Who's doing the full triton method?
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Scott.h
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that, makes sense. This tank is about 7 months old. Something like 15 sps frags, 20 Zoe frags, and a handful of lps. Only Dosing 4 ml each of two part a day now. I'm thinking it would probably be less then the 8ml demand right now, but more later as stuff grows.
d2mini
5000 Club Member
Algae problems after the refugium ate up all my nutrients and then crashed (the fuge, not the display), releasing all those nutrients slowly back into the display.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hey-triton-whats-going-on-with-my-macro-algae.281922/
Decided I didn't want to run a system that could be thrown out of balance so easily. Went back to my old ways which always worked fine for me.
Long term buying a good quality doser is the only way to go. I have a couple of apex dos.
There is really a limit to the size tank that can be done using this method if it well stocked. Triton Germany has an amazing well stocked tank but he can walk in the back and pick up another bottle every other day (which I suspect he needs).
I plan on re-evaluating when my current 10L is done if going the calcium reactor route is a better/cheaper idea. I'd then use my dosers to supplement some of the things that are not able to be done with a calcium reactor.
I used the Triton method for about 6 months. corals responded well and everything was healthy including the hair algae that I could never quit get rid of. Tried Aquaforest which also seemed fine but saw now difference in livestock health. Also suspicious of the amount of products that kept coming out; all supposedly necessary and increasingly expensive. Still had hair algae problem which was slightly improved with the use of Vibrant. Switched to Red Sea system about 3 months ago. Algae issue is gone. Have to clean glass every week to 10 days. See no difference in coral health or growth rate.
jaws789832
Active Member
I followed d2mini's thread for a while and he was following the method to the T in which they state just leave the fuge alone, let it ebb and flow. I don't like that idea so I actually remove the algae from my fuge weekly and let it grow back. I use the kessil grow light which grows it very quickly. My phosphates always stay a little low but I compensate for this by overfeeding which makes my fish very happy lol. I will keep an eye out for the 10 l bottles then and hopefully my next order can be with those. That should last me about a year at my present rate, and that will be nice not having to worry about reordering so often. Is there a shelf life on the product? does it lose potency over time once opened? That would be my only concern with doing that.
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Scott.h
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thats kinda what I'm afraid of. Right now I have a tiny bit of macro just to outcompete the algae in the display. No issues other then seemingly wasting saltwater to make sure the actual trace elements stays there.
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Scott.h
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so did adding no3 revive the sump? I suspect so. Or was your old meathod skimming with no macro? Which you went back to?
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Scott.h
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plus they can retest their water whenever, rather then waiting two weeks.
I have a dos, but I'd need two more heads. I'd probably get a ghl (at $450) and use the dos on another tank. That's worth 4.5 buckets of salt alone. At this point with my demands.. Plus where your at with future demands. Eventually I'd need a cal reactor most likely for my plans. It's always fun changing methods with thousands of corals on the line.
d2mini
5000 Club Member
The fuge started coming back eventually but the display was a mess.
You can check out my build thread in my sig. Went back to a berlin sump with refugium and dosing two-part. Eventually will go back to a CaRx.
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Scott.h
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very nice! Lots of growth. That's one big chunk of rock. Any issues along the way?
Full Triton Method 2 years later.
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Scott.h
Valuable Member
Do you guys use a cheater conversion chart when trying to do the math on the numbers we typically use?
Na is 10077 mg/l
shows on the low side as it's supposed to be 1.255. So I don't know what that means
Also I keep my kh at 7.0 or just under and it reads 413 mg/l
Just trying to make sense of their translation
Na is 10077 mg/l
shows on the low side as it's supposed to be 1.255. So I don't know what that means
Also I keep my kh at 7.0 or just under and it reads 413 mg/l
Just trying to make sense of their translation
I think for Na you are using two different scales one is ppm and the other is ?specific gravity? We need what your measurement is to better guide you.
As far as dKh triton (or any Icp test) cannot measure the constituents as they are molecules and triton can only give you ratios of indevidual atoms. You'll notice that the only molecule that they "test" for is PO4 and that is a mathematical conversion of its measurement of phosphorus. You flat out cannot measure or interpret dKh from a triton test.
As far as dKh triton (or any Icp test) cannot measure the constituents as they are molecules and triton can only give you ratios of indevidual atoms. You'll notice that the only molecule that they "test" for is PO4 and that is a mathematical conversion of its measurement of phosphorus. You flat out cannot measure or interpret dKh from a triton test.
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Scott.h
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So k is potassium. I can't find dkh?
Everything is spot on with the exception of iron. It's between yellow and red at 2.479hg/l. I'd assume from fish food. I don't know if that's a concern or not.
Na shows a tad low in the yellow low end, and iodine is bottomed out at zero. Obviously I need to dose that. So the question is what product and how much a day/week
Everything is spot on with the exception of iron. It's between yellow and red at 2.479hg/l. I'd assume from fish food. I don't know if that's a concern or not.
Na shows a tad low in the yellow low end, and iodine is bottomed out at zero. Obviously I need to dose that. So the question is what product and how much a day/week
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Scott.h
Valuable Member
DKh even in the triton method is monitored by other tests. I use a Hanna checker mostly because I suck a titrations (Us the measurement done when you start to change color or when it stops changing) and it is faster for me because of that. I've used a bunch of others and salifert is a good one. API are not high enough resolution for me. Red Sea is another good one. Ask around others will have different opinions.
You could add some NaCl to the tank (please no table salt) and keep everything the same as far as the rest of the major elements go. Or you could pause your additions of other elements and add some mixed saltwater to bring your salinity up a bit. This will increase the saturation of all the elements in the mixed saltwater hence the pause in other additions except for the monitoring of alk potentially.
As to how much and if it is a worthwhile addition I'll leave that to others.
I dose iodine lots of people randy included do not. As far as dosing amount at the top of your triton page there should be a dose link that will take the water volume you provided and give you the amount of their product to dose over what time period. If you wanted to use say brighwells lugols iodine you'd follow ttheir instructions to bring your concentration to the desired level.
Iron is usually caused by either contaminated additives or a corroding metal item in or around the tank. If I recal simply finding the source should be enough for that ammont as the uptake of iron in a reef tank is crazy fast. I bow to the chemists on that however.
You could add some NaCl to the tank (please no table salt) and keep everything the same as far as the rest of the major elements go. Or you could pause your additions of other elements and add some mixed saltwater to bring your salinity up a bit. This will increase the saturation of all the elements in the mixed saltwater hence the pause in other additions except for the monitoring of alk potentially.
As to how much and if it is a worthwhile addition I'll leave that to others.
I dose iodine lots of people randy included do not. As far as dosing amount at the top of your triton page there should be a dose link that will take the water volume you provided and give you the amount of their product to dose over what time period. If you wanted to use say brighwells lugols iodine you'd follow ttheir instructions to bring your concentration to the desired level.
Iron is usually caused by either contaminated additives or a corroding metal item in or around the tank. If I recal simply finding the source should be enough for that ammont as the uptake of iron in a reef tank is crazy fast. I bow to the chemists on that however.
To more directly answer your dKh question.
Nope icp essentially blasts everything that is put into it into individual atoms using an argon plasma (6000-10000 kelvin) and then measured by spectrometer (I think). So it lacks the ability to differentiate between an hydrogen atom bound to another hydrogen and an oxygen atom (water h2o) and a hydrogen bound to a carbon and three oxygen atom(bicarbonate HCO3-).
Nope icp essentially blasts everything that is put into it into individual atoms using an argon plasma (6000-10000 kelvin) and then measured by spectrometer (I think). So it lacks the ability to differentiate between an hydrogen atom bound to another hydrogen and an oxygen atom (water h2o) and a hydrogen bound to a carbon and three oxygen atom(bicarbonate HCO3-).
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Scott.h
Valuable Member
I understand the dkh now. I'm good with Salifert and keeping the number stable, whatever the actual number. I just figured I'd cross reference.
What does that salinity number transfer to? I don't know that I want to increase my salinity. As my calibrated refractometer, calibrated salinity probe, and glass bobber all read at least 34 ppt. I'm just wondering what thier number actually reads to the numbers we use. Or if there is another part to Na. Chloride? Mg is elevated, without dosing so maybe one higher, one part lower even out. Not sure.
Ironically I've been reading through the site on iodine. Seems many tests have came back zero, and read Randy's option on it all over. I was thinking of buying some from the pharmacy and getting a sailifert kit. At least to raise if off zero, but it seems it doesn't matter.
This tank has been up for 7 months, with all new top of the line equipment. I did dose fuel a few times, but I can't imagine what would be leaching. Maybe my marine pure blocks. al is slightly elevated as expected but in the green. Nothing metal in the tank. No clamps. External powerheads and external return pump. New heaters, ti ground probe, and my skimmer pump. ..Other then marine pure. Maybe elevated in the salt itself? So I'm wondering if it could cause a problem. I'm also wondering if my macro will take it up over time, as I know people dose it for plants.
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Scott.h
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So I've found the "help" tab. Seems my iron could be from iron based gfo which I used the first two months, low ph which I struggled with through the winter, and aminos, which I dosed a handful of times. I'll have to pull apart my skimmer pump to double check that.
So I think I'll buy one more bucket of salt to do a few more water changes. Hopefully get my marine pure to stop leaching, then pick up triton core 7 and start that in a few weeks. I'm a little nervous on messing with my dkh though. Whatever is in the bottles I don't want to raise my alkalinity much over 7.0. Too much money is sps to jack with them.
So I think I'll buy one more bucket of salt to do a few more water changes. Hopefully get my marine pure to stop leaching, then pick up triton core 7 and start that in a few weeks. I'm a little nervous on messing with my dkh though. Whatever is in the bottles I don't want to raise my alkalinity much over 7.0. Too much money is sps to jack with them.
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