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  #1  
Old 11/17/2007, 01:24 AM
Pufferpunk Pufferpunk is offline
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Treating with Vitamin C

Some of you have heard my complaints of losing entire colonies of zoas/palys that have been wonderful for years & for no apparent reason, got pinched/stretched, covered with brown & melted away, while colonies right next to them are fine. I read somewhere about raising your coral's immune system with vitamin C.
All I found was this article:
http://www.reefs.org/library/aquariu...996/996_4.html

I decided to try vit C. At 1st I used 1x1000mg in the tank morning & 1 at night (tank is 90g/20g fuge/20g sump). I didn't see much improvement in my zoas, so I raised it to 2000 morning & night. I really think I'm seeing improvements! The last straw was seeing my really nice colony of Tub's blues closing & pinching/stretching & getting brown. I knew what was coming next...

I have been dosing vit C for about 2 weeks now. I put the whole tablet into the sump, where there is most agitation, where the water dumps in from the overflow. I have rubble in there, to help with bubbles so I'm sure the tab fals in between. That's also where I do all my other dosing.

Now, most are open & looking great again--only a couple are still closed. Same with some of my other faltering colonies. Recession has stopped completely & my zoas/palys have never looked better or more colorful.

I just tested:
dKH 8.5
pH 8.2
Ca 430
NO3 1
Exactly what it was before adding the vitamin C, 2 weeks ago.

Has anyone every try this method or read anything about it? Can I do any harm by keeping this up indefinately? I'd really like to see someone that is having the same problem try this & tell me it isn't just a coincidence.

Last edited by Pufferpunk; 11/17/2007 at 01:32 AM.
  #2  
Old 11/17/2007, 01:36 AM
InADream InADream is offline
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It is a great idea, Selcon and most of the Vitamin supplements for Our corals and fish use it... The dosage is definately different, You are using 4000mg a day and Selcon uses 200mg per serving... I am definately going to keep an eye on this thread, but hey if it is working with no adverse affects go for it... Especially if your zoos are looking better.. Good Luck, I may try this in the week coming since I have time off...


Dream
  #3  
Old 11/17/2007, 01:49 AM
Pufferpunk Pufferpunk is offline
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Just to show you, this is the kind of thing I've been dealing with in the past:
  #4  
Old 11/17/2007, 01:57 AM
Echidna09 Echidna09 is offline
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And what do they look like now..?
  #5  
Old 11/17/2007, 01:58 AM
Pufferpunk Pufferpunk is offline
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That's an old pic. I have lots of pics to show what my colonies were going thru but all those had died. I didn't bother to take more pics before treating with the C as I didn't realize the great sucess I'd have with it.
  #6  
Old 11/17/2007, 11:18 AM
delsol650 delsol650 is offline
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I had some small colonies show that type of fungus.. I just chunked the pieces instead of getting it more on other colonies..
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  #7  
Old 12/04/2007, 08:17 AM
geoxman geoxman is offline
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This is very interesting and I followed your thread on the other site. Can you please update us on how everything is doing and your over all opinion of using the vitamin c. I do know it is in a few of the coral foods that use, but in smaller qty. I started using it two days ago just for fun and I cant tell a difference-but it has only been 2 days and I am doing 1000mg twice a day on 70 or so gallons. Thanks much and good luck
PL
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  #8  
Old 12/04/2007, 08:56 PM
Im Lon 2 Im Lon 2 is offline
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Tagging along as well. Having a heck of a time..

What brand of Vitamin C are you using? Pills?
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  #9  
Old 12/04/2007, 09:15 PM
Pufferpunk Pufferpunk is offline
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I backed off to 1/2 dose for a few days (1000mg, 2x/day) & my Tubs blues started receding again. Back to 2000mg, 2x/day & they are opening up again. No adverse effects that I can tell. I mean if it's not upsetting my dinner plate-sized RBTA, I guess it won't bother anything else, right?

It's just using the generic Sam's Club brand of 1000mg tablets. In put them in the sump, where the overflow drops in & aggitates the water. That's where all my dosing goes on.
  #10  
Old 12/05/2007, 09:30 AM
Cristina_j Cristina_j is offline
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Great Idea, can we see some pictures of how they look now?
  #11  
Old 12/05/2007, 11:34 AM
geoxman geoxman is offline
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How many total gallons is your system? I am on day #3 and I have seen no adverse effects. I do not have any ill or stressed corals but I am going to monitor growth and color differences. I am using the generic Walgreen's brand with rose hips. Have you given any thought about adding some of the"B" vitamins as well?
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  #12  
Old 12/05/2007, 08:49 PM
geoxman geoxman is offline
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^^^ I dont want his one to get lost- I think it could be an interesting thread!
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  #13  
Old 12/05/2007, 08:51 PM
Pufferpunk Pufferpunk is offline
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I estimate my system to be around 100g of water, out of a 90g tank w/5-6" DSB, 1/3 full 20g sump & full 20g fuge. Could be less than 100g--hard to tell--I've got a ton of rock in my tank. I can't take pics., my computer deleted my Photoshop for some reason.

How much are you dosing?
  #14  
Old 12/06/2007, 08:19 AM
geoxman geoxman is offline
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right now I am at 1000mg twice a day and I might bump it up to 2000 twice a day like you. I already and have been using my own "papino" method of food and after reading what is in Reef Plus I am going to try with some of the B vitamins as well. Have you given the B's any thought?

Last spring I had great coloration when adding large amounts of pollen to my system. That was short lived as the pollen burst only last a week or two
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  #15  
Old 12/06/2007, 09:52 AM
mnestroy mnestroy is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Pufferpunk
I backed off to 1/2 dose for a few days (1000mg, 2x/day) & my Tubs blues started receding again. Back to 2000mg, 2x/day & they are opening up again. No adverse effects that I can tell. I mean if it's not upsetting my dinner plate-sized RBTA, I guess it won't bother anything else, right?

It's just using the generic Sam's Club brand of 1000mg tablets. In put them in the sump, where the overflow drops in & aggitates the water. That's where all my dosing goes on.
The pills your using, are they the same ones for humans? Are they hard pills, or the ones where u can separate the two halves?

If they are the hard ones, do you just throw the pill in the sump and let it dissolve on its own?

I'm willing to try anything at this point. (I have a super healthy tank, full of softies, but for the life of me I can't keep zoos alive, tried all the dips, funa2, iodine, none helped)
  #16  
Old 12/06/2007, 02:34 PM
Pufferpunk Pufferpunk is offline
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I use tablets & place into the sump where the overflow drops down & aggitates the most.
  #17  
Old 12/06/2007, 04:42 PM
Pufferpunk Pufferpunk is offline
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Thanks for the excellent article mnestroy: http://www.athiel.com/lib2/pguide/vitami1.html
  #18  
Old 12/06/2007, 07:01 PM
FishAreFriends2 FishAreFriends2 is offline
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would dosing selcon or vita chem work?
  #19  
Old 12/06/2007, 07:21 PM
Pufferpunk Pufferpunk is offline
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Not nearly enough. I do soak foods in Selcon already. Can you afford to dose that much Selcon? I can't!
  #20  
Old 12/06/2007, 08:01 PM
FishAreFriends2 FishAreFriends2 is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by Pufferpunk
I use tablets & place into the sump where the overflow drops down & aggitates the most.
What brand and where can I get it?
  #21  
Old 12/06/2007, 08:34 PM
geoxman geoxman is offline
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Generic C tabs from your local DS
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  #22  
Old 12/07/2007, 02:00 AM
mnestroy mnestroy is offline
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I just started treatment today, I picked up 1000mg tablets from Walgreen's (buy 1 get 1 free).

From what I read you'll want to start slow, so I broke my pill in half I'll prob dose 500mg for 5days, then 100mg for 5, and max out at 1500mg (Since I only have a 40breeder/20sump)

I'll keep people posted of my results.
  #23  
Old 12/07/2007, 07:06 AM
Engine 7 Engine 7 is offline
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After seeing your results Jeni, I started dosing 1000mg of vit. C daily. After a couple weeks I am seeing my zoas and rics looking very healthy. I really wasnt having a problem before but this actually did help their health.
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  #24  
Old 12/07/2007, 08:39 AM
MUCHO REEF MUCHO REEF is offline
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I'm very curious myself.


Mucho Reef
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  #25  
Old 12/07/2007, 09:02 AM
NanoReefWanabe NanoReefWanabe is offline
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well you guys have peaked my interest...and after a recent decline in my zoa health i think i am off to the drugstore..i just cant bare to watch my favorite pinks recede again...and now two of my new favorites are showing this brown slimey sluff on them...also have one frag of creamsicles doing the skinny shrinking head thing...perhaps VC will work for me...

you can hardly call this a proven method after two weeks of documented reviews but i cant wait any longer..years of research arent coming fast enough for my poor little zoas...

is there any other web pages you guys can point to that gave you idea in the first place??

off to buy some Vit C..now
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