Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C)

Vitamin C has been shown that it will enhance the immune system of the fishes. It will also stimulate tissue growth that is helpful in  head lateral line erosion diseases.

Vitamin C normally come in two forms
1) Ascorbic Acid
2) Sodium Ascorbate

Normally of the available products uses Ascorbic acid as shown below:
Kent Marine C:
ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in aquaculture grade form of 2-sulfate dipotassium dihydrate

Brightwell Aquatics Vitamarin C:
Ascorbic acid (C) (min): 1,500 mg/oz.

The advantage of Sodium Ascorbate over Ascorbic acid is it have PH of 7.1 as compared with the Ascorbic acid of PH of 2.1. That is why most of the reef forum recommended this vitamin C

If you look at the consideration of available products such as Kent Marine C, you will find this statement:
"Marine•C is buffered but still slightly acidic, therefore it is important that pH and alkalinity be monitored during use of this product."

I have been using Sodium Ascorbate for a month after changing from the LFS available products such as this one shown below:

This is very cost effective.

Just added it to your pellets and add some water to soak the dry pellets before feeding.

Pico Tank as at 28 Aug 13

Due to work and family commitments, I am selling the complete pico tank or decom the tank if there is no taker.

Present livestocks:
a) 1x Pink skunk clownfish
b) 1x Banggai Cardinalfish
c) 1x Singapore angel
d) 1x tube worm

Last video:

http://youtu.be/pXOcbhU_6IE

Marine Fish White Poop / Internal bacterial - Part 1/2

It is a common disease in marine fish as the fishes are caught from the wild. About 30% of the fishes have some kind of intestinal infection.  You will see the fish is not eating at all, and there is white stringy poo. If not treated, the fish will slowly die. It will sometimes pass the disease to other fish in the tank.

Sometimes, you may see the fish is eating well, but do not means it does not have the internal disease. You still need to clear the intestine so that there is no problem in the future. If you are long enough in the hobby, you will realised that sometimes the fish is eating very well for weeks or months, suddenly stop eating and die. Part of the problem is the intestinal inflection becomes worst and causes the fish to stop eating. This is common in dwarf angels and large angels.

There is 3 basic causes of the internal problem, but I will not go in-depth to it technially. Just want to talk about the solutions.

1) Fish not eating:
Put the fish into QT and dose Praziquental
Chances of survial is very slim because the fish is not eating and it is difficult for the fish to absorb the medicine. So in the first place you should choose the fish from the LFS properly.

2) Fish eating (does not means no internal diseases): - Clear the internal disease. Sometimes, after a few weeks, the fish just stops eating and die, that is the reason you need to clear the internal disease with medicine and it is easier because you can feed the medicine to the fish as tit can be dosed in the fish foods.
Use Metronizazole.

Next part, I discuss my method of curing this internal bacterial disease and the medicine used, of course feeding one. Frankly speaking I also have very slim chance for curing the non-feeding one.

How to Quarantine Marine Fish

It is always important to quarantine the newly brought fish before introducing it to main display tank. Newly brought fishes carried diseases from from wild such as marine ich, velvet, flukes, worms, etc.

It normally need to quarantine for 3-4 weeks. Without quarantine the fish, it is very difficult to cure the fishes in the main display tank and it is very costly as some of the fishes will die once the disease enters the tank.

Below shows my quarantine tank

1. Tank : It can made of a plastic tub, mine is from Ikea. 
2. Rocks : Add enough live rocks for the fish to hide and to generate enough good bacteria to prevent ammonia and NO2. 
3. Filter: I have a pump to pump water to container with filter media and sponge (something like a over head filter - DIY)
4. Wave maker: It is good to have it to generate more flow in the water.
5. Water change: I used water from the main display tank for water change (weekly) - Make sure the main tank does not have diseases.
6. Medication: Cupramine and Praziquental
1. Praziquental is for flukes and worms 
2. Cupramine is for ich

With the correct doses of cupramine, the challenge is the fish not eating and the external bacteria, such as pop eye, fin rot, skin ulcer, etc, coming in. No good solution....


A very good articles on quarantine from advanced aquarist is shown below:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/blog/quarantining-marine-fish-made-simple

Lionfish Fillet anyone?

If you are interested to eat a Lionfish after it grows too large in your aquarium:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx3tf71TdfE

One more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmNA-ffeDFM

But not for me ..........

Fish Tank as at 9 Nov 12

at 9 Nov 12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE_VC8M2CSM

Marine Shrimps

Introduction of different Marine shrimp:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5z4LAXkLp0Y

Marine Tank as at 21 Oct 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjnd93BqFPg

My FOWLR as at 14 Oct 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVt83uV_aCc

My FOWLR as at 03 Oct 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JB_PZJIwoxk

Fish Diseases (bacterial infection) part 2

Bacterial inflection is mostly due to poor quality of water condition and poor nutrition of food given.

I suggest that:

1. Increase the frequency of water change by 2 times.If the condition of the fish does not improve, increase the frequency of water change to 3 times. Each time about 20% to 40% of the water.
2. Install UV light. This will kill some floating bacteria in the water but it also kill good bacteria.
3. Add carbon to improve the quality of water.
4. Add vitamins to the food.

Pico Tank as at 19 Feb 13

More than one year now, present livestocks:
a) 1x common clownfish
b) 1x Pink skunk clownfish
c) 1x yellowtail damsel
d) 1x Banggai Cardinalfish
e) 1x Singapore angel
f) 1x Green Mandrain


Thinking of doing a major clean up....... too dirty.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zW-7RdyK3kU

Fish Diseases (bacterial infection)

In Marine aquarium especially in FOWLR, the common disease are Parasitic Infestations.

Examples of Parasitic Infestations are Marine velvet, ich, Tang back spot, Tremode infestation, etc., normally it can be solved by two medicines: Praziquantel and copper. Those two medicine will solve most of the diseases you encountered in the FOWLR aquarium.

Beside the Parasitic Infestations, the most challanging is the Bacterial Infections such as

• Fin Rot
• Fish tuberculosis, wasting disease
• Vibriosis, ulcer disease

Normally, bacterial Infections are not a fast killer, but it is also very difficult to cure diseases. Most of the times, it will eventually kill the fish if it is not solved.

My FOWLR as at 21 Sept 2012

Now with LED lighting..

One of the peak time........ before been hit by diseases in end of OCT 12 .....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nRdRN_L08o

Removing green aglae

Interesting video to remove green algae...

Maybe can use vinegar instead of bleach.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuP__Ki-hKs

My FOWLR as at 20 Aug 2012

Changing from T5 to LEDs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3f7SW-Qp1s

Great Video: Below Koh Tao 2012

Another great video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VktZ_5yrvSA