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Vitamin C - Anyone tried dosing this yet?
- Thread starter blange3
- Start date
momof6kids
NJRC Member
Bill,
I started mega-dosing with Vitamin C just about the same time that I removed all those nuisance pink tulip anemones. While some of my corals really seemed to love it. For ex. my one lone colony of zoos that had been closed tightly for months, opened up. Also, I had bought a torch that was totally brown at Something Fishy, it has since colored up and has gotten much larger. My hammers and frogspawn are doing nicely also. My rics have colored up nicely.
On the other hand, my leathers (other than my cabbage leather) have shrunken up and haven't really expanded in a month. I am not sure if it was the Vitamin C or the removal of the anemones. I have decided to give it a break and after a few weeks of water changes, I will try it again to see whether it helps all of my coral.
I started mega-dosing with Vitamin C just about the same time that I removed all those nuisance pink tulip anemones. While some of my corals really seemed to love it. For ex. my one lone colony of zoos that had been closed tightly for months, opened up. Also, I had bought a torch that was totally brown at Something Fishy, it has since colored up and has gotten much larger. My hammers and frogspawn are doing nicely also. My rics have colored up nicely.
On the other hand, my leathers (other than my cabbage leather) have shrunken up and haven't really expanded in a month. I am not sure if it was the Vitamin C or the removal of the anemones. I have decided to give it a break and after a few weeks of water changes, I will try it again to see whether it helps all of my coral.
momof6kids
NJRC Member
I ordered the pure, buffered form of VC, sodium Ascorbate (Calcium or magnesium ascorbate is fine ot use too), from www.i-herb.com. If you put in my code, you will receive a $5 off coupon, if you are a new customer. I started my using 1/3 tsp, twice a day and gradually increased that to about 1/2 of a tsp twice a day.
Sodium ascorbate at www.i-herb.com
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails....93197697039798
$5 off coupon: MOM909
Great article, except the dosing is off: http://www.livingreefs.com/forums/sa...vitamin-c.html
The formula is towards the end of the article in the link but it's off:
[desired ppm] x [system gallonage] x 3.785 = mg Vitamin C
So 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
Here is a very scientific explaination of dosing:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=1
And another thread where folks are posting their data:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ight=vitamin+c
Sodium ascorbate at www.i-herb.com
http://www.iherb.com/ProductDetails....93197697039798
$5 off coupon: MOM909
Great article, except the dosing is off: http://www.livingreefs.com/forums/sa...vitamin-c.html
The formula is towards the end of the article in the link but it's off:
[desired ppm] x [system gallonage] x 3.785 = mg Vitamin C
So 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
Here is a very scientific explaination of dosing:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=1
And another thread where folks are posting their data:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...ight=vitamin+c
Thanks for the info Erna.
I'm surprised about the leathers. Based on the discussions on RC I would expect them and the zoas to be the first to respond.
Most of my zoas in my softie tank are less than spectacular. Those in the LPS tank are doing great. The ones with the softies may be victims of chemical warfare and I haven't been on top of my water changes and carbon changes lately. I'm working on that.
I might give this a try on one of the tanks and see what happens.
Anyone else out there dosing Vitamin C??
I'm surprised about the leathers. Based on the discussions on RC I would expect them and the zoas to be the first to respond.
Most of my zoas in my softie tank are less than spectacular. Those in the LPS tank are doing great. The ones with the softies may be victims of chemical warfare and I haven't been on top of my water changes and carbon changes lately. I'm working on that.
I might give this a try on one of the tanks and see what happens.
Anyone else out there dosing Vitamin C??
yea, I dosed vit c for 10days or so, got up to the 30 parts per million and stayed there for a bit. it seemed like a waste of time and money to me. I had no problem, but wanted to see if my zoos would look more spectacular. I saw no change. No harm either. I did my whole system of tanks. I dosed 7 whole teaspoons per day of that same vit c from iherb. Just keep an eye on the ph, make sure it is high to begin with. watch the alk too.
blange3 said:
I don't know about vitamin E, but dinner and a movie couldn't hurt.
One reefer told me dont dose anything in your tank that you can't check.. I guess I will start using this once they have test kits for it...
I don't get dosing something that doesn't naturally occur in the ocean.
Vitamin C is a big thing to us because we're the only creatures on this planet that cannot manufacture it. Us and Guinea Pigs (hence why so many cavies were used as lab animals for scurvy). Oh total off-course- if anyone has a cavie - pm me. My kids have one and I have no idea how to clip the guys nails.
So anyways - vitamin C aka - Ascorbic Acid isn't stable in water. By nature it is an acid and when combined with water that is higher in alkalinity - one has to suspect that it dissipates in the tank very quickly. As pointed earlier - one also does not go to AqOb or Hidden Reef and say - hit me up with asorbic acid test kit.
Still the argument rages...lots of interesting threads. The best one I liked (for vit c) is this one by a high school science student:
Science Paper write up "C the Difference"
thread on RC:
RC Zoa Board: Treating with Vitamin C
More info:
Thiel Aqua Tech write up on Vit C
Vitamin C is a big thing to us because we're the only creatures on this planet that cannot manufacture it. Us and Guinea Pigs (hence why so many cavies were used as lab animals for scurvy). Oh total off-course- if anyone has a cavie - pm me. My kids have one and I have no idea how to clip the guys nails.
So anyways - vitamin C aka - Ascorbic Acid isn't stable in water. By nature it is an acid and when combined with water that is higher in alkalinity - one has to suspect that it dissipates in the tank very quickly. As pointed earlier - one also does not go to AqOb or Hidden Reef and say - hit me up with asorbic acid test kit.
Still the argument rages...lots of interesting threads. The best one I liked (for vit c) is this one by a high school science student:
Science Paper write up "C the Difference"
thread on RC:
RC Zoa Board: Treating with Vitamin C
More info:
Thiel Aqua Tech write up on Vit C
Links didn't work for me...again maybe it's my browser? using mozilla.momof6kids said:
This whole idea of vitamin C does have some merit. In the human body, the main function of vitamin C is involved with the synthesis of collagen fibers. Osteoblasts, bone-making cells, use vitamin C to product collagen. They then create a web-like structure with the collagen fibers that calcium, potassium, magnesium, and a couple of other salts settle into and crystallize. This is known as calcification.
Vitamin C, if coral metabolizes it the same way as humans, would possibly help SPS corals grow faster, or at least help build the base structure for calcification. Now vitamin A in contrast actually stimulates osteoblast activity, is essence, it is the effector not the ingredient. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium through your GI tract. Vitamin D it turned into calcitrol, but needs UVB rays in order to be converted.
I looked at the science experiment, and although it is a great high school project and gets an A for effort, his control died! He has nothing to compare his results too. Not to mention we all know that physically measuring coral will not work with soft corals, they expand and contract depending on multiple factors. Even weighing them would prove to be difficult. I'm not trying to flame this kid for what I think is a great and well thought out science project, but I'm sure not going to start dosing things into my tank based off of his results.
Also, vitamin C can become toxic to the body which is why the body expels excess through urine. I would think that maintaining a level of it in your tank could prove to be toxic after a certain point. Another factor that comes to mind is that it is an acid, granted not a strong one. How does that effect the hardness of the water? Does it metabolize with important trace minerals thus causing a deficiency elsewhere in the tank? It could very well be possible that the acid is effecting the pH and hardness and putting the water into a more suitable condition for zoos.
Vitamin C, if coral metabolizes it the same way as humans, would possibly help SPS corals grow faster, or at least help build the base structure for calcification. Now vitamin A in contrast actually stimulates osteoblast activity, is essence, it is the effector not the ingredient. Vitamin D is necessary for the body to absorb calcium through your GI tract. Vitamin D it turned into calcitrol, but needs UVB rays in order to be converted.
I looked at the science experiment, and although it is a great high school project and gets an A for effort, his control died! He has nothing to compare his results too. Not to mention we all know that physically measuring coral will not work with soft corals, they expand and contract depending on multiple factors. Even weighing them would prove to be difficult. I'm not trying to flame this kid for what I think is a great and well thought out science project, but I'm sure not going to start dosing things into my tank based off of his results.
Also, vitamin C can become toxic to the body which is why the body expels excess through urine. I would think that maintaining a level of it in your tank could prove to be toxic after a certain point. Another factor that comes to mind is that it is an acid, granted not a strong one. How does that effect the hardness of the water? Does it metabolize with important trace minerals thus causing a deficiency elsewhere in the tank? It could very well be possible that the acid is effecting the pH and hardness and putting the water into a more suitable condition for zoos.
IrradiatedReef said:
LOL - I noticed that too - but to be brutally honest - what it lacked in content -I thought it made up in the title alone "C the difference". At the very least it provides a great framework for the other teens on this board to piggy back off of and present at school...
blange3 said:
Yes - should I bring him?