# vitamin c



## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

To supplement fish feed, or what are you talking about?


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

i pulled this from a seachem support forum:

LabTest5710-21-2009, 00:25
If anyone is interested in dosing vitamin C to there aquarium, here's some advice:

- Food grade tablets may contain silica, which algae feed on.
- It drops the pH, so keep an eye on kH and pH

Now some excerpts to provide How-To's, some advice, and pros and cons:


Being an antioxidant the addition of the ascorbate will brake the molecule of many of the refractory oxygen and nitrate based organics that pollute our tanks and feed some bacteria (like our beloved cyano) and are not typically skimmable. By breaking the molecules it can make them skimmable thus improving the overall quality of the system.


Vitamin C has many beneficial properties, here are some of them (note that this list is not exhaustive and that you can check our mailing list database on our main index page to search for messages posted by hobbyists who have used C with great success):

-detoxifies the livers of the fishes. This may be really important if your fish were caught using the 
cyanide method, still too frequently practiced. I am not saying it will cure all fishes that were caught with cyanide but it will certainly help agreat deal of them. It certainly is worth trying as you may indeed save a fish that would otherwise have died. 
-prevents, to a large degree, bacterial infections from spreading rapidly and becoming or developing into sores on the body of fishes, or affecting corals to to a degree that they start to "melt" as some hobbyists call it. The latter is characterised by the coral polyp disintegrating into a white toothpaste like matter or brown slime hovering over the coral polyp, while the latter decomposes. 
-can deal with minor outbreaks of common parasites and keep them from becoming widespread, negating the need to use other treatments to rid the fishes of them. 
-builds up and strengthens the immune system of the fishes by allowing the evacuation of heavy metals, for instance 
heals wounds 
heals mouth rot scars 
heals lesions from black spot disease 
-effective in combating lateral line disease when used in the proper amounts (large dosages which are listed later) 
-effective in combating hole-in-the-head disease, again, if used in large dosages (as explained later) 
greatly reduces the outbreak of parasitic attacks as the fishes are strengthened and able to fight them off, thus preventing large scale parasitic infestations 
-cleans up the water to some degree 
-beneficial to most corals on which we have tried it as well 
-can very safely be used in reef tanks. Many other medications cannot, as many of you who have tried to do have experienced (antibiotics and copper are good examples). 
-much better than copper and/or antibiotics since it is not destructive in nature. The approach is different in this case. What we really are doing is building up the fishes and corals' abilities to deal with disease, infection and parasites, rather than killing off the parasites and bacteria, and stressing the animals even more in the process 
-safe for use in all aquariums, including reefs 
-some report that minor outbreaks of algae have been eliminated since they started using C. The only explanation at this time is that the oxidative power of C is probably the reason.

Vitamin C cannot be added to the tank at high dosages right from day one on. Since no Vitamin C is present we have to gradually acclimate the fishes to this substantial change in the water chemistry. This is a drastic change and needs to be performed slowly, lest the animals will react negatively. 

Using plain ascorbic acid is acceptable, of course, but it is better to use a buffered variety of Vitamin C, as its impact on the pH will be smaller than the pure ascorbic acid. If you add pure ascorbic acid you better be prepared to buffer the water constantly as its acidity is so high that your pH will drop and drop. That is why it is much better and safer to use aquarium vitamin C

Prophylactic
When treating an aquarium on a preventive basis only, it is not necessary to add real large dosages of Vitamin C. All we are trying to achieve is provide the fish and other animals with a constant low supply of Vitamin C to build up their immune system over a period of time, and take advantage of the other benefits offered by this vitamin.

-Usually one adds the vitamin for a period of 14 days to 1 month and then stops adding for 2/3 months, resuming the treatment again the following month.

-In essence, one treats for 14-31 days every 3 or 4 months. 

-The dosage recommended for this kind of treatment is a 5 ppm concentration. We shall explain a little later how to achieve the right concentration of Vitamin C in your tank.

-Note that you can treat with Vitamin C continuously, without the above interruptions without any harm whatsoever, on the contrary. Of course, doing so requires that you pay close attention to the pH all the time and will require more Vitamin C overall, since you will be treating continuously rather than intermittently. 

Therapeutic
When treating fish that are infected with bacterial disease, that have sores, that are scratching, that show signs of distress, a different approach needs to be taken and more radical dosages of Vitamin C need to be used.

-This is where we want to increase the dosage progressively so that the change in the water chemistry does not affect the animals.

Day 1 : concentration of 5 ppm 
Day 2 : concentration of 15 ppm 
Day 3 : concentration of 30 ppm 
Day 4 : concentration of 50 ppm 
After day 4, continue treating with a concentration of 50 ppm for 10 more days. 
The total treatment period is thus 14 days. 
In real severe cases you may need to treat for an additional 7 days or more 
During this entire period you should not be using activated carbon 
During this entire period you should not be using any chemical filtration media either (e.g. resins or pads). 
The skimmer needs to continue to be in operation. 
Note that when you use these kind of Vitamin C concentrations it really is of utmost importance that you monitor you pH and ensure that it does not suddenly drop. Check the pH before you add the C but check a few minutes later also. If the pH is too low add a complete buffer immediately to reestablish your alkalinity and increase the pH of the water in the tank. This is very important indeed.

When you dose twice a day, do so once in the morning and once in the evening. You could add the required amount in the morning before leaving for work, and again in the evening or 9 to 10 or so hours later than the first addition.


The chemical potency of Vitamin C in an aquarium is about 8 to 9 hours maximum, so there will be no build up of Vitamin C concentrations. On the other hand, because the chemical potency exhausts itself, if you want to continue the treatment, (which you need to do as long as you have not cured your fish + a few extra days) you need to add more vitamin C.


The shelf life of vitamin is short. There is no question about it. Vitamin C does not remain active for long. You can take certain measure though to protect the unused Vitamin C you have purchased from losing its chemical efficiency :

When the Vitamin C reaches you, open the bag and transfer all tablets to an airtight container. 
If you have moisture absorbing satchels place them in the container as well. If you do not, do not worry about it. 
Do not leave the container open so moisture can get to it. Vitamin C attracts moisture. Moisture shortens its chemical strength. 
Do not leave the tablets in the light. Store them in a dark place. 
Calculate in advance how much Vitamin C you will need and order that quantity. You can always order more should you need to. Storing Vitamin C for extended periods of time is not a good idea unless you take all the precautions listed above. 

Do not attempt to add the 50 ppm or even the 30 ppm concentration from day 1 onwards. If you do so you will see stress. Gradually increase the dosage and you will see only benefits. Should you overdose anyway, perform an immediate large water change and rebuffer your water to bring the pH back in line. Use only complete buffering compounds (the ones that contain carbonates, bicarbonates and borates).

Achieving the correct concentration is really very simple and is explained below. Follow the steps one by one and you will now exactly how much milligrams of Vitamin C you need to add to your tank.

Determine the gallon content of your tank. 
Deduct 15 % for rock in the tank, more if you have a real large amount of live rock. 
Add the content to your sump (if you are using one). 
This will give you a net gallonage you need to treat. 
Multiply that gallonage by the concentration you need to achieve. 
The number you come up with equals the number of milligrams of vitamin C you need to add to the tank. 
Add the powder or tablets to the tank or the sump (if you have one). You can safely add it to the aquarium and let the tablets dissolve slowly. If you bought the powdered form, just add the powder to the sump or tank. 
The tablets should not be diluted in hot water first because heat degrades Vitamin C. 
When adding Vitamin C, your redox potential will drop for some time (until the chemical action of the C is exhausted). You will see the ORP drop and then gradually you will see it rise again. When the ORP reaches it previous value, or higher, you know that the chemical potency of the C has been exhausted. 
Let me give you an example: 

You determine that the gallonage you need to treat is 90 gallons 
The concentration you want to achieve is 30 ppm. 
This means that you need to add 90 times 30 or 2700 mg of Vitamin C.


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

Does it benefit plants in anyway?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

First of all, much of this doesn't apply to a FW tank, as it's talking about the benefits of breaking down proteins to make them "skimmable" - skimmers don't work the same way on FW tanks as they do on SW tanks.

Personally I wouldn't worry about adding supplemental Vitamin C to "boost fish immunity." Just feed them and keep your tank water clean.

This whole thing sounds to me like something put together by a sales rep to help push a particular product.


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## Frogmanx82 (Dec 8, 2009)

Vitamin C dosing is big in the salt water world to promote aerobic bacteria that metabolize nitrogen from nitrates and then the bacteria can be removed via skimmer. Vodka, vinegar and sugar can be used as well for this, but it it believed vitamin C offers other benefits for marine health.


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

isnt it also used to make fe more useable or something like that


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

timwag2001 said:


> isnt it also used to make fe more useable or something like that


Are you talking about adding ascorbic acid to ferric gluconate so that it is reduced to the ferrous state?


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## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Anytime I see a post as long as that one was I grab my wallet. I agree with Laura Lee - it is just a sales pitch, offering no reason to accept anything that was said. What next? Vitamin D, which is now being heavily promoted for human use. (And, the need there may be real, but I have no way to tell.)


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## timwag2001 (Jul 3, 2009)

Darkblade48 said:


> Are you talking about adding ascorbic acid to ferric gluconate so that it is reduced to the ferrous state?


yeah, but i know nothing about all of that.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

lauraleellbp said:


> This whole thing sounds to me like something put together by a sales rep to help push a particular product.





Hoppy said:


> Anytime I see a post as long as that one was I grab my wallet. I agree with Laura Lee - it is just a sales pitch, offering no reason to accept anything that was said.


+1




Hoppy said:


> What next? Vitamin D, which is now being heavily promoted for human use. (And, the need there may be real, but I have no way to tell.)


And to imagine, our body can make all the vitamin D we need simply by going outside and exposing ourselves to the sun for ~20 minutes a day.


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## EdwardN (Nov 7, 2008)

Definitively, there is a lie concerning a shelf life of ascorbic acid. If not exposed to an excessive humidity, it doesn't loose its potency as such.

Very curious article, being myself a 'fan' of Vit.C for the most of my life, and using it religiously every day ( with MSM), I just added a teaspoon of it to my tank, and will continue adding it for some time.


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## TheRealBonger (Jan 22, 2010)

Darkblade48 said:


> +1
> 
> 
> 
> And to imagine, our body can make all the vitamin D we need simply by going outside and exposing ourselves to the sun for ~20 minutes a day.


I actually had a dermatoligist tell me you can produce enough vitamin D from exposed hands on a 15 minute commute. 

PS. First post, officially not a lurker anymore :smile: thanks for the info


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## cleveraqua (Feb 5, 2021)

lauraleellbp said:


> First of all, much of this doesn't apply to a FW tank, as it's talking about the benefits of breaking down proteins to make them "skimmable" - skimmers don't work the same way on FW tanks as they do on SW tanks.
> 
> Personally I wouldn't worry about adding supplemental Vitamin C to "boost fish immunity." Just feed them and keep your tank water clean.
> 
> This whole thing sounds to me like something put together by a sales rep to help push a particular product.


I found this topic bc a fish doctor just told me vitamin C is a great help against hidropsy. Then i started reading articles and found out that studies on Tilapia shows that captivity fishes has vitamin C deficiency, causing several issues including bad bones formation, slow growth, hemorragy and others.

I read other articles talking about how it boosts egg productions for breeding as well


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## jellopuddinpop (Dec 12, 2016)

What is the deal with resurrecting really old threads lately? Jeesh, this one's 11 years old!


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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

cleveraqua said:


> I found this topic bc a fish doctor just told me vitamin C is a great help against hidropsy. Then i started reading articles and found out that studies on Tilapia shows that captivity fishes has vitamin C deficiency, causing several issues including bad bones formation, slow growth, hemorragy and others.
> 
> I read other articles talking about how it boosts egg productions for breeding as well


What's a fish doctor?
If you want to replicate how tilapia are typically raised you need to put about 20 of them in a 10 gallon aquarium. OK, I'm exagerating but tilapia are typically raised in extremely crowded conditions. I would expect them to show a lot of deficiencies.


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## SarahPar (Nov 29, 2021)

timwag2001 said:


> You determine that the gallonage you need to treat is 90 gallons
> The concentration you want to achieve is 30 ppm.
> This means that you need to add 90 times 30 or 2700 mg of Vitamin C.


2700mg/90 gal is not 30 ppm.

2700mg/340 L if thats US gal

Which seems to be 7.9ppm


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