Triton switch over on 380 Gallon stocked tank

[Andy]

this weekend I added more macro to fudge, took the BRS aslk, calcium, & MG offline. Hooked up a new GHL doser 2 & started CORE7 Triton.


dosing 24ML= 1ml X 24 times a day
9-5 Day one alk at 8.45
9-6 alk 8.288
9-7 alk 7.168 Increased dosage to 28ML day


Open to any suggestions or comments

 

[Andy]

A few pics

 

[Tim@Triton]

Keep monitoring and adjust daily for the first couple of weeks, seeing how stocked you are I would expect your consumption to rise some more before it settles out...

Keep an eye on your nutrient levels also, you don't mention your nutrient control method prior to the change over, were you using the algae fuge previously?

 

[Andy]

Yes macro, GFO, and bio pellets. Was doing 100- 125 gallon water changes every week

 

[Tim@Triton]

If you plan and taking the Bio pellets offline make sure you do it very slowly to allow time for the Algae bed to be able to handle the nutrient load, over a few weeks ideally.

 

[Andy]

Increased to 34 last night. Alk dropped to 6.9 this morning and I increased to 40ml a day

 

[revhtree]

Beautiful reef!

 

[Andy]

Beautiful reef!

Thank you. Hopefully I can level off this triton soon.

 

[Salty1962]

Love to see before and after shoots. I'm thinking about this as well.

 

[Andy]

All dropped again to 6.72

Increased to 50ml

This is getting in the dangerous area.

Triton. Any comments or recon

 

[kc350twin]

Great looking reef!

Have you done any ICP tests? if so what were you results?

 

[Andy]

About a month ago. Everything good except high AL (probably media blocks which have been removed) or reef crystals. Iodine low.

 

[Andy]

This stuff is supposed to raise alk, right ???

 

[d2mini]

Andy, while getting mine dialed in (and seeing Alk drops) I used baking soda to get the alk back to 8.0.
In other words, if my alk dropped to 7.5, would mix up the appropriate amount of baking soda/water and add that to the tank to get it back to 8.0.
If I saw further drop a day or two later, I would repeat the exercise.
Eventually I found the correct dosage and it stayed at 8.0.
Until things started to grow and I started seeing a drop again and I did the same thing once or twice to get it back to a solid 8.0.

 

[Andy]

I may have to add some BRS alk soda ash to get it up, this is not raising like i thought it would. At this rate I will go thru a set of CORE 7 in about 16 days!

Thanks Dennis

 

[ksc]

How many ml's of the BRS soda ash mixture were you using?

 

[d2mini]

Yeah, just like with a calcium reactor, never use it to raise... use it to hold.
Otherwise you'll be chasing numbers forever. Plus you'll use less of the Triton while you figure it out.

 

[Andy]

I was using a gallon every 8 days of BRS.

Numbers Saturday
alk 7.11
PO4.07
NO3 4
CA dropped from normal 450 to 420

This morning
alk 6.944

So what should i do. If current dosing, now up to 60ml/day is not holding alk, how is a lower dose going to hold it once i get it up?

Should I hook the alk/calcium/ MG dosing back up to run along with the Triton?

Thought the old doser was at 29ml X 24 times a day but the math does not work out with using a gallon every 8 days

1 gallon =3785 ml / 8 days = 473.125 per day / 24 doses = 19.71 per dose

MAybe cut all the dosing on the BRS to half & test twice a day?

What should I cut Triton down to if any?

 

[Andy]

Anyone else getting white stuff gathering on dosing outlet tubes?

 

[BigKid4788]

If you have seen an uptick in ALK (from 6.7 to 6.9) I would stay at that dosage for a couple days to see where you land. My tanks ALK (with Triton) is 7 - 7.2. I know when I get the water test done and my ALK was 8 some of the other elements were too high. NSW AlK is around 6.
In regards to your white stuff gathering that is just precipitation of some of the elements. This is nothing to worry about but you want to clean it off so it doesn't block your tubing. When I clean my skimmer I usually clean the tubs as well. Hopefully this helps.