Increasing dosage but alk remaining at 7.0

[kiMxD]

Hello folks,

I need some help in regards to Triton Core 7.
My tank has been running on Triton for about 6 months now. My corals(mainly SPS) weren't doing very well and I recently realized this was because i wasn't dosing enough Triton.

A week ago I increased my dosage from 4ml to 6ml (all 4 components). My alk was at 8.0/8.1.
Last friday I tested alk (Hanna checker and Red Sea) and found out it was at 7.1. I increased the dosage from 8ml to 12ml (12ml would then be dosed on Saturday). I skipped testing on Sunday and just tested alk again today, and it is at 7.0!

I wonder if there is anything wrong, I tested my dosing pump to make sure it is working, I've also added a small powerhead facing upwards where the dosing tubes dispense the triton solutions to make sure it gets mixed up well, everything seems to be functioning properly but my alk didn't increase even 0.1 with my new dose.

My SPS just started to no look happy and I am afraid of losing them.

By the way, my Triton is diluted 1 liter of triton + 500ml of RODI for solutions 1 and 2, and 1.5l of RODI for 3A and 3B.

Should I increase the dosage again? If yes, what would be recommended, since 4ml didn't change anything...

Further, I tried to tag Tim Caldwell to this thread but his name didn't show up, if oyu could tag him that'd be great.

Thank you very much for any assistance and sorry for the long post...

 

[Joe Batt]

There are no blockages and when you manually trigger the dosing pump you can see the liquid dripping in the tank? I had a similar problem and the pump directed on the dosing area cured it, seems very strange. Try Tim on the Facebook group.

How big is your tank and how stocked is it? What is the ca and mg ?

 

[kiMxD]

Hi Joe, no there are no blockages, as I stated, I checked the dosing pump to make sure it was indeed dosing.
My Ca is 390 and my Mg is 1300. They're all low... Tank is 160g, lightly stocked with fish and SPS + small maxima clam.

 

[Tim@Triton]

If your Alk is continuing to drop then keep increasing the dose of all solutions and measuring. There is no set amount to increase each time, if you increased by 4ml and it remained the same then increase by 4 again and test the following day. Carry on doing that until it changes, it might take a while as the solutions have been diluted.
Just make sure that you are dosing into an area of high flow and like Joe says there are no restrictions in the dosing tubes etc.
It is a good sign that Alk is dropping as that means it is being consumed by the corals/clam.

 

[Joe Batt]

A 160 gallon tank is pretty big. And on top of that you have further diluted the elements. I’m with Tim, you need to up the dosage.

 

[kiMxD]

If your Alk is continuing to drop then keep increasing the dose of all solutions and measuring. There is no set amount to increase each time, if you increased by 4ml and it remained the same then increase by 4 again and test the following day. Carry on doing that until it changes, it might take a while as the solutions have been diluted.
Just make sure that you are dosing into an area of high flow and like Joe says there are no restrictions in the dosing tubes etc.
It is a good sign that Alk is dropping as that means it is being consumed by the corals/clam.

Thank you for your assistance to this matter. I have increased and split the doses last night so it doesnt dose a whole bunch in one shot(will be dosed today). I have increased it to 14ml, only +2ml from the previous dosage.
I will test alk tonight again and see where I am at, if still 7.0 I will increase to 18ml...

Thank you Joe as well!

 

[Joe Batt]

Keep the split dosing, it makes for a much more stable tank. I do 12 doses of Kh and 6 of both Ca and Mg.

Just to give you an idea I dose 12ml of 3a 12 of 3b a day on a 100 gallon tank that is moderately stocked. Not diluted like yours either.

 

[kiMxD]

Keep the split dosing, it makes for a much more stable tank. I do 12 doses of Kh and 6 of both Ca and Mg.

Just to give you an idea I dose 12ml of 3a 12 of 3b a day on a 100 gallon tank that is moderately stocked. Not diluted like yours either.

That's actually very helpful. Although this is a new system I've put together about 6 months. I only have small 1-2" frags, a large red cap monti (5-6") and a 3-4" maxima clam. That's why I was thinking that's too much dosing for so little...

 

[ajhudson15]

I dose 32ml of alk into a 75 gallon. I split it on 4 doses. 12am 6 am 12 pm and 6pm

 

[kiMxD]

I dose 32ml of alk into a 75 gallon. I split it on 4 doses. 12am 6 am 12 pm and 6pm

Triton as well?

 

[ajhudson15]

Triton as well?

Not at all.

 

[justingraham]

Triton as well?

32 ml on a 100 gallon heavy sps tank

I think ur dosing to little esp with it being diluted

 

[kiMxD]

32 ml on a 100 gallon heavy sps tank

I think ur dosing to little esp with it being diluted

Thank you for your feedback.

I have increased the dosage last night (will be dosed today).
I've also changed the dosing schedule to as follows:

#1: 5ml at 10:00AM, 5ml at 12:00PM, 5ml at 14:00PM and 5ml at 16:00PM;
#2: 5ml at 10:15AM, 5ml at 12:15PM, 5ml at 14:15PM and 5ml at 16:15PM;
3A: 5ml at 10:30AM, 5ml at 12:30PM, 5ml at 14:30PM and 5ml at 16:30PM;
3B: 5ml at 10:45AM, 5ml at 12:45PM, 5ml at 14:45PM and 5ml at 16:45PM;

What are your thoughts on this schedule? Last night I checked my alk and was still at 7.1 (dosing 14ml). So I've increased to 20ml total and will test today to see how much it will increase. Hopefully will be around 7.8-8.0.
I am not sure, but I guess my small clam consumes a lot of Alk, cause my frags (with excepetion of my monti cap) are pretty small still, as the tank is new...

 

[Joe Batt]

Should be fine. You can actually mix 3a and 3b together in the same container and just dose once (double the dose obviously) It saves you a dose head and gives even more time in the day to space things out.

 

[kiMxD]

Should be fine. You can actually mix 3a and 3b together in the same container and just dose once (double the dose obviously) It saves you a dose head and gives even more time in the day to space things out.

I know I could mix them together, but I have a 4head dosing pump and container (the 4 compartments that BRS sells) all specifically for the triton method, I use this exact same set up in two different tanks.
I hope this new dosage increases alk by tonight, I will measure again then post here.

 

[pluikens]

I know I could mix them together, but I have a 4head dosing pump and container (the 4 compartments that BRS sells) all specifically for the triton method, I use this exact same set up in two different tanks.
I hope this new dosage increases alk by tonight, I will measure again then post here.

How'd it go?

 

[kiMxD]

Not very good, corals were doing fine and alk demand was increasing, then declined, alk starting raising cause corals were not consuming it... A whole mess that I have no idea how started. Thinking to ditch triton method and go back to WC's..

 

[jzw]

just curious, why did you dilute everything?

 

[kiMxD]

just curious, why did you dilute everything?

Because the tank I was using triton was a new tank and diluting would help me increase the dosed amount.

 

[justingraham]

Not very good, corals were doing fine and alk demand was increasing, then declined, alk starting raising cause corals were not consuming it... A whole mess that I have no idea how started. Thinking to ditch triton method and go back to WC's..

I understand your mad but you didn’t follow the triton method properly and then you are blaming triton for it

If it is a young tank maybe going to WC’s is a good idea but triton does work the next time you get the elements I would recommend leaving them be not watering them down

If it was me I would do a big water change after the water change check your alk shut off the doser for a day and measure your alk the same time the next day or possibly two this way you will have an idea of what your daily consumption is then slowly ramp up your dosing to meet the demand