guinness0514
New member
Yeah I don't have a QT tank yet. I have moved the infected colony up to a powerhead as someone suggested. I fragged a few of the polyps of the infected group just incase I lose that colony. Hopefully some will survive.
Treating with Vitamin C
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
redfishsc
New member
hey guys n gals,
This is a vitamin C and activated carbon question.
I read in this thread that the carbon will remove the sodium ascorbate (Iherb.com product).
I have been dosing for 4 days now and have noticed an immediate reaction by my green palys-- they are more open and green than I've ever seen them. Other zoas also seem to be perked up but it's too early to say for sure that it's the VC.
Anyhow, my tank is a mixed tank with an even number, roughly, of SPS, LPS, and softies--- it's loaded with frags. Needless to say, chemical warfare is a possible issue in this tank.
Since we assume VC is used up fairly quickly in the tank (or is oxidized or whatever), how about this for a VC dosing scheme while STILL running activated carbon (assuming the carbon is in it's own power filter attached to a timer).
1) First dose of VC when lights come on, 12 noon. Powerfilter turns off.
2) Powerfilter back on at 4 pm (suggest a better time/duration?).
3) Second dose of VC when lights turn off, 8pm. Powerfilter turns off.
4) Powerfilter ON at 12 midnight, runs until 12 the next day.
This way the VC would be used, yet the carbon still used also.
Do you think any residual VC would choke up the carbon?
This is a vitamin C and activated carbon question.
I read in this thread that the carbon will remove the sodium ascorbate (Iherb.com product).
I have been dosing for 4 days now and have noticed an immediate reaction by my green palys-- they are more open and green than I've ever seen them. Other zoas also seem to be perked up but it's too early to say for sure that it's the VC.
Anyhow, my tank is a mixed tank with an even number, roughly, of SPS, LPS, and softies--- it's loaded with frags. Needless to say, chemical warfare is a possible issue in this tank.
Since we assume VC is used up fairly quickly in the tank (or is oxidized or whatever), how about this for a VC dosing scheme while STILL running activated carbon (assuming the carbon is in it's own power filter attached to a timer).
1) First dose of VC when lights come on, 12 noon. Powerfilter turns off.
2) Powerfilter back on at 4 pm (suggest a better time/duration?).
3) Second dose of VC when lights turn off, 8pm. Powerfilter turns off.
4) Powerfilter ON at 12 midnight, runs until 12 the next day.
This way the VC would be used, yet the carbon still used also.
Do you think any residual VC would choke up the carbon?
Pufferpunk
New member
I still dose VC with Purigen but add the VC in the end of my fuge, after where the Purigen is placed. I think you should change the schedule to when the PH are on & can get the VC to all the corals in your tank. Also, after lights have been off for a good while. I probably have a different sleeping schedule than many but dose right before bed, around 1am & again after wakeup at 9am.
redfishsc
New member
Somewhere in the thread, it was from a google search that I found it. I'll try to see if I can find it.
AHA! Found it in time to edit this post. Here it is, from Pufferpunk, many pages ago.
Or click here to see the post in it's native environment.
Last edited:
Pufferpunk
New member
Yes, that assumption was made over a year ago but has since been recanted. VC is absorbed best when the lights are off but a morning & evening dose is fine. For maintance, I am only dosing at night.
guinness0514
New member
So I am now up to 1/4 TSP on the 29g tank and I would have to say that the zoa/paly frags do look good. The zoa colony with the zoa pox are not doing well and will prob lose all but a few. I have furan on order, but not sure how much of the colony will be left when I get the treatment in. Everything is doing well except for 2 different devils hands I have that seem to not be happy, I think they will be ok and I can't blame their unhappiness on the VC. The skimmate I am pulling from the skimmer is more foam than I used to get. I have a very small bio-load ATM. I am happy with the VC treatment at the moment. I couldn't say I have any hard evidence it is working, but The zoa frags I have seem to be very strong and all the polys are always open and seem very strong. I will continue the treatment and will post updates. I am almost starting week 2 of the treatment
guinness0514
New member
I came home and my devil hands are looking pretty bad. Not sure if this was due to the jump to 1/4 tsp I made yesterday, but I just checked my alk and it was low. I think I am going to stop to get my tank back in check. Everything else in the tank looks great! Not sure what the issue is but the devil hands are defintely not happy
Pufferpunk
New member
What was your alk when you started & now? Do you dose alk regularly?
guinness0514
New member
my alk was at 2.2 when I was dosing at 1/8 tsp. I wasn't dosing alk at all, but was doing 15% weekly water changes. I went to the 1/4 tsp and started noticing the devil hands going south...pH is 8.2 but alk is low...should I be using a reef builder or something with this?
Pufferpunk
New member
Just so I can identify (I go by kH), can you translate that level for me? And to be clear, you're using the I-herb product?
guinness0514
New member
Yeah maybe someone else can translate it on here, I am not sure how to either. I am using the iherb product
Pufferpunk
New member
BTW, the 1st thing I noticed was an improvement in my leathers. They got puffier & one put out polyps, when in all the years I had it, there were none. When Jeff stopped dosing, the 1sdt thing he noticed was his leathers declining (not dying, just not as "happy").
guinness0514
New member
Well that is strange, becuase I am having the exact opposite response. As mentioned before it probably doesn't have anything to do with the VC except maybe the change in dosing. When I was dosing the 1/8 tsp i showed no stress in the leathers, it was when I moved to the 1/4 tsp is when the issue started. I know that leathers have a "down" time they they go through and it normal, but the fact that they are both down and one is looking white is abnormal. This caused me to check the alk and i noticed it was low, which i have never had an issue with before. I dosed 1/16 tsp reef builder and retested 30 mins later and it was back up to normal range. I have also suspended the VC treatment to see what happens and I will let you know.
mesamech
New member
Well I ordered the VC from iherb yesterday and I am going to give VC dosing a try. Some of my zoas are closed up while others are looking great. I have a 135gal w/ 30gal sump, but I figure the LR displaces about 30 gal so I am going to dose for 135gal w/ 1/2 tsp. How often should I dose?
Jeff
Premium Member
It's been awhile since the instructions were posted so here you go:
Use this product:
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails.aspx?pid=10178&at=0
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 (down to 2-3 ppm works also). 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.
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.
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 or lower 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.
* 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. Puffy checks this thread 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!
Pufferpunk
New member
Thanks Jeff!
