What about Triton wasn't working? Just curious.
Good question.
Honestly, I think Triton, full blown triton method, probably needs to be reserved for a more mature tank. Their dosing system, equal parts of the four Core7 components, Didn't work for me. Too much alk, not enough calc, and too much 'algae booster' for my new, immature tank. I was growing algae on the glass, had to scrape it virtually every day, Alk was up over 11dkh, Calcium in the low 300's. What few SPS frags I tried bleached fairly quickly.
I _like_ the idea... a lot. Still do. I'm still using Triton testing once in a while. It's a game changer, really... The widest 'window' we've ever had available into the health of our little boxes of reef.
I think the Triton method tends to lead one down the 'chasing numbers' path, which I've never been fond of, and 'equal parts of Core7' is _not_ going to work for every tank. There's simply too much diversity in the requirements and consumption rates of the critters in each individual tank to believe that such a program is always going to work.
I've gone back to Kalkwasser. Just seems the simplest, least risky, most cost efficient method of maintaining Calcium, Alkalinity, and pH that I've ever used. It just works... until you exceed it's capacity, at which point I will revisit Triton Core7.
So... I'm skimming fairly heavily, that Vertex 180i is a beast. I run a BRS 2 stage reactor system, completely empty most of the time... I'll add a little GFO when Phosphates get above 1, but that's not often. Got a ref full of C. Mexicana under a twin tube T5... Nitrates are unmeasurable. 15% water changes bi-weekly. I've been decreasing light duration in the ref and increasing feeding slowly... and will continue to do so until I find a balance that leaves some measurable nitrate in the system. Once I get to that point, I'll make a run to a nice reef shop... likely TLReefs, and 'stock up' on corals.
One of my prime mantras has always been... Take it slow. No hurry, nothing good happens fast. I'm what, 7 months in? Getting more stable every day, the few corals that survived the Triton experiment are growing and coloring up. On the right path, just moving slow.
