Fixes to main parameter balance issues

[Tim@Triton]

Solutions to "balance issues"

Scenario 1
Alk Low
Ca Low
Mg Low
Solution - Raise all equally

Scenario 2
Alk High
Ca High
Mg High
Solution - Lower all equally

Scenario 3
Alk Ok
Ca Ok
Mg Ok
Solution - Maintain dose

Scenario 4
Alk Low
Ca Ok
Mg Ok
Solution - Maintain dose, dose additional TRITON CO3 liquid buffer/NaHCO DIY Salts to raise Alk then maintain

Scenario 5
Alk Ok
Ca Low
Mg Ok
Solution - Maintain dose, dose additional TRITON Calcium liquid buffer/CaCl2 DIY Salts to raise Ca then maintain

Scenario 6
Alk Ok
Ca Ok
Mg Low
Solution - Maintain dose, dose additional TRITON Magnesium liquid buffer/MgCl2 DIY Salts to raise Mg then maintain

Scenario 7
Alk Ok
Ca High
Mg Ok
Solution - Maintain dose on channels 1/3a/3b reduce dose of channel 2 until Calcium level drops to required amount.

Scenario 8
Alk Ok
Ca Ok
Mg High
Solution - Maintain dose, water change to reduce elevated Magnesium levels. (Only if Mg very high)

Scenario 9
Alk Ok
Ca High
Mg High
Solution - Check KH test for accuracy, reduce dose of all solutions, set KH to 7 and retest.

 

[HolisticBear]

I believe I read that 3a/3b dosage can be 20% higher than the others. Plenty of tanks consume slightly more Alk than Ca (I mean consume, not testing margin of error).

If the tank can be balanced with 20% higher 3a/3b dose, is that still the recommendation or is it manually dose Alk to maintain equal dose of all 4?

 

[Tim@Triton]

I believe I read that 3a/3b dosage can be 20% higher than the others. Plenty of tanks consume slightly more Alk than Ca (I mean consume, not testing margin of error).

If the tank can be balanced with 20% higher 3a/3b dose, is that still the recommendation or is it manually dose Alk to maintain equal dose of all 4?

Where did you read that?

All doses should be equal, the only exception is when Calcium is too high then number 2 can be dosed differently

 

[HolisticBear]

All doses should be equal, the only exception is when Calcium is too high then number 2 can be dosed differently

R2R, but can't find the post now. I recall someone quoting a Triton email response when the user asked about manually adding having to add Alk every 3rd day and the email stated while all doses should be equal, 15-20% variation was allowed on 3a/3b. My memory could be faulty or the user could have had bad info. Basically trying to get away from any manual dosing on long term unequal consumption.

EDIT: This was in regard to 'other methods'

 

[ervee]

Hi Tim,
Is there any scenario to follow when:
- Alk is high: 9.2
- Ca is low: 310
- Mg is low: 1250
I am dosing 8ml of each solution per day. Tonight I have reduced the 3a and 3b solution from 8ml per day to 6ml per day, should I need to use Ca and Mg buffer to increase the dose ?

I am using the other method until my refugium is finished and ready for Triton.

Thank you

 

[Tim@Triton]

Hi Tim,
Is there any scenario to follow when:
- Alk is high: 9.2
- Ca is low: 310
- Mg is low: 1250
I am dosing 8ml of each solution per day. Tonight I have reduced the 3a and 3b solution from 8ml per day to 6ml per day, should I need to use Ca and Mg buffer to increase the dose ?

I am using the other method until my refugium is finished and ready for Triton.

Thank you

Was your salt mix low on those elements to begin with?

Double check your Alk reading for accuracy first, you can buffer Ca and Mg seperatley if you want but I would get all your main element parameters confirmed with the ICP if you haven't already before taking drastic action.

 

[dirtdobber06]

So I have scenario 9 with alk around 8.2, CA 500, mg 1600 (confirmation with icp should be done in next day or two. I haven't been dosing Core 7 1 for 1.5 or 2 months because the mg has been high. I have been doing water changes with red sea pro every 2 weeks. I am using the other methods core product because I had bad cyano and probably bryopsis growing strong with triton method core product. My chaeto isn't growing. I don't yet have enough flow through the sump and I recently switched from a sb relight on sump to a t5.
120 gallon tank with trigger triton sump.

What do you advise?

 

[dirtdobber06]

Well triton says mg is 1800! Calcium is 532. Potassium is 550. I think I am going to go back to brs 2 part. This is too complicated.

 

[dirtdobber06]

Well triton says mg is 1800! Calcium is 532. Potassium is 550. I think I am going to go back to brs 2 part. This is too complicated.

 

[Land Shark]

Hey Tim, I've been running Core7 for 5 weeks now. Alk tonight is 8.0, Ca is 440 and Mg is 1500. Should I be worried about the Mg level at 1500? I think all is good but thought I'd ask. Thank you sir!

 

[Neil S.]

Solutions to "balance issues"

Scenario 1
Alk Low
Ca Low
Mg Low
Solution - Raise all equally

Scenario 2
Alk High
Ca High
Mg High
Solution - Lower all equally

Scenario 3
Alk Ok
Ca Ok
Mg Ok
Solution - Maintain dose

Scenario 4
Alk Low
Ca Ok
Mg Ok
Solution - Maintain dose, dose additional TRITON CO3 liquid buffer/NaHCO DIY Salts to raise Alk then maintain

Scenario 5
Alk Ok
Ca Low
Mg Ok
Solution - Maintain dose, dose additional TRITON Calcium liquid buffer/CaCl2 DIY Salts to raise Ca then maintain

Scenario 6
Alk Ok
Ca Ok
Mg Low
Solution - Maintain dose, dose additional TRITON Magnesium liquid buffer/MgCl2 DIY Salts to raise Mg then maintain

Scenario 7
Alk Ok
Ca High
Mg Ok
Solution - Maintain dose on channels 1/3a/3b reduce dose of channel 2 until Calcium level drops to required amount.

Scenario 8
Alk Ok
Ca Ok
Mg High
Solution - Maintain dose, water change to reduce elevated Magnesium levels. (Only if Mg very high)

Scenario 9
Alk Ok
Ca High
Mg High
Solution - Check KH test for accuracy, reduce dose of all solutions, set KH to 7 and retest.

Hi Tim. I need some help with a tank running Triton Core7. According to this list my problem would land on Scenario 8 or possibly 9. Here are the numbers Alk: 7.9, Ca: 460, Mg: 1650.

I've verified the testing kit(s) by using two different kits to test for each of the 3 elements. Hanna & Red Sea for Alk, Red Sea and Aquaforest for both Ca & Mg. The tests are showing similar numbers.

I have stopped dosing Core7 - 1 as the Mg is so high, and I am only dosing Ca (Core 7 - 2) once a week at half dose, and Core 7 - 3a & 3b at full dose every day.

The problem is the Mg. It is NOT coming down at all. It is remaining at 1600+ (it was at 1450 prior to starting Core 7). The salt that I'm using is Aquaforest Reef Salt and it lists the Mg at 1350 - 1450. Doing water changes won't bring that number down at all unless I crash the tank and do a 100% water change.

I've been told by my LFS that I should be dosing Core 7 - 1, 3a, 3b equally as the elements are designed to work together. I did do that and all that happened was the Mg went up.

What can I do to remedy this situation?

 

[Reefahholic]

In the event Alkalinity was high but everything else was OK?

 

[CMO]

In the event Alkalinity was high but everything else was OK?

Then just lower the Alk 3a and 3b dose and keep the rest stable.

Part 1 is Mag
Part 2 is Cal
Part 3 a/b are ALk

Just dose each solution to achieve the level of each parameter you'd like. They don't have to be equal (although many tanks track quite well with equal dosing). Mine for example tracked well with equal dosing for the first 1.5 years but is now consuming more alk than the other solutions so I dose heavier on the alk.

 

[Reefahholic]

Then just lower the Alk 3a and 3b dose and keep the rest stable.

Part 1 is Mag
Part 2 is Cal
Part 3 a/b are ALk

Just dose each solution to achieve the level of each parameter you'd like. They don't have to be equal (although many tanks track quite well with equal dosing). Mine for example tracked well with equal dosing for the first 1.5 years but is now consuming more alk than the other solutions so I dose heavier on the alk.

CMO, that is how I normally handle it. Being that these all have trace elements wouldn’t that create a imbalance? Did you read the parameter fixes from Triton?

 

[Reefahholic]

I guess what I’m trying to ask is are the 4 parts set up to dose equal and if they’re not does it create an imbalance with the traces between each part?

 

[CMO]

CMO, that is how I normally handle it. Being that these all have trace elements wouldn’t that create a imbalance? Did you read the parameter fixes from Triton?

It's unlikely that your dosing will be so uneven that it would cause any real issue but I guess it's technically possible. The only things I have to regularly supplement are strontium and Iodine. Otherwise I make minor tweaks here and there to other elements but on whole my water chemistry has stayed very well in line over the years. Good news is if you run regular ICP nothing is going to happen so quick that you can't correct it before it causes any real harm. I run ICP every 1-2 months on my tanks. IMO 3 months is a bit too long as things can go pretty south in that length of time (but perhaps okay for a mature system where you really have things dialed in).

And regardless if an unequal dose causes trace levels to get off, it would only create a deficiency which can be corrected. It would be more detrimental to dose equally and have your major 3 be off than certain trace levels.

 

[Reefahholic]

It's unlikely that your dosing will be so uneven that it would cause any real issue but I guess it's technically possible. The only things I have to regularly supplement are strontium and Iodine. Otherwise I make minor tweaks here and there to other elements but on whole my water chemistry has stayed very well in line over the years. Good news is if you run regular ICP nothing is going to happen so quick that you can't correct it before it causes any real harm. I run ICP every 1-2 months on my tanks. IMO 3 months is a bit too long as things can go pretty south in that length of time (but perhaps okay for a mature system where you really have things dialed in).

And regardless if an unequal dose causes trace levels to get off, it would only create a deficiency which can be corrected. It would be more detrimental to dose equally and have your major 3 be off than certain trace levels.

I think I pretty much agree with that. Let’s ask Julian@triton.

 

[Julian@Triton]

It's unlikely that your dosing will be so uneven that it would cause any real issue but I guess it's technically possible. The only things I have to regularly supplement are strontium and Iodine. Otherwise I make minor tweaks here and there to other elements but on whole my water chemistry has stayed very well in line over the years. Good news is if you run regular ICP nothing is going to happen so quick that you can't correct it before it causes any real harm. I run ICP every 1-2 months on my tanks. IMO 3 months is a bit too long as things can go pretty south in that length of time (but perhaps okay for a mature system where you really have things dialed in).

And regardless if an unequal dose causes trace levels to get off, it would only create a deficiency which can be corrected. It would be more detrimental to dose equally and have your major 3 be off than certain trace levels.

What he said

 

[ReefPig]

Hello guys,
I seem to be struggling with an ongoing issue where alk is being consumed out of ratio with everything else.
My tank is 5 months old and has a large ceramic rock.

I've read that ceramic can uptake alk and I'm certainly seeing that.

Right now I'm dosing 3a and 3b roughly 20% higher than 1 and 2 to keep things broadly in check, but I'm worried this is overdosing other traces.

What are your thoughts and experiance?

Would I be right in thinking that 3a and 3b contain the additional trace elements for macro algae growth?
As an aside, I'm also having other issues with the ceramic that it's leaching PO4 at incredible rates and now have an explosion of GHA in the tank.

I'm thinking of temporarily swapping over to "Other Methods" until things settle down.
Thoughts?

 

[K7BMG]

I do know that all of us Triton users adjust our doses after a while. So the premis of equal ammounts is over long ago.

You bring up a good point about the potential to add unneeded traces.
I dont know if this would be harmful though.