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Vitamin C and Aquarium Livestock Nutrition

by Kenneth Wingerter

When it comes to animal diets, there is not necessarily a close correlation between the normal amount of intake of certain components and the degree to which they are required for normal growth and metabolism. Take for example ascorbic acid (widely known as vitamin C). This compound makes up a freaking miniscule fraction of most animals’ diets, yet they will surely become ill or even die without it. Plants (including algae) can synthesize this substance on their own; however, many aquatic animals (numerous crustaceans, most fishes, etc.) are incapable of vitamin C synthesis and therefore rely on it traveling up the food chain. This makes intermediates in the food chain (such as copepods) quite important over the larger scale of food webs.

While the nutritional importance of vitamin C is widely recognized, few aquarists consider it much when developing a feeding regimen for their captive animals. This article serves as an overview of ascorbic acid and tosses out some suggestions for ensuring that it is present in your animals’ diets.

Vitamin C for life

Most organisms require ascorbic acid for reason or another. This vitamin is involved in a wide variety of metabolic processes. It is an antioxidant. It aids in detoxification. It improves iron absorption. And, it promotes healthy bone growth. In crustaceans (which have a considerable ascorbic acid requirement), vitamin C deficiency is associated with complications during molting, improper collagen growth and darkened lesions over the exoskeleton. In fish, deficiency is associated with poor skin health, scoliosis and an overall lack of fitness.

Deficiencies can easily occur in captivity where captive diets are too often geared towards lower cost and greater convenience rather than nutritional content. Even where some foods might have some vitamin C content to begin with, it can be rapidly lost as it degraded by various actors during processing, storage and handling. These actors include moisture, oxygen, heat and even light. Exposure to any of these can render ascorbic acid into a number of biologically inactive substances. Thus, the ascorbic acid content listed in the “guaranteed analysis” portion of the ingredients section on a product label does not necessarily add up in the product itself.

One thing some aquarists do to compensate for the rapid degradation of this vitamin is simply add some extra quantity. Sure, because animals cannot store vitamin C, any excess is lost as waste. But, fortunately, it is pretty hard to overdose on it. Perhaps at extremely high doses it can crystalize in the kidney and cause issues. But there is for the most part a minimal risk of overdosing this vitamin. Fishkeepers are advised to include approximately 2,000 mg/kg vitamin C in fish feed. Shrimp farmers use a bit more, often using it at a rate of approximately 2,500 mg/kg. 

Curious and adventurous individuals have experimented with adding vitamin C to the water. The vitamin was once believed by some aquarists to be a cure for head and lateral line erosion and was even added directly to the aquarium water in an effort to effect a cure for the malady; however, as it turns out, the effect this treatment had was seriously reducing the system’s pH. On the hand, one study demonstrated that brine shrimp are somehow capable of taking up ascorbic acid directly from the water.

Moving on

Since true plants aren’t abundant in most marine habitats, it is algae (both microalgae and macroalgae) that are responsible for introducing vitamin C into marine food webs. So it’s pretty easy to see how an herbivore such as a tang would introduce ascorbic acid into its diet. But how about a fish like a mandarin that never, ever eats vegetable material? To understand this, let’s consider what mandarins do eat: Pods! Perhaps with very few exceptions, copepods all eat algae at some point of their life cycle (at least while eating phyto as planktonic larvae). Generally, copepods (and certainly the copepod species we seed into our reef tanks) will happily accept microalgae throughout their entire lives. As these little crustaceans graze on phyto and benthic microalgae, they essentially fill their guts with vitamin C; microalgae is loaded with vitamin C (0.11-1.62% dry weight!). When “gut loaded” in this way, they ultimately become a source of vitamin C for the mandarin.

The dietary importance of vitamin C, as well as its high susceptibility for degradation, make it a very good idea to add it via live sources. For your larger algae-eaters such as rabbitfish, sea urchins, etc., you can use algal material that is discarded from a planted refugium. Sea lettuce and red ogo are fantastic choices of macros for this purpose. When it comes to other animals… well, it can get a little more complicated. Because it is difficult to grow phyto directly in a properly filtered aquarium, aquarists often need to add phyto (such as OceanMagik). This phyto (and the vitamin C contained therein) is consumed in different ways. Corals, sponges, tube worms and other filter-feeders can consume it directly. Same with copepod larvae. But it is adult copepods that, through grazing of benthic algae, transfer the vitamin up the food chain. 

It can get into the tank’s food web through multiple means; what’s important in the end is that your animals all have the intake they require how regular growth and development, as well as to resist ailments. While it is always wise to keep close tabs on our lighting, water quality, etc., it might also be a good idea to ensure our creatures are provided with ample vitamin C through quality prepared foods and (better yet) through fresh live algal-based foods.

References

[1] Hoff, Frank H. and Terry W. Snell. Plankton Culture Manual. 6th ed. Dade City, FL: Florida Aqua Farms, Inc., 1987.
[2] Campbell Neil A. and Jane B. Reece. Biology. 6th ed. San Francisco, CA: Benjamin Cummings, 2002.
[3] Hemdal, Jay F. Advanced Marine Aquarium Techniques. Neptune City, NJ: T.F.H. Publications, 2006.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ryorzins says

    I’ve never supplemented my go-to fish food with vitamin -C. Something I should consider adding after reading this informative article.

    Reply

  2. ryorzins says

    I’ve never thought about adding vitamin C to my fishes diet although I do feed a quality food. Perhaps I should consider using a vitamin supplement after reading this informative article.

    Reply

  6. Brian Veach says

    Very cool article about how the food chain works. You don’t think about it often, but every creature in the tank has a role to play in keeping other creatures healthy.

    Reply

  26. sam says

    I’m trying to cure 2 hippo tangs of HLLE. one is really bad off. They are recovering but the small one will always be maimed.

    Reply

  30. tbrown3589 says

    It’s also useful because it’s a natural dechlorinator, but that requires adding it to the water, not the food.

    Reply

  33. alenm826 says

    There are pros and con to using vitamin c in my opinion. Had it set up on a dose but the tube would clog up every time, it was due to the fact that I needed to shake the bottle every couple of days. Over all it’s a good benefit to the reef, first hand experience here

    Reply

  38. James Bradshaw says

    I stopped using phytoplankton when my supply crashed during Texas’ winter storm last year and thought I wouldn’t need it again but I’m going to order more and start up the system again asap!

    Reply

  43. Beth S says

    Look forward to more interesting posts on the micro nutrients. I used to be able to get fresh ocean water for my tank, and it was so amazing. Settling for the salt and additions has been a struggle ever since that became impossible

    Reply

  70. blackadonai says

    I love articles like this. Always makes me feel better about all the work I’ve been putting into setting up systems to grow live foods

    Reply

  79. Kathleen Ryan says

    My crabs have basically mowed down a lot of the macroalgae in my tank except for sea lettuce — maybe they were looking for Vitamin C?

    Reply

  83. markwdunlap88 says

    I am normally very specific regarding my fish and their diet but I’ve never tried Vitamin C. Great article and very helpful information

    Reply

  89. Andrea says

    I never realized how important Vitamin C is in the reef tank! I mean we need it… so guess they do too!

    Reply

  91. sclarke_o says

    I always relied on proven food brands and variety but I’ve not really go as far as supplementing

    Reply

  92. sclarke_o says

    I always relied on proven food brands and variety food type that contain some of the needed nutrients but I’ve not really go as far as supplementing Specific nutrients like vitamin C … good food for thought now ….

    Reply

  118. Manuel Urrutia says

    It is interesting to see the numbers behind what some commercial shrimp farmers use to supplement their livestock to life the best possible life once outside of their care.

    Reply

  139. professorcanswanky says

    Very interesting read. I’ve never really thought of dosing vitamins alone. Definitely something I think more people should talk about.

    Reply

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