Pufferpunk
New member
I'm going to refer this to Jeff, as I believe he has/is using both.
Treating with Vitamin C
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Jeff
Premium Member
Good question. VC and bio pellets are a carbon source and can present with an overdose of bacteria. I was using VC, a pellet reactor and Tropic Marin Bio-Actif Salt (also contains a carbon source). I had a bacteria bloom and then cyano/diatoms. I think I pushed it too far. Anyway. I stopped the reactor and things are almost back to normal. The good thing about the VC is that you can add only as much as needed and is easier to control that the other two forms of carbon dosing I was using.
Reefflections
New member
Thanks Jeff,
Thanks for your input here.That's what happen to me as for algae bloom.Hair algae,cyno ect.....The tank now is a mess.I look back on it now,when Bio bellets came into the scene.Where Warner Marine,said not to add any additives.And when Vit C was added I totally forgot about this.Until this huge bloom just appeared.And trying to figure out what DID I do to throw the system off.That's why I wanted to post this here.Now I got to clean this mess up.I like to continue the usage of Vit C.But I invested in these Bio Pellets.I guess I can't have my cake and eat it to??????
Thanks for your input here.That's what happen to me as for algae bloom.Hair algae,cyno ect.....The tank now is a mess.I look back on it now,when Bio bellets came into the scene.Where Warner Marine,said not to add any additives.And when Vit C was added I totally forgot about this.Until this huge bloom just appeared.And trying to figure out what DID I do to throw the system off.That's why I wanted to post this here.Now I got to clean this mess up.I like to continue the usage of Vit C.But I invested in these Bio Pellets.I guess I can't have my cake and eat it to??????
Pufferpunk
New member
Can you sell them to another reefer?
Reefflections
New member
Not local I'm the only one here,with this fairly new method.Already used them for 6 months.
Pufferpunk
New member
Will they go bad if you shelve them for a while?
Reefflections
New member
That's what I was thinking to do.Rinse/soak them in RODI water.Air dry and put in a container,maybe for another day?
cubsfan16
Member
Hello
I have been running VC (heaping 1/8ts 2X per day) for about a month now in my 90gal and have noticed some color improvements in my corals However, I have recently noticed a slimy algae beginning to grow in my sump and on my cheato (which is shrinking) though I knew this would happen. I have also noticed my water is cloudy and carbon does not seem to do anything for it...I assume this must be a bacteria bloom. Last night I decided to skip the VC dose and when the lights came on this morning my water was crystal clear. I am running a decent skimmer (Bubble Magus NA6) which has had a significant increase in skimmate. I also have BRS carbon and GFO reactors.
I should say this is a 5mo old tank 2 small o. clowns, one small blue tang and a banded goby and several frags Softies, LPS and couple SPS and before starting to dose VC my nitrates were at near 0 (less than 5ppm).
Is the cloudy water from overdosing? If I was at a low nutrient level before should I just wait until my load increases before resuming? Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
I have been running VC (heaping 1/8ts 2X per day) for about a month now in my 90gal and have noticed some color improvements in my corals However, I have recently noticed a slimy algae beginning to grow in my sump and on my cheato (which is shrinking) though I knew this would happen. I have also noticed my water is cloudy and carbon does not seem to do anything for it...I assume this must be a bacteria bloom. Last night I decided to skip the VC dose and when the lights came on this morning my water was crystal clear. I am running a decent skimmer (Bubble Magus NA6) which has had a significant increase in skimmate. I also have BRS carbon and GFO reactors.
I should say this is a 5mo old tank 2 small o. clowns, one small blue tang and a banded goby and several frags Softies, LPS and couple SPS and before starting to dose VC my nitrates were at near 0 (less than 5ppm).
Is the cloudy water from overdosing? If I was at a low nutrient level before should I just wait until my load increases before resuming? Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
Pufferpunk
New member
1/8 tsp shouldn't be causing clouding but cut back to 1x/day (at night) & see what happens.
cubsfan16
Member
Oops...I misspoke on the volume I was dosing :hmm3:. I was dosing 1/4tsp 2X....so twice as much as I mentioned in the previous post. I dosed 1/8tsp tonight and will see how that goes. Thanks for the help!
Pufferpunk
New member
Even so, I would think by a month, everything should have settled down. I dose 1 tsp in my 90g.
cubsfan16
Member
hmm..do you think it is because my tank is still fairly new? The only other thing I can think of that is out of whack is my Alk is currently sitting at 13 so I'm trying to let that come down on its own but I don't think that would contribute.
I dosed 1/8tsp last night and when I got home this afternoon water was still crystal clear. I'll go another day of 1/8tsp at night only then move to 1/8 2X per day. My only other question is, if my nutrients are low already is their any benefit of dosing any more than that until I add to my load? I have a melanurus wrasse in QT : )
I dosed 1/8tsp last night and when I got home this afternoon water was still crystal clear. I'll go another day of 1/8tsp at night only then move to 1/8 2X per day. My only other question is, if my nutrients are low already is their any benefit of dosing any more than that until I add to my load? I have a melanurus wrasse in QT : )
Pufferpunk
New member
Probably not.
This may have been covered earlier, but this is a huge thread, so sorry about re-asking. Has anyone successfully used the non-buffered vit c (ascorbic acid), without having negative effects on the alkalinity and ph, or is pretty much everyone using the buffered version? (I've got a 40 gal tank) Thanks
PJ
PJ
dublo8
New member
It has been covered. But I understand that this is a huge thread and probably difficult to read through. You want to use the buffered, as you don't know what the PH value of the un bufered is. What is the makeup of your vit c? How much vit c is actually in the product you speak of? I do highly suggest using the iherb product as I have been using it for almost a year now. I have searched the local GNC, hi health, walgreens etc. and have not found anything compatible to there product. many of the other products out there have rose hips, flavorings etc. added. obviously you don't want that stuff in your tank. Post your findings of the makeup of the product you are talking about and I'm sure jeff or puffer can help you.
Bertdog
New member
pufferpunk/jeff
pufferpunk/jeff
anxious and nervous i have been going back and forth. a few weeks ago i treated all my zoas for pox with furam-2 it clear up most of the with spot on them . but they haven't open up like the used to. i do believe that all that i have read about dosing VC is the way to go . i have a 90gal minus sand and LR i should be at 80gal or so . i run 2 wet dry eheims and 2 bac pac cpr. i see that Puffer you use 1 tsp twice a day . should i start with 1 or 1/2 tsp . I'm assuming that i can mix it with a cup of r/o and pour in front of power head.
i did purchase from i.herb.com VitC
Specific Gravity 1.026
temp 80.6
ph 8.2-8.3
alk 10 dkh
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 1.0 ppm
phosphate 0.30 ppm
calcium 400
magnesium 1275
i also haven't dose before other than a& b
thanks in advance
pufferpunk/jeff
anxious and nervous i have been going back and forth. a few weeks ago i treated all my zoas for pox with furam-2 it clear up most of the with spot on them . but they haven't open up like the used to. i do believe that all that i have read about dosing VC is the way to go . i have a 90gal minus sand and LR i should be at 80gal or so . i run 2 wet dry eheims and 2 bac pac cpr. i see that Puffer you use 1 tsp twice a day . should i start with 1 or 1/2 tsp . I'm assuming that i can mix it with a cup of r/o and pour in front of power head.
i did purchase from i.herb.com VitC
Specific Gravity 1.026
temp 80.6
ph 8.2-8.3
alk 10 dkh
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 1.0 ppm
phosphate 0.30 ppm
calcium 400
magnesium 1275
i also haven't dose before other than a& b
thanks in advance
A. Grandis
Active member
Once more I would like to remind us about the trouble I've got with the vitamin C dosing (Brightwell Aquatics brand).
Hair algae! Very hard to eradicate. I still have them in some parts of the tank (3 spots), after 4-5 months of fight. Never had trouble before! I stopped using the vC after the second dose, so I can't tell if there was anything positive for the zoas or other inverts. Nothing else was changed, so I know for sure was the vC. After stopping the vC it took a while to see any positive changes. Slow coming back to normal...
Every tank is different, of course, but if vC does that to some, we all take the risk.
Watch out for that!
Grandis.
Hair algae! Very hard to eradicate. I still have them in some parts of the tank (3 spots), after 4-5 months of fight. Never had trouble before! I stopped using the vC after the second dose, so I can't tell if there was anything positive for the zoas or other inverts. Nothing else was changed, so I know for sure was the vC. After stopping the vC it took a while to see any positive changes. Slow coming back to normal...
Every tank is different, of course, but if vC does that to some, we all take the risk.
Watch out for that!
Grandis.
Hi Pufferpunk, Jeff, and everyone else,
I'm about to try Vitamin C dosing for the first time using the iHerb product and have a couple questions. But first in response to Grandis' post above, I can't imagine that hair algae popping up after only 2 doses (2 days) of Vitamin C had much, if anything, to do with the VC... Also, this thread is primarily about using the iHerb product and the Brightwell product isn't recommended (though I use and like some of their other products).
Anyway, I'm trying Vitamin C because the only problems I have in my tank are melting zoanthids (has happened off and on since I got the tank over a year and a half ago) and somewhat drab colors on a few corals. I don't want to dose a lot though, so I'll focus on the color goal (low dose) and hope over time my zoanthids condition improves. So my questions:
1. I only plan to dose once a day which I realize wouldn't be ideal - would you foresee any issues with doing twice the dose, once a day (10 ppm)? I'm cautious though, so I'll slowly work up to this dose.
2. Anyone tried an automatic feeder for dosing VC? Seems like that could work and easier than manually dosing it every day (let the feeder drop it into the tank on schedule - multiple times a day even)...
3. If I do the 30 ppm dose to try to improve my zoanthids health, how long should I need to remain at that dose before dropping down to the 5 ppm dose?
4. Has anyone tried dosing VC (or any other carbon dosing) on a tank without a skimmer? Bad idea? If I understand carbon dosing correctly, carbon yields bacteria growth which remove the NO3 and PO4 but need to be removed themselves by skimming? My second tank is a little 8 gallon in my office. I may not mess with it anyway on this tank, but just curious...
Thanks,
--Kyle
I'm about to try Vitamin C dosing for the first time using the iHerb product and have a couple questions. But first in response to Grandis' post above, I can't imagine that hair algae popping up after only 2 doses (2 days) of Vitamin C had much, if anything, to do with the VC... Also, this thread is primarily about using the iHerb product and the Brightwell product isn't recommended (though I use and like some of their other products).
Anyway, I'm trying Vitamin C because the only problems I have in my tank are melting zoanthids (has happened off and on since I got the tank over a year and a half ago) and somewhat drab colors on a few corals. I don't want to dose a lot though, so I'll focus on the color goal (low dose) and hope over time my zoanthids condition improves. So my questions:
1. I only plan to dose once a day which I realize wouldn't be ideal - would you foresee any issues with doing twice the dose, once a day (10 ppm)? I'm cautious though, so I'll slowly work up to this dose.
2. Anyone tried an automatic feeder for dosing VC? Seems like that could work and easier than manually dosing it every day (let the feeder drop it into the tank on schedule - multiple times a day even)...
3. If I do the 30 ppm dose to try to improve my zoanthids health, how long should I need to remain at that dose before dropping down to the 5 ppm dose?
4. Has anyone tried dosing VC (or any other carbon dosing) on a tank without a skimmer? Bad idea? If I understand carbon dosing correctly, carbon yields bacteria growth which remove the NO3 and PO4 but need to be removed themselves by skimming? My second tank is a little 8 gallon in my office. I may not mess with it anyway on this tank, but just curious...
Thanks,
--Kyle
