Scott, Please help me understand a best approach... it has been stated by Triton (paraphrasing), that 'use of biopellet reactors, calcium reactors, add complexity and undesirable impurities'. Yet, perhaps usurping the proposed Triton Method, Triton is now marketing specific media for calcium reactors; so I might conclude that Triton will also release biopellet media in the near future for those of us that like them?
If my intent is to keep my Biopellet reactor (because it is working at its primary purpose of 'handling' NO3 and PO4 in my Heavy Bio-Load SPS System), and to keep my Ca Reactor (because it is effective at maintaining Ca, Alk, and Mg according to my home- testing).... lets say the test that I just submitted samples for comes back with some undesirable findings... How does Triton propose I balance the system with the Biopellet and Calcium Reactor running since i do not want to eliminate them from the system? Presumably i can adjust reactor effluent (and/or CO2 for CaReactor), and avoid Triton's 4 part? Perhaps just the tweaking doses of other trace elements if I am out of whack? Will there be specific instructions for dosing requirements (specific to the test results)?
Also my intent is to test with Triton perhaps monthly for 3 months, and subsequently on a quarterly basis; yet during the interim i will maintain my home testing regimen (as faulty as it may be). so how does this approach avoid the "numbers chase" that Triton declares is Not the objective.
Finally, it would be tremendously helpful if Triton released a clearly defined case for the purpose of each element/compound tested, its benefit to the reef/coral, species known consumption levels, and signs to look for if levels are on target or off target.
Thanks for clarifying. I look forward to my test results and hope i can figure out how to remedy any problems discovered.
-Greg
Hi Greg,
I think the first thing to note when evaluating the Triton "Method" is that it's not a dogmatic, "You HAVE to do it this way or else..." thing. The techniques that are recommended have been developed by Ehsan and others in Europe and The UK for around 7 years, based on what works for the majority of people using Triton. Unlike many "methods" that have been espoused over the years, Triton encourages experimentation and "technique hacks" for intrepid reefers. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to employ the "Method." Sure, there are things that you can do which may be counterproductive or somewhat detrimental to what you're trying to accomplish, so when you see things like "biopellet reactors add complexity..." it's more of an assertion that you don't have to go crazy employing every device or product out there- even those manufactured by Triton. In fact, you'll often see specific recommendations for other manufacturer's products in Triton discussions. Triton is as much a philosophy of reef keeping as it is a set of techniques. It's not about getting lost in "numbers chases" or buying every product out there.
As a point of clarification, the Da Sta Co2 calcium reactor media is intended for use in much larger systems (like several hundred gallons), where using the full "Base Elementz" dosing regularly would be very expensive. The thought is that this incredibly pure reactor media would form the basis of your calcium/alkalinity replenishment, along with the trace elements contained in the media. However, testing would still dictate what specific additional trace elements a given system would need, if any. In other words, it's another, more economical way to employ Triton technique and purity of ingredients in a more economical format for very large systems. I'm sure we'll have much more information about this in the coming months, as we will employ a reactor on one of our roughly 1,200 gallon plus raceways in our facility here at Unique Corals.
As far as your calcium reactor and biopellet running with Triton...well. you COULD, but the thinking is that some of the media employed in both biopellet reactors and calcium reactors may indeed contain trace impurities that could throw off the desired matrix. As you surmise, you COULD employ both reactors and tweak the trace elements as testing dictates (a la the "big tank" thing as outlined above- you could use the aforementioned Da StaCO2 media, I suppose, as it is incredibly pure, and batch tested by Triton). There is no hard and fast absolute rule that says "you're OUT" if you do that! :wink: The point is that, in the opinion of Ehsan and others who have been down that road, you could be making what is really intended to be an elegant, relatively simple system once you get the dosing up and running. Triton is as much about simplicity as it is about stability. It's stability within a range-not trying to hit exact numbers. That's the whole point. Will employing the Ca reactor and Biopellet reactor while simultaneously running other parts of the Triton system keep your parameters in a stable range? That's something that you'll have to see! And, if you simply want to use whatever technique works for you and use Triton testing to see where you're at- there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! And to answer your other question- yes- you'll receive results that indicate the specific tweaks that you might choose to make on your system to fall in line with Triton's matrix- regardless of what technique you employ...Data is data.
IMHO, what's been missed in many of the discussions about accuracy of testing in acid matrix and all of that academic stuff is that this is about employing techniques and practices that can help you create amazing aquariums! It's a hobby and it's supposed to be fun. As we've said repeatedly, Triton is not the only way, or the best way to do this. There are tons of ways to get there. The point is, Triton has developed and refined techniques that may have found effective, simple, and in the long run, economically viable. If you want to create "hybrid" systems, you're welcome to experiment. The fact of the matter is Triton users are recommending what works for THEM. If your system works for you, and you have employed Triton into the mix, that's awesome! Again, it's all about having fun with hobby and creating awesome tanks!
As far as the purpose or benefits of each trace element tested for- I agree, it would be cool to have something like that. The fact of the matter is, science isn't 100% certain what every single element does for corals. In some instances, we simply know that specific trace elements are present in seawater in specific concentrations. Until science provides more specific answers, for some trace elements, just knowing their concentrations in the matrix of seawater is all we have to go on at the present time...Again, there is where experimentation at a hobby level may yield at least some anecdotal evidence about some things...And that is another amazing aspect of Triton- we have access to data that we simply never had before...perhaps the "trickle down" from raw science to practical reef keeping application starts with..us.
Kinda cool, if you ask me.
Hope this sort of answers your question! Looking forward to your sharing and experimenting!
Regards,
Scottt F.
If there is other information I missed out on in another thread/site please let me know. Super excited about this!
