bloom or increased skim on your glass then cut back by half until it disappears.
* Watch your skimmer, it will start to skim more.
* Dose the amount twice a day in a fast moving area of your sump or overflow. You may dilute the vitamin c in ro/di water for a minute then pour into my overflow. If adding to sump, try and add the vitamin c after filtration such as skimmers and reactors.
* If you have a question, ask here. I check VC threads daily.
* The instructions in this guide and throughout this thread are based on using pure Sodium Ascorbate, not vitamin c pills and other non-buffered forms of vitamin c.

Be sure to take some "before" pics!
 
How's your skimmer?

Its an octopus HOB. Since the addition of the Vit C it has been going into overtime pulling all kinds of organics and nastiness from the water. I have noticed a stronger smell too. I have changed the cup almost every other day for a week since it fills so fast. I am running it as wet as possible.
 
Puffer, VC is apparently really good for toadstools , mine had been dormant for awhile, long enough for me to start worrying, i ran across this thread again the other day and thought I'd give it a try again, literally the very next day both toadies were putting polyps back out. I had used VC before but quite when i started vodka, i believe I'll try both for awhile at a smaller dose. Made a believer out of me.
 
I am interested in running VC on my 20 gallon reef. I do not have a skimmer, but from what I have read, it sounds like I would be able to safely dose between 5-10ppm. I have ordered the Kent Marine C, but will move onto iherb's version once that bottle is empty. Thanks for any help!
 
Yep, it does amazing things for my leathers & also my chalices!

I'd be careful dosing without a skimmer--keep up on water changes.
 
WOW! Really nice thread. Honestly I haven't even begun to scratch the surface of reading it but from what I have gathered Vitamin C dosing is the way to go.

I have a mixed reef with mainly SPS and zoo's/palys. Couple of LPS and a couple of softies.

So for my questions.

Will dosing vitamin C out compete macro algaes for nutrients?

Do we know if it provides the same type of bacteria which the corals can consume from say the bio pellets method?

Anything to watch out for with a mixed reef with macro's while dosing vitamin C?

I run a continuous water change system. I have a litermeter which changes out 1.5gpd throughout the day, will dosing vitamin C be ok with this type of water change system in place?

Sorry if these questions have been answered, this is a monster of a thread!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top