Triton Method Advice Please

[dirtdobber06]

So I started Triton Method about a month ago. I have a 120 ga that has been running for over 7 years. So I am using Core 7 Base and am dosing about 4 mL/day (divided). I think I started this on about May 11th. After I figured out my daily dose of the elements I collected a sample and sent for analysis. The items that are low include I, B, S, Mo, Mn, V. So these items need to be dosed. They also recommend doing 6x15% water changes to lower Mg, Bromine, and Sulfur. I could not find the Triton salt but they recommended Marin Pro also so I ordered some of this salt to do the water changes. My questions are as follows:
1. Should I do the water changes, then retest before purchasing the individual elements?
2. Can you rank the importance of the elements I need to purchase as I may want to spread out buying all these bottles.

Would you recommend I start dosing additives while I do the water changes?
I do have some Lugols but I will have to order all triton additives

Iodine was 0 Setpoint 60.00 ug/l
Boron was 3.87 Setpoint 4.5
Strontium 5.36 Setpoint 8.00
Molybdenum 0 Setpoint 12
Manganese 0 Setpoint 2.0
Vanadium 0 Setpoint 1.2

Magnesium was 1563 Setpoint 1370
Phosphate 0 Setpoint 0.018
Phosphorus 0 setpoint 6
Bromine 79, Setpoint 62

Thoughts?

 

[K100286]

I have a 150gal. tank using the triton system. I don't pretend to be a chemist so this is my advice based on all I have read about triton dosing and dosing in general. To start you stated you only dose 4ml. Is this 4ml of each bottle? I assume it is and if so it is way too low. I would start at 15ml and test alk. each day. This is very important, because 1. You need to get your alk. at 8 or close too it. 2. The bottles contain all the elements you need. I would test only the major elements(ca.,mag and alk.)
The only thing I would do while doing the water changes would increase your. Po4. Zero is not advisable. Your corals need some. Mag. is high, but not fatal. Until you get a reading on your alk.you can't adjust your triton dosing. The water changes may correct your imbalances, so I wouldn't send a test in until you finish changing the water. At 15% for 6 weeks this will change almost all you water.
Sorry I can't speak to if some of your imbalances are important. It would be best ask RANDY. He's the expert chemist. Good luck.

 

[dirtdobber06]

I am dosing 4 ml of the core base7 elements. dKh is 7.4. TheY are recommending dkh 7 with these. They are more concentrated. I will take Phosban offline. I'm testing alkalinity every other day with Hanna meter. Appreciate your help.

 

[dirtdobber06]

Triton US

 

[Scott.h]

If you have not figured this out yet I have been using tropic pro coincidentally prior to starting triton. All my trace were spot on prior to testing. Mg and Cal was elevated for my liking, but if I were you I'd just do a few bigger water changes to get everything squared away and resend a sample in a month.

 

[d2mini]

TheY are recommending dkh 7 with these. They are more concentrated.

Are you sure about that?
Yes the core7 is more concentrated so you don't have to dose nearly as much, but I thought Triton still recommends dkh of around 8.0, regardless of which version of their elements you are using.

 

[Scott.h]

Are you sure about that?
Yes the core7 is more concentrated so you don't have to dose nearly as much, but I thought Triton still recommends dkh of around 8.0, regardless of which version of their elements you are using.

The system paperwork does say 8.0, however the system was actually designed to work at 7.0, and had been verified lower is ok too. Most don't keep it that low. I keep mine at 7.0. Low nutrients.

 

[bubbaque]

Are you sure about that?
Yes the core7 is more concentrated so you don't have to dose nearly as much, but I thought Triton still recommends dkh of around 8.0, regardless of which version of their elements you are using.

The actual bottle of the core 7 says a dkh of 8 but their website says 7 dkh for core 7. I don't like how it's not consistent. This is from their site:

 

[Scott.h]

The actual bottle of the core 7 says a dkh of 8 but their website says 7 dkh for core 7. I don't like how it's not consistent. This is from their site:

Just keep it consistent to what it's used to. If you have a bit of no3/po4, and you can run 8.0 with no issues, do it. You'll get elevated growth. If you are at 7.5 and want to get to 8, increase it slowly over several days. If you are at 7.5 with no issues, leave it alone. If you're over 8.0 let it fall naturally.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Iodine was 0 Setpoint 60.00 ug/l
Boron was 3.87 Setpoint 4.5
Strontium 5.36 Setpoint 8.00
Molybdenum 0 Setpoint 12
Manganese 0 Setpoint 2.0
Vanadium 0 Setpoint 1.2

Magnesium was 1563 Setpoint 1370
Phosphate 0 Setpoint 0.018
Phosphorus 0 setpoint 6
Bromine 79, Setpoint 62

Thoughts?

My thoughts are that iodine, strontium, and boron are not worth spending money on, regardless of them being low. I don't consider them useful for an ordinary reef tank.

 

[dirtdobber06]

Just got back from vacation and I plan on doing the 6 weekly water changes and retesting. I am having issues with bryopsis. I thought it was all gone but has been coming back slowly. I think the Skimmer wasn't working while I was gone. Everything is still alive but tank looks very dirty. The corals actually look pretty good. I moved my pencil urchins back up to tank from sump and picked up some emerald crabs before I left on vacation. I also recently added some calurpa and the sb reeflight sump light. If any corals are threatened I will take them out and spray with peroxide. I'm not freaking out like I used to about stuff.

I don't think my previous sump lighting was sufficient for Triton. Also going to start feeding LRS food.

 

[Greybeard]

Just keep it consistent to what it's used to. If you have a bit of no3/po4, and you can run 8.0 with no issues, do it. You'll get elevated growth. If you are at 7.5 and want to get to 8, increase it slowly over several days. If you are at 7.5 with no issues, leave it alone. If you're over 8.0 let it fall naturally.

From my reading, I'd say consistency is key. I'm starting my first Triton system, and have been reading everything I can find on it. I don't really think it matters much what your dKH ends up at, the idea is to keep it as stable as possible at that point. 7, 8, really doesn't make a difference.

Somebody comes out with an inexpensive, reliable dKH monitor, they'll be rich. Several companies working on automated Alkalinity testing, but AFAIK, it's not really available yet. You get that to market, complete the US based Triton testing facility, and throw in BRS selling Triton now... I expect Triton to become pretty popular in the near future.

 

[Scott.h]

From my reading, I'd say consistency is key. I'm starting my first Triton system, and have been reading everything I can find on it. I don't really think it matters much what your dKH ends up at, the idea is to keep it as stable as possible at that point. 7, 8, really doesn't make a difference.

Somebody comes out with an inexpensive, reliable dKH monitor, they'll be rich. Several companies working on automated Alkalinity testing, but AFAIK, it's not really available yet. You get that to market, complete the US based Triton testing facility, and throw in BRS selling Triton now... I expect Triton to become pretty popular in the near future.

Exactly. Just aim for the same alk mark you had previous. Just a tip, the triton alk is quite a bit diluted if you are comparing to the brs ash. If you are using, for example 10 mil a day saturated soda ash, dosing 10 ml a day of 3a and another 10 ml a day 10b will get you close. In other words with 10a and b being the alk, you feel like you are adding a lot, but think of triton 50% strength then what you are used to.

Before I figured out my daily no3 consumption and started daily dosing nitrate and phosphate, I could not get my kh past 7.0. No matter how slow I went about it It agitate the tips of some. Since triton, I have not tried to raise it, but I still don't see a need to change it. In fact the less alk I add, the less cal and mg I'm adding too. With those other elements already being elevated previous, its probably better that I'm not adding as much.

 

[dirtdobber06]

I did the first of 6 recommend weekly water changes with the Marin Pro Salt. Could not find Triton Pure Salt. Bryopsis and Aiptasia are a problem right now.

 

[dirtdobber06]

I am getting to the bottom of the first set of bottles and dosing pumps are not dosing equally. Should I let the pumps finish the other bottles before starting the new bottles? Apparently all of the brs dosing pumps don't dose exactly the same amount over time. I thought(I was measuring amount dispensed before I let them dose straight into the tank) they were but bottle 1 is almost empty and there is still 1.5 inches of liquid in the other bottles.
Thoughts?

 

[HeadStrongGrafx]

customer rep told me 7-9 dkh My dkh is 11 now so Im going to do a large water change to try to bring that down. Ive been waiting 2 weeks now since i got the email for my all to drop so i can continue dosing but it hasn't.

Hi Jason,
The Dose recommendations are for your trace adjustments, nothing to do with your base dosage, that stays the same and is adjusted to maintain a KH of between 7-9.

Best Regards
Tim Caldwell
Support Team

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

customer rep told me 7-9 dkh My dkh is 11 now so Im going to do a large water change to try to bring that down. Ive been waiting 2 weeks now since i got the email for my all to drop so i can continue dosing but it hasn't.

Hi Jason,
The Dose recommendations are for your trace adjustments, nothing to do with your base dosage, that stays the same and is adjusted to maintain a KH of between 7-9.

Best Regards
Tim Caldwell
Support Team

Water changes aren't usually the best way to reduce alkalinity. Just waiting is usually sufficient.

 

[dirtdobber06]

What are everyones thoughts on deep sand bed with Tritin? I am having issues 1st with Bryopsis then after I killed that Cyano. Sooo I switched to Core7 for Other Methods and did a few weekly water changes at 20%+. Now I'm doing every other week. Cyano is still in there. I know I don't have the recommended flow through the new Trigger Triton 44 sump but I can' decid if I should drill the tank (in place) or just add a higher rated overflow so I can get a higher rated return pump.
I'm also considering adding another Gyre, a Kessil H380 (currently using a sb relight sprite sump light), and removing some sand and rock.