Treating with Vitamin C

[Pufferpunk]

madadi, I don't know why you are having such large pH shifts, since I have had none & am dosing 2x more than you. Only thing I can think of is I dose alk daily. I keep mine at around 8.5-9.

[bohannbj]

Does a body good.

[Pufferpunk]

Does a zoabody good!

[madadi]

i raised my calcium to 480 over the past week so i think that might have contributed to the low alk also.

i have this medial dosing pump that i can dial in from 1ml to 300ml per hour. im going to dissolve 4 pills in 240ml and drip that into the tank at 10ml/hr which comes out to a 24hr drip period. i think thats about 2-3 drops per minute so its very very low flow. it might help to maintain a more constant set of water parameters which is crucial for sps corals especially. my fish seem to be responding positively to the vitamin C also. i added the pills directly to the sump yesterday and my skimmer went nuts. i never seen it do that before. a very very slow vitamin C drip might be ideal. according to what i have been reading, for the ascorbic acid to remain potent in solution longest it shouldn't have much oxygen to react with. Good RO water low in oxygen is best if you want to dissolve it in a separate container and drip it slowly into the tank. im going to start the drip in the morning.

[customanimalart]

Here is a post I did and someone recommended this thread....

Any thoughts? How does this Vit C affect softies. I have mushrooms, toadstool leather and star polyps (pink and green)


My other post...................
I have a reef that is 1 yr old and I am a zoanthid collector. I have many frags throughout my tank and some I still have been trying to find the best place (home) for them.

But there is something VERY strange happening here... Most of the zoanthids that I place on the right side, or that have been living there for a while, are whithering away. They close and shrink up away. Some then detach from their rock. I have some really pretty pink large palys that when extended are beautiful and were multiplying like wildfire. From 3 palys to ten in a matter of weeks. Now they are withering away. I only have 2 left and they are not very healthy looking.

Any zoanthids that are on the left side of my tank are doing just fine.

I have egg crate on the top of my tanks to keep the fish in, but I get alot of salt spray on the bottom of the light fixture (Nova extreme t-5's) on the right side due to splashing from my skimmer and a koralia pump. Today I scraped a bunch of salt off the acrylic of the light fixture.

Could this be the culprit? I just can't figure out how zoas only on the right side do crappy. Obviously not a water param issue or they would all be looking crappy, right? I just spent 100.00 on zoa frags 2 months ago and certainly don't want to lose them all.

1.025-1.026, 80-81*, Ph 7.9-8.1 (continuous monitoring probe)

I haven't checked calcium or alk lately. My corraline is growing out of control so I guess ca+ is okay.

I also am having an issue with aptasia and my aptasia killing liquid is not working. I need to get some peppermint shrimp and hopefully get these suckers under control.
They also seem to appear (they just pop-up) near my zoanthids

Could they be doing this?
end......................................

Help???

[mnestroy]

So its been a little over a month since we started this thread, I was wondering the results people are seeing?

I personaly only had 1 zoo colony (8heads) that was even close to being saved.

I've had mixed results, some days it looks good, others it looks bad. I've been meaning to buy a new colony and see how well it survives, I just haven't found one at a local shop for for a reasonable price.

[madadi]

customanimalart
if i understood right, you have the salt creep on the right side, same side the zoa are doing bad on and you just scared the salt creep. i hope your not letting that fall in the tank. does salt chips that fall in the tank can really burn the corals if it falls on them. mentioning it just in case.

[customanimalart]

Originally posted by madadi
customanimalart
if i understood right, you have the salt creep on the right side, same side the zoa are doing bad on and you just scared the salt creep. i hope your not letting that fall in the tank. does salt chips that fall in the tank can really burn the corals if it falls on them. mentioning it just in case.

Ooooh! Thanks for that piece of information. It does fall back in. So I will try my best not to jiggle the egg crate too much when feeding or fixing things in the tnak. I normally just let the little pieces of salt fall back in. Oooops!

If I didn't have any fish, I would just take the egg crate off. I just found a chalk basslet dried to a crisp behind my tank yesterday. He got out, not sure when because he was alive and well and swiming the day before. I can't find the place he jumped out of, may "through" the crate square??? My basslets are still small and not full grown yet.

but anyways, thankx for that tip

[rsteagall]

So... it seems every thread I read about a zoa problem has someone in there saying "check out the the Vitamin C" thread.

Has this Vitamin C stuff become gospel?

[Pufferpunk]

It has in MY tank! I swear everything looks fantastic! My leathers, GSP, SPS, brains mushrooms, chalices, clams, LPS & of course zoas, are bigger, growing faster & healthiere than ever. I was used to dreading getting new zoa/paly frags, because so many of them would shrivel up & disappear. Not anymore!

[customanimalart]

I have to try this. I read the doseage on what Theil recommended and of course that was confusing. What do you recommend I do for dosing my 55g w/4g refugium?

What brand of vit c and how/day. I do not have a very strong flow to put the tablets in so they will have to go in the refugium below the intake tube. Will this be okay? I am going to the store tomorrow, so tell me tonight which ones to get, if possible. thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[madadi]

most people have been using regular 500mg/1000mg tablets from the drugstore. the GNC brand of vitamin C powder seems to be more pure.

keep an eye on your alkalinity and pH because they seem to drop a bit because vitamin C is ascorbic acid. people been adding a bit of baking soda to the tank at the same time with the vitamin C and its worked for them to keep the pH stable.

i would start adding the vitamin C slowly to the tank. im not the expert, Jeni is 250/500mg morning and night and work your way up to 2000mg every morning and night is ideal. if im wrong someone correct me. so your total per day should be 4000mg split in two doses. good luck and let us know how it worked out for you.

[Pufferpunk]

That is the dosage for my 100g system. I'd cut it in 1/2 for a 55g. Why such a small fuge? Generally it is recomended to have it 1/3-1/2 the size of your tank, to be worth anything...

LOL, I'm no expert--just tired of losing zoas I can't take out & dip, who takes a lot of vitamins & suppliments herself.

[customanimalart]

My fuge is a HOB (cpr aquafuge -large size-guessing on gallonage, may be more) I couldn't do under the tank type as my tank stand has small doors, divided in half so max would be a 10gallon fuge, put in below the tank from behind and my planning prevented that. (Information that I have stored in the back of my brain =D) , but wouldn't be able to see or reach anything.
FYI---don't buy the walmart 55g stand. This is what I have and I hate it!

Ditto. I have some zoas that I have mounted and cannot move then as they have spread to adjacent rocks and some, there is just no more room on my tank floor for any more frags that I can just pop off my rockwork.
It seems that if I have less than 3 polyps on any type of zoa, I can consider them gonners in a matter of a couple weks. It is a mystery! Like they never take hold.

I will get generic 500mg and start there. I have a continuous Ph monitor, so that will tell me if anything is wrong and I will also do an alk/ca check before I dose. I will pit the tablet in the small partition wheere water exits the funge into the tank. That is where most of the flow is.
Thanks. I will also try to get some before pics, especially of those that have withered to just a couple of polyps, to those that just look sick. Mainly my large pink palys with long white skirts when fully extended. Right now, they aren't looking that way.

[customanimalart]

sorry about the spelling above---it is too early in the am for me =D Yawn!

[FragMan07]

So, I'm in week 3 of Using Vitamin C in my 29 Gallon and my current dosage is 1500 mg in the morning and 1500 mg at night.

The Zooanthids are are opening up and looking amazing.

Quick question though, the link says to NOT RUN CARBON.

I was thinking of putting some carbon in my tank for 2-3 days to clean out the water via pantyhose filter.

Should I stop using Vitamin C during this time? Will it hurt my tank or just counter the effect of Vitamin C. I dont NEED to run carbon, but I like to do it every now and again just to polish the water.

Any responses would be welcomed

[b16drag]

I believe the thought is that carbon will "suck" it out the water column making it unavailable to the corals.

[Pufferpunk]

I couldn't do under the tank type as my tank stand has small doors, divided in half so max would be a 10gallon fuge, put in below the tank from behind and my planning prevented that.

I'd look into how easily that center panel of your doors can be removed. You can then slip in a bigger fuge down there.

The Zooanthids are are opening up and looking amazing.

I'm glad to hear more positive feedback!

I stopped using Purigen for a couple of weeks but I have a big mix of corals, from SPS/LPS to leathers & don't want to never use it again. So I add the C to my sump AFTER the water gets filtered thru the Purigen. I'm hoping most of the C will be absorbed by the corals before it gets into the overflow & back thru the Purigen. You certainly can continue using the carbon but don't expect as much of the C to get to your tank.

The Zooanthids are are opening up and looking amazing.

[geoxman]

back on page 5
http://www.kentmarine.com/saltwater/...s/marine-c.htm

A portion may be removed according to Kent if using carbon. good luck

[Pufferpunk]

I forgot to ask you why you don't like Purigen?

[geoxman]

check PM

[customanimalart]

Originally posted by Pufferpunk
I'd look into how easily that center panel of your doors can be removed. You can then slip in a bigger fuge down there.


I'm glad to hear more positive feedback!

I stopped using Purigen for a couple of weeks but I have a big mix of corals, from SPS/LPS to leathers & don't want to never use it again. So I add the C to my sump AFTER the water gets filtered thru the Purigen. I'm hoping most of the C will be absorbed by the corals before it gets into the overflow & back thru the Purigen. You certainly can continue using the carbon but don't expect as much of the C to get to your tank.

Ugh! Not sure on that one as it has only a right and left door with the enter being the support/separation of the two sides. I don't think it is doable IMO! Maybe i will post a picture of it

the space for the doors is only 12" x18" (my 10g is 10x20) and there is a center divider inside the stand dividing the r/l sides that can't come down. I believe I am screwed on gettinga 10g in there. Although..... there is 21-22" of space to possibly slide it in and all the way back, then turn it. Hmmmm. Maybe a chore lies ahead soon. Gotta figure out overflow and all that crap (no floods wanted). Me nor my husband has a clue how that DIY stuff works. That's a whole other topic!

[dileggi]

I am now tagging along as well! I have a 29 and have had some issues with my zoos closing, albeit my fault for accidentally burning them! LOL!

I started my vit c today, approx 125mg 2x's per day. If this isn't correct, can someone please let me know if I should change that doseage?!

Thanks in advance I will keep posting my results as well.

[Pufferpunk]

That's a good start. Keep in mind, my 90g system is about 3x the volume of yours (although I have a TON of rock, a 20g fuge & 20g sump, about 1/3 full, so I guess a very rough estimate of 90-100g of water...) & I'm dosing 2000mg, 2x/day. So you'll want to work your way up to around 500-600mg 2x/day.

[dileggi]

Originally posted by Pufferpunk
That's a good start. Keep in mind, my 90g system is about 3x the volume of yours (although I have a TON of rock, a 20g fuge & 20g sump, about 1/3 full, so I guess a very rough estimate of 90-100g of water...) & I'm dosing 2000mg, 2x/day. So you'll want to work your way up to around 500-600mg 2x/day.

Thanks pufferpunk. I'll keep with the 125 2x's per day for a week or so and increase slowly.