Triton method

Rhoads238

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Hey everyone,

I'm hoping to get some insight from those of you who are using or have used the triton method. I'm considering running it on my upcoming build and would like to hear what you guys think of it. The tank I am going to be running will be a mixed reef leaning more toward SPS. I am really looking for a method that will help me produce the best results in terms of growth and coloration of my corals. I feel like I've been having a hard time deciding about wether to go this route or not.

I have been interested in triton because the dosing of trace elements is scaled to the use of alkalinity. This sounds like a good approach to managing trace elements to me. I would like to avoid blind dosing trace elements. You can't test for everything and some of the trace elements that you can test for are difficult to perform and have hard to read results. ICP testing seems like it would be a good way to keep track of whats going on with this

The use of a refugium also sounds like a nice low maintenance approach to nutrient export. I want my tank to be able to handle a heavy feeding regimen. I would like to keep a school of anthias and multiple tangs. This will require heavy feeding to limit aggression and meet the nutritional requirements of fish that swim a lot. I believe the triton method boosts macro algae growth and this should help keep nitrate and phosphate down and hopefully limit nuisance algae.

One thing that I am concerned about is the claim of not needing to do water changes. I am going to have a shallow sand bed in the tank and this will need to be vacuumed. It is also my intent to use the removed water from the tank to run my qt systems. Am I misunderstanding that water changes are not needed or are not recommended?

I am also wondering about the choice of not using filter socks with the triton method. In the past I would run socks only after water changes or if I wanted to turkey baste my rocks. The triton sump i am looking at does not have the ability to run socks. If I choose a sump that has filter socks, I would not meet the 10% volume requirement for triton. I am looking at the synergy reef ts60 and cl60 for reference.

I also see that awhile back, that there were some stocking issues and a lot of people were complaining that they were unable to buy the base elements and that there were also issues of leaking containers. Have these issues been resolved?


I would love to hear your thoughts and see pics of your triton method tanks. Let me know how long you've been running it and how your experience has been so far. Thanks for the info!
 

Subsea

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I think either BRS or Triton has a vendor forum, that could answer your questions.

I have been running a modified Triton System for about 45 years. I have used an algae filter with no testing and zero water change for several years. Now, once a year, I do a 100% water change over a 7 day period.

 

schuby

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My 150-gal reef tank, that I started January of last year, was configured to be ready to run the Triton method. My understanding from reading on their web-site is that your tank should be mature and stable before starting the Triton method. New tanks with almost nothing in them don't require any dosing. My tank is fairly stable and mature now, but I'm fine dosing ESV 2-part and running chaeto (first time, not used in previous tank). The idea of no water changes was what first attracted me to this method. My tank has AWC via a DOS: I just change out a 5-gal jug with new salt water, dump another 5-gal jug of old salt water (every 2 days) and water-change is done (10% a week).

I know this isn't what you asked, but I invested in all the physical aspects required for the Triton method and chose not to employ it. One painful lesson I learned is that chaeto requires trace amounts of iron to grow. Otherwise, it dies from lack of iron and then releases all the phosphate and nitrate that it had previously consumed from your tank.
 

Pistondog

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Triton for 2 years. Refugium with lots of live rock, pods and a blanket of chAeto on top, $50 intense horticulture led. No sox. Good skimmer. Ozone an hour a day for water clarity with gac. No water changes unless a triton test result asks for it.
Nitrates 2ppm, 0.07 phosphate.
Ran esv b ionic before, that was good too.
I have started with some sps recently, so can't comment on sps success with triton.
Soft corals and lps.
 

Subsea

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@shuby
“One painful lesson I learned is that chaeto requires trace amounts of iron to grow. Otherwise, it dies from lack of iron and then releases all the phosphate and nitrate that it had previously consumed from your tank.“

what you have described is macro going sexual, normally associated with fast growing Caulerpa. When I saw the Triton System tested by BRS, I was amazed at the large volume of fresh & live seafood feed to tank. Considering the large input of organic fresh marine food, I can only imagine all trace minerals are added at that time.
 
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Rhoads238

Rhoads238

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I think either BRS or Triton has a vendor forum, that could answer your questions.

I have been running a modified Triton System for about 45 years. I have used an algae filter with no testing and zero water change for several years. Now, once a year, I do a 100% water change over a 7 day period.


Nice build thread. I always found a cryptic zone interesting. I used to love laying on my floor and looking at my fuge with a magnifying glass at all of the life down there in the rocks. I am considering going this route again in my fuge with miracle mud and rubble rock

My 150-gal reef tank, that I started January of last year, was configured to be ready to run the Triton method. My understanding from reading on their web-site is that your tank should be mature and stable before starting the Triton method. New tanks with almost nothing in them don't require any dosing. My tank is fairly stable and mature now, but I'm fine dosing ESV 2-part and running chaeto (first time, not used in previous tank). The idea of no water changes was what first attracted me to this method. My tank has AWC via a DOS: I just change out a 5-gal jug with new salt water, dump another 5-gal jug of old salt water (every 2 days) and water-change is done (10% a week).

I know this isn't what you asked, but I invested in all the physical aspects required for the Triton method and chose not to employ it. One painful lesson I learned is that chaeto requires trace amounts of iron to grow. Otherwise, it dies from lack of iron and then releases all the phosphate and nitrate that it had previously consumed from your tank.

How long have you been doing AWC with the DOS? Do you feel like you can trust it? I will be using mine for ATO and also setting up for possible future AWC. It will be hooked up to my saltwater mixing station so I really don't want to flood the house lol.

When i set my last tank up I got a macro algae pack from ipsf, the tank was too young for it, and all of it died which caused a massive amount of hair algae to grow. I'm not 100% sure why it died but my guess is i probably starved it because there were no fish in the tank at the time.
 

schuby

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I've been using a DOS for AWC (on my 140-gal total water volume system) for 22 months. The only issue is the tubing doesn't seat well for the first 3-6 months. If you re-seat the IN and OUT tubing for both heads every few months, you shouldn't have any problems. I had some wetness on the bottom of my cabinet/stand, but no floods: the tubes never fell off. Once the tubing conforms, it doesn't leak. I haven't had a leak for at least a year.

I re-calibrate the DOS when I see my salinity start to drift. Maybe every 4-6 months.

Other than that, it has been extremely reliable. I change out two gallons every day (10% a week). The add-cycle runs from 00:01 to 23:57 (8000 mL) and the remove-cycle runs from 00:03 to 23:59 (8000 mL). By staggering them, I cut the noise level in half. By spreading it over 24 hours, the heads run the slowest possible and produce the least amount of noise. Hopefully, wear and tear is less, too. My tank is in my living room, behind my couch, and my stand is made of 18mm (3/4") baltic birch plywood. When the room is silent, you can barely hear the DOS running the AWS, just a low hum.

I use the Neptune ATK for Auto-TopOff. The only issue with it is the FMM goes offline once or twice a year. In Apex, I log when the ATO runs and I check daily that it is (quick check on Fusion). Never had ATO on my previous 90-gal tank. Never want to not have it again.
 
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