Whereas a few years ago, the use of vitamin C was rather limited and for the most part involved only adding some of it to foodstuffs fed to fishes, recently more and more hobbyists are starting to see the benefits of using Vitamin C in their Saltwater and Reef tanks in different manners.
I said "recently" because the trend began, maybe, only about a year or two ago, when I started writing about its benefits in Magazines and in our own Newsletter
The increased use of Vitamin C is a very welcome development because of the many beneficial properties Vitamin C brings to the aquarium and its inhabitants, as we shall see as we go through this article/review of Vitamin C. Recent message exchanges on aquarium hobby mailing lists have started to report a great deal of success in treating disease and other problems that occur in aquariums. Our web site contains testimonials regarding the benefits of C and what certain hobbyists have achieved.
It should be noted right away, that the Vitamin C is not added to the food (in this particular application I am about to explain) using, the an aquarium safe brand, but that it is added directly to the water in the aquarium, whether a reef tank or a fish-only aquarium. This is a different approach and does not mean that you cannot add it to the food as well.
This method relies on another way of introducing Vitamin C and getting the fishes and other animals to benefit from it. Because it does affect the pH, you need to counteract this by the use and addition to the tank of buffering compounds.
To prevent too great a change in the water chemistry too rapidly, the Vitamin C concentration is gradually increased over a period of several days. It is dangerous to add too much Vitamin C right from day 1, as on one hand the animals are not used to it, and on the other, it will affect the pH because it is an acid (Ascorbic acid).
It is important to note also that Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), when used in large dosages, will affect the buffer (alkalinity) and will thus affect the pH in a downward fashion. Provisions need to be made to counteract this, of course.
Only so-called complete buffers, the ones that contain carbonates, bicarbonates and borates will raise the alkalinity and prevent acid fall of the pH. This is most important, as some hobbyists are under the false impression that they can use plain baking soda to achieve this.
This is not so at all. You do need a complete buffer. Using only baking soda will NOT do it. On the contrary, it will maintain the pH low as the natural pH of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is only 7.8 (not nearly high enough for our aquariums. Note also that you need to check the buffer, respectively the pH for as long as you use Vitamin C in large dosages. Checking only from time to time is not good enough. The buffer that already exists may absorb the effect of the acid for a while but may not do so for the length of time you are using the Vitamin C.
You can, of course, certainly use the buffer made by Thiel Aqua Tech called Reef KH buffer (don't let the name confuse you though, you can use it in fish only tanks as well).
Vitamin C has many beneficial properties, here are some of them (note that this list is not exhaustive):
In the majority of cases aquarium water does not contain Vitamin C or, if any is present, it is present in such low quantities that we may as well consider it as near zero ppm.
Since Vitamin C can be used for various purposes, there are an equal number of methods of administering it, and a different dosage regimen to be followed in each of these cases. We will explain how to go about this later in this document.
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.
This is done by slowly increasing the amount of Vitamin C used, as will be explained later.
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.
Use either the TAT one or use a real pure type that does not contain binders, starches, sugars, emollients etc. Read the label carefully before making a selection. Eliminate any possible problems by using our TAT brand.
Whenever you use Vitamin C you must monitor your pH and your alkalinity before and after adding it, to avoid that your pH drops as a results of the ascorbic acid you have introduced.
The amount of Vitamin C that needs to be added to the aquarium can be split into the two major categories defined below :
When treating an aquarium on a preventative 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.
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.
The method to be followed in all cases is as follows :
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 re-establish your alkalinity and increase the pH of the water in the tank. This is very important indeed.
Do not make the mistake of letting your pH drop and stressing your fish out even more.
Unless you add large amounts of Vitamin C to the aquarium without following the gradual addition increase schedule that was outlined earlier, it is highly unlikely that you will ever overdose on Vitamin C.
You must follow the directions given above to avoid creating undue stress on the fish because of water quality parameter changes.
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).
Make sure you check the pH before and after adding the Vitamin C powder or tablets. It does not matter whether the C is either form as long as it is pure (see earlier).
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 :
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.
Let me give you an example:
If you are unsure about how much to add to your tank, eMail us from this document giving us some details as to what you are trying to achieve.
If you wish to obtain more information about this product, how to dose it for your tank, or if you wish to ask questions relating to this or other products we manufacture, you can leave us eMail by clicking on the mail address that follows:
To send us a message from this document, click here: Thiel Aqua Tech
Revised April 9, 1996