The Puffer Forum

Started dosing tonight. Tomorrow is water change day and will post tank params then weekly updates to show how it affest my tank. PP does VC work just as good as vodka dosing when it comes to a carbon source for trates and phates? Hopefully it works, this diatom bloom is killing me.

Way better, especially if you have corals.

After water change here are my params.

sg 1.025
temp 78
trate <5 (closer to 0)
phates <.25 (much closer to 0)
calcium 400
dkh 13 (i got a rise in kh from the normal 10 after vitc doseing can this be sxplained)
ph 8

stock list 1 2.5" maroon clown 3 small peices of GSP and 4 small red shrooms CUC: 1mexturbo, 2blackturbos, 2 nassarius, 1 nerite, and 3 hermits
Should I add to my CUC? I have reefgrade caribsea sand and since its a larger grain size my nass snails seem to have a hard time getting into it pluss my black turbos are crazy for haveing to be flipped over everyday.

I am in the middle a decent (big) diatom bloom so im guessing thats where my phosphates went. Im doseing 1/8 tsp twice dailey and will raise the dose to 1/4tsp monday.

How deep is that sand bed?

Its not a deep sand bed only about 2-2.5". It does however contain tons of hairworms. pods, and bristleworms to help keep it clean. When I do water changes all I do is stick a turkey baster in the sand and blow out some of the detritous since its not deep enough to contain the anerobic bacteria.

Should I go with a DSB?

I have one in my tank but it's ugly. I prefer a remote DSB.

When I eventually upgrade the sump/fuge with have a DSB but I dont really have room for one right now. I have also been researching the miracle mud DSBs and waiting on some actuall user reviews to start comeing out about the product. Its sapposed to continuasly replace essential elements aswell as act as a DSB.

That'll work.

Bcummings8521 wrote:When I eventually upgrade the sump/fuge with have a DSB but I dont really have room for one right now. I have also been researching the miracle mud DSBs and waiting on some actuall user reviews to start comeing out about the product. Its sapposed to continuasly replace essential elements aswell as act as a DSB.

miracle mud has been out for a relatively long time (in the scope of modern reef keeping) so I am not sure what exactly you mean by 'reiviews to start coming out', there are many. I am weary of any product that replaces the "essential trace elements" A decent salt mix will replace anything needed except for the daily demand of calc/alk/mag, so for a DSB, the old sugar fine aragonite is probably a better more proven deal. There is always more than one way to do things...

I would be interested in seeing how 'bio-pellets' actually result on mass testing.

If space is a issue look up "RDSB" or "5g bucket remote deep sand bed". It is a very fool proof and cheap method of achieving natural nitrate reduction with out the risks of a typical DSB or even the issues of refugiums with DSBs.

I dont want a DSB untill I can do a RDSB. Also for a 5gal bucket DSB I would not trust that to eventually crash my system. It doesnt have a surface area large enough to expell most of the gasses its building up. I have started to read research of even the HOB refuges (25" cpr) that has trouble releaseing toxins safely because of the little surface area. The thing with miracle mud is that yes there are tons of reviews but how many are actually long term reviews. Many of the people running the miracle mud system do not run it properly either. How many miracle mud tank do you know of that dont skim? I know of a couple people that are setting up tanks for long term success with out additives and without a skimmer except the first couple weeks. Im waiting on the the progress reports b4 I actually decide on it.

Hello Puffer Punk,
I can just confirm that by adding VC to my FOWLR tank that this will help with my nitrate levels?
I really struggle to keep it below 25ppm, i do 35%-40% WC every week and i have a protein skimmer double the the size reccommeded for my tank.
I have a 350l tank with a small sized messy eaters like a fu man chu, clear fin lionfish, leopard puffer and porcupine puffer none of them are anywhere near 4 inch length max. I have my new much larger tank but i am awaiting for my carpet to be laid before filling etc.....
Will VC help with promoting macroalgae growth which in turn will help keep my nitrate down? Am i understanding this correcty? Also how do i work out dosing from loading to routine dosing?
Thank you Emma

Yes, it will absolutely lower your nitrate. It will do the opposite for your macro-algae, alleviating the need for it, as it will reduce your "food" foe it so low, it will disappear. It will make your protein skimmer go nuts at 1st, so you'll have to adjust it to skim dryer.

Also how do i work out dosing from loading to routine dosing?

I don't understand your Q.
How much live rock do you have in there? Is there plenty of flow?

I finally found the pufferpunk queen. I have read your post, seen you pics(nice Harley)and awesome looking tats. Jeff just replied to this;

Anxious and nervous i have been going back and forth. A few weeks ago I treated all my zoas for pox with furam-2 it clear up most of the white spot on them. But they haven't open up like the used to. I do believe that all that i have read about dosing VC is the way to go. I have a 90gal minus sand and LR I should be at 80gal or so. I run 2 wet dry eheims and 2 back Pac cpr. I see that Puffer you use 1 tsp twice a day. Should I start with 1 or 1/2 tsp . I'm assuming that I can mix it with a cup of r/o and pour in front of power head.

I did purchase VitC from i.herb.com

Specific Gravity 1.026
temp 80.6
ph 8.2-8.3
alk 10 dkh
ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate 1.0 ppm
phosphate 0.30 ppm
calcium 400
magnesium 1275

I also haven't dose before other than a& b

Thanks in advance

He suggested that;

Start with 1/4 tsp twice daily and over the course of a couple weeks ramp up to 1 tsp twice a day. Dilute it with RO water and dump it in your sump or in front of a power head slowly over a minute or so. Starting slow is important.

I think he's right on but can I get the Queen of Vit-C to confirm.
Did I tell you how relieved I am to have found you
Thanks for your expertise in advance

LOL, how in the world did you find me here???

For pox, you want to get it up to 50-100ppm asap. Do you keep fish in there? if not, I don't see any reason not to start at 1 tsp & go up from there. At 1 tsp for my 100g system, that's only 23ppm. If the pox are gone, I'd start at 1/4 tsp & ramp up every other day to a whole tsp. I put it under my skimmer cup of the Backpac filters.