Comments on: Dosing Vitamin C via Sodium Ascorbate http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/ Reefs, coral, fish and aquariums. Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:07:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Mr.wilson http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-4081 Mr.wilson Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:32:48 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-4081 As these old methods such as carbon dosing become new again, they sometimes gain new insight and other times lose track of the plot. The original purpose of carbon dosing was to feed denitrifying bacteria grown in low oxygen, slow flow through, filtration devices (denitrators). The idea of adding a concentrated food source (carbon) was efficient, but nonetheless waned in popularity as aquarists weren't interested in daily maintenance or dosing. For whatever reason, hobbyists have managed to put down the remote, get off the sofa and get involved in regular maintenance. The new approach is a shotgun method of adding VC to the tank with no regard to how it is expended or where it is going. VC is photodegradable, hydrophobic (poorly dissolved), and it is readily removed through protein skimming. The current dosing practices used by many seem to work well, but I can't help but think those resources could be redirected to dosing smaller amounts to a denitrator as this minimizes the solubility, foam fractionation, and photodegradation issues while lowering the amount of residual chemicals (free radicals) building up and reacting in the aquarium. The argument for dosing the tank instead of a filtration device is that corals have a complex bacterial population on their tissue and the VC is promoting these biofilms and not just feeding nitrobacter in a black box device or sand bed. The good thing about VC dosing is it is a grassroots method with no marketing schemes pushing us into using it or buying chemicals or devices for its use. As these old methods such as carbon dosing become new again, they sometimes gain new insight and other times lose track of the plot. The original purpose of carbon dosing was to feed denitrifying bacteria grown in low oxygen, slow flow through, filtration devices (denitrators). The idea of adding a concentrated food source (carbon) was efficient, but nonetheless waned in popularity as aquarists weren’t interested in daily maintenance or dosing. For whatever reason, hobbyists have managed to put down the remote, get off the sofa and get involved in regular maintenance. The new approach is a shotgun method of adding VC to the tank with no regard to how it is expended or where it is going. VC is photodegradable, hydrophobic (poorly dissolved), and it is readily removed through protein skimming. The current dosing practices used by many seem to work well, but I can’t help but think those resources could be redirected to dosing smaller amounts to a denitrator as this minimizes the solubility, foam fractionation, and photodegradation issues while lowering the amount of residual chemicals (free radicals) building up and reacting in the aquarium.

The argument for dosing the tank instead of a filtration device is that corals have a complex bacterial population on their tissue and the VC is promoting these biofilms and not just feeding nitrobacter in a black box device or sand bed.

The good thing about VC dosing is it is a grassroots method with no marketing schemes pushing us into using it or buying chemicals or devices for its use.

]]> By: vlad http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-4077 vlad Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:31:17 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-4077 Sorry for the confusion, as I was misguided. I will edit it for accuracy. Sorry for the confusion, as I was misguided. I will edit it for accuracy.

]]> By: Pufferpunk http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-4070 Pufferpunk Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:53:20 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-4070 "I’m already dosing a Carbon (Zeo) and I supplement feeding with Selcon (contains Vitamin C ) so I’m a bit wary of dosing additional Vitamin C. I don’t need to feed the nuisance algae more than I already do!" VC is way cheaper than Zeo & works differently than feeding Selcon (which I also do). It also STARVES nuisance algae. My cheato has dwindled to nothing, since there are no nutrients left for it to feed on from dosing VC. No detectable nitrate or phosphate. I am dosing at ~23ppm in my display reef tank. “I’m already dosing a Carbon (Zeo) and I supplement feeding with Selcon (contains Vitamin C ) so I’m a bit wary of dosing additional Vitamin C. I don’t need to feed the nuisance algae more than I already do!”

VC is way cheaper than Zeo & works differently than feeding Selcon (which I also do). It also STARVES nuisance algae. My cheato has dwindled to nothing, since there are no nutrients left for it to feed on from dosing VC. No detectable nitrate or phosphate. I am dosing at ~23ppm in my display reef tank.

]]> By: Pufferpunk http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-4069 Pufferpunk Fri, 05 Feb 2010 04:50:11 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-4069 "There are many forum posts and great guides on this topic, which can lead to many conclusions, but none make it cut and dry as capn_hylinur’s. He could be found on Reef Central, and in this long, winded thread." That is my chart, not capn_hylinur’s. Never even heard of that person. I'd be happy to help if there are any questions on this. “There are many forum posts and great guides on this topic, which can lead to many conclusions, but none make it cut and dry as capn_hylinur’s. He could be found on Reef Central, and in this long, winded thread.”

That is my chart, not capn_hylinur’s. Never even heard of that person. I’d be happy to help if there are any questions on this.

]]> By: Mr.wilson http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-3257 Mr.wilson Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:37:36 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-3257 Sodium ascorbate is photodegradable, so try to get those doses in at night when the display lighting is off. A reverse photo-period refugium will still diminish the dose, but to a lesser extent. Anyone using the balling method should note that this is yet one more source of sodium being dosed frequently, so adjust your chemical regimen accordingly. Calcium reactors constantly add a carbon source (Co2), so the balling method or any other chemical additive method such as Randy Holmes Farley's formula or combinations there of have a greater need for carbon dosing. I've heard a lot of reports of over dosing, and subsequent algae/cyanobacteria blooms. I think a common mistake is to try to establish the dose according to system volume rather than bioload and demand for carbon fixing of bacteria and zooxanthellae. This calculator was posted on RC. http://www.reefsome.com/articles/Vitamin-C-Dosing It's handy for the mathematically challenged, but it overlooks the biological aspect of dosing supply and demand. Personally, I think they developed the rudimentary calculator to drive thousands of people to their forum. Not a bad idea. Start working on that ATS screen calculator so we can get more visitors gentlemen. I have a perfect pitch man for it :) Sodium ascorbate is photodegradable, so try to get those doses in at night when the display lighting is off. A reverse photo-period refugium will still diminish the dose, but to a lesser extent. Anyone using the balling method should note that this is yet one more source of sodium being dosed frequently, so adjust your chemical regimen accordingly. Calcium reactors constantly add a carbon source (Co2), so the balling method or any other chemical additive method such as Randy Holmes Farley’s formula or combinations there of have a greater need for carbon dosing. I’ve heard a lot of reports of over dosing, and subsequent algae/cyanobacteria blooms. I think a common mistake is to try to establish the dose according to system volume rather than bioload and demand for carbon fixing of bacteria and zooxanthellae.

This calculator was posted on RC. http://www.reefsome.com/articles/Vitamin-C-Dosing It’s handy for the mathematically challenged, but it overlooks the biological aspect of dosing supply and demand. Personally, I think they developed the rudimentary calculator to drive thousands of people to their forum. Not a bad idea. Start working on that ATS screen calculator so we can get more visitors gentlemen. I have a perfect pitch man for it :)

]]> By: vlad http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-3254 vlad Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:50:42 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-3254 I should do an update soon. There was some progress, but I noticed that overdosing is easy. Its best to stay on the lower side of the scale than the higher. I should do an update soon. There was some progress, but I noticed that overdosing is easy. Its best to stay on the lower side of the scale than the higher.

]]> By: Felix http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-3253 Felix Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:41:47 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-3253 Any updates? I started dosing about a month ago growth has taken off a lil bit. f. Any updates?
I started dosing about a month ago
growth has taken off a lil bit.
f.

]]> By: vlad http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-3041 vlad Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:32:12 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-3041 I am going to do a post on this very soon. I will try to include some pictures of sponge growth in the system. I am going to do a post on this very soon. I will try to include some pictures of sponge growth in the system.

]]> By: Felix http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-3039 Felix Mon, 17 Aug 2009 02:14:19 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-3039 any follow up on the VIT C dosing? I would like to see some results. thank you, f. any follow up on the VIT C dosing?
I would like to see some results.
thank you,
f.

]]> By: vlad http://blog.fragd.it/2009/05/21/dosing-vitamin-c-via-sodium-ascorbate/comment-page-1/#comment-2394 vlad Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:16:37 +0000 http://blog.fragd.it/?p=1038#comment-2394 You already have enough carbon for your bacteria. There are many ways to add carbon into your tank. I just chose the Vit C way. You already have enough carbon for your bacteria. There are many ways to add carbon into your tank. I just chose the Vit C way.

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