vitamin c dosing

[dublo8]

I looked for my old log book but I have no idea where it is. I still have a bunch of unpacked boxes in storage. If I remember correctly I was somewhere around 80ml into my top off vessel which was a 5 gallon water jug. It lasted about 3 possibly 4 days depending on evap rate. I could be totally off though. However, I am positive I was using 30ml to saturate the lime water.

Here is the original VC thread just in case anybody wants a heck of a long read (but a good one). There are many examples of success and failures. Most failures IMO were ramping up the dose too fast or not testing when doing so. Just as with most carbon dosing, most of these folks were attempting to lower nitrates/po4. Some, such as myself found a nice little side benefit of increased clarity and coloration and kept up with a reduced maintenance dose. I however, never really had a nitrate or p04 problem. It was a brief issue but subsided quickly, so I stopped dosing but noticed colors start to fade out slightly and the water became less sparkly(scientific term), so I started back up and just kept a light dose going.

Also, in that thread there is a link for the proper VC to be using. I believe there is also a $5 coupon code in that thread too.

 

[marke]

Thanks for the link awesome. Cost me 3 hours. I see Ascorbic acid is not the way to go due to ph issues, but rather sodium ascorbate as it is buffered. It was suggested to add the powder directly to the sump 2 times/day. Awesome is that how you added it? I am still wondering if it is possible to add to vinager for dosing? I know its not good to add to water, but is vinager different? Will it change its chemical characteristics or lose potency? How can I add some to vinager and test it a couple days latter to see if it still as strong as when added? Or dont bark up this tree and just do 2x/day manually. Randy I saw you commented various times in the vc thread, so your familiar with it, why are these people having success? Especially with zoe's and palys as well as nitrate reduction? They even posted various studies, but I am not a scientist so it get confusing. Help enlighten me and others. Thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The nitrate reduction comes from simple organic carbon driving bacteria.

I'm not sure why folks see other effects, or if they are reproducibly real and different from other organic carbon sources or not.

Just like vinegar, I do not think one needs to dose the buffered vitamin C. I think folks are overly worried about it. If it seemed to depress pH or alkalinity, you can always add a bit more buffer.

 

[dublo8]

Marke as far as adding the VC to anything, I wouldn't. I don't know what it would do but you don't have the means to test if it's still a usable solution or not. I'm not the chemist here. I added it twice daily per the instructions in that thread but I would often forget my morning dose. I saw no ill effects by missing any. I snagged one of my wifes plastic measuring spoons and just tossed it in my filter sock. I don't see any reason why you couldn't dose both vinegar and VC. I just wouldn't mix them in the same vessel.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Vitamin C can slowly oxidize in solution.

 

[dublo8]

Thx randy. This is why it was advised to dose twice daily. Preferably at night and in the morning to avoid PH fluctuations.

 

[Alexis58]

Thank you in advance for the insight!!

 

[rogerwilco357]

Randy how much vinegar do you dose daily? tried to pm you but wouldn't allow the pm?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy how much vinegar do you dose daily? tried to pm you but wouldn't allow the pm?

I don't generally do PM's because there are too many to get to.

I dose about 90 mL vinegar per day to my 120 display (~250 gallons total). I add it slowly with a dosing pump spread through the daytime hours, just upstream of two large rock filled refugia.

 

[snorvich]

That's what we want right. Assimilation with phos and nitrogen so we can pull those out. We want the bacteria to eat the carbon source. So Of course vitamin c will be metabolized.

By the bacteria, of course. I thought he was talking about corals.