To Triton or not to Triton...

Jon Mooney · Oct 17, 2019

Hey everyone, my names Jon and I’m a rookie reefer. I got into the hobby about 6 months ago and now I’m HOOKED

I’m currently running 2 nanos. A fish only 35 gal bio-cube that I bought fully mature and ready to go (my first tank) and a 30 gal softy/LPS reef tank that I started from scratch a few months later. Both are doing fine so far. I’m looking to step up to a 75 gal LPS (potentially SPS) tank and I’m wondering if I should start out using the Triton Method. Does anyone have experience with Triton, and if so, is it something a newbie can manage effectively?

Quietman · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome!!!

Retro Reefer · Oct 17, 2019

welcome to R2R! I would skip the fancy stuff and learn the basics first.. you don’t need any of those specialized “methods” to have a successful reef.

Crabs McJones · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome to R2R! No experience with Triton, but I'm sure a user who is will chime in.

jsker · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome to R2R and the community.

Ruben's Reef · Oct 17, 2019

!!! Welcome to R2R Jon !!!

foxt · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome to R2R!

I run a tank on Triton, and others on other methods. Until you get to a need for alk and Ca dosing, I would keep in basic. You can set up ahead of time, sump with a refugium, space for dosing containers and controls and pumps, and when you get to the point where your coral demands require dosing, you can easily kick a Triton in.

Urtie · Oct 17, 2019

If you do go that route, don't skimp on periodic ICP tests. Both Triton Core 7 and ATI Essentials seem like great products, but they can't really do more than estimate trace element consumption.

Some elements can either build up or get depleted after all, and for my own part I worry that dosing something that contains "everything" will give me a false sense of security / make me lazy(ier).

Billldg · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome to R2R!!! Sorry, no experience with triton.

KJ · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome to R2R!!!

Blutspitze · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome to the forums! I agree with what most others are saying - for the time being, keep things simple, but allow yourself room to grow if you need to later. Once you have a need to start A/B dosing, triton might be worthwhile.

BeejReef · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome!

I like the icp testing they offer. You can easily grow or adapt into their full system. Basically run a fuge and don't keep sand in it

Berlibee · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome!

bar|none · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome. Regarding triton, see my build thread. The benefit of going triton off the bat is your equipment choices like skimmer may be quite different to make room for proper fuge. Its also easier to come out of your cycle with a fuge already getting going rather than changing your method radically afterwards.

minus9 · Oct 17, 2019

Welcome! As you are someone new to the hobby I would not employ the triton method, there are other ways that are far less complicated and easy to understand than triton. In fact, Tropic Marin has several products that would better serve you as an introduction to dosing the necessary elements and building blocks to a successful reef. If you haven't done so already, I would watch the BRS series, 52 weeks of reefing and their low maintenance series to start. There are too many variables in the triton method that can arise that make it difficult and expensive to achieve a successful system. There are too many experienced reefers who've had major issues with the triton method, myself included (even Mike Paletta) that I can't recommend it as a starting point/method to new hobbyist.
Sorry for the long post, but this is my PSA for new hobbyist considering triton. I'm not here to bash the method and there are plenty of successful triton tanks out there, I just don't think it's a good launching pad for new reefers. Good luck and take your time.