Triton or zeovit

[justingraham]

So I have thought long and hard about it and I'm going to start fresh with my new tank. No old water from my 90 Maby the love rock but going to use new sand. As of now I'm thinking it would be easier to start off with AF and if I don't like it move over to triton. What's people's thoughts on that? Cause I can buy the AF salt and if mixed properly it will be a close to nsw and then easier to go with. And then down the road I could send my test to triton if I do not like the AF method

 

[Matze]

Here's a dumb question. So you deal with paying for water testing, hassling with shipping samples, figure out what trace elements are lacking, buy trace elements, extra kh testing, all while trying to keep nutrient levels low so you don't have to do water changes. .. So isn't it easier to siphon out a 10% weekly water change, and buy quality salt and be done? And your water change could even be done via dosing pump. So convince me why this is better.

Well sure obe can go that route, 90% of all reefers probably do so.
But than it is always guessing you don't have any controll and if your salt is mixed up wrong, or you add additives without knowing whether you need them, things go down south quickly.
With Triton testing and the method, when you apply it how it is supposed to be, you have a guarantee for a 100% working method. You can further adjust each element on its own, to see the impact. Say you got a SPS reef and change the amount of vanadium, you could see what coral colors are affected maybe reds do pop more or whatever. And you can do it with the actuall knowledge of how much of a certain element really is in your tank.
If you do water changes there will never be that kind of stability, because you will never be able to refill all the elements the way needed. Simply because you don't know what your levels are and more important what you are adding.

Hope that answer helps.

So I have thought long and hard about it and I'm going to start fresh with my new tank. No old water from my 90 Maby the love rock but going to use new sand. As of now I'm thinking it would be easier to start off with AF and if I don't like it move over to triton. What's people's thoughts on that? Cause I can buy the AF salt and if mixed properly it will be a close to nsw and then easier to go with. And then down the road I could send my test to triton if I do not like the AF method

Sounds like a plan mate!
Best of luck for your build, I sure will subscribe and am excited for the thing to start

 

[Scott.h]

Well sure obe can go that route, 90% of all reefers probably do so.
But than it is always guessing you don't have any controll and if your salt is mixed up wrong, or you add additives without knowing whether you need them, things go down south quickly.
With Triton testing and the method, when you apply it how it is supposed to be, you have a guarantee for a 100% working method. You can further adjust each element on its own, to see the impact. Say you got a SPS reef and change the amount of vanadium, you could see what coral colors are affected maybe reds do pop more or whatever. And you can do it with the actuall knowledge of how much of a certain element really is in your tank.
If you do water changes there will never be that kind of stability, because you will never be able to refill all the elements the way needed. Simply because you don't know what your levels are and more important what you are adding.

Hope that answer helps.

Ok, so when you go that route do you feel there is a noticeable difference in overall health and coloration? I thought about going this route in the past. No water changes obviously sounds attractive. But then again when you start looking at everything it takes to get everything right, it seems like extra effort .. and if it's really worth it?

 

[reefwiser]

In Triton, ATI(not here in the USA yet) and DSR it about supplying the corals what they need. What elements they are consuming to grow and color up. The no water changes are to keep the water elements from getting out of balance and it is just a benefit of the testing and dosing of elements.

 

[Matze]

Lets put it this way, I always ran some kind of supplying methode. On my last tank it was first Fauna Marins Balling lite, later on Sangokai.

I honestly never had such a nice growth and color on my corals that I have since running Triton. And also I never done less work on my tank since running it.
I don't care for water changes if something would look wrong in my system, I wouldn't hesitate to do a big one. But through Tritons analyzing capabilities it just ain't necessary.

And as I said before, for me it doesn't take many things to get my parameters to where Triton says they are supposed to be.
It's just the base elementz plus GFO and Carbon. That is around 50% less stuff I have to care about and put in the tank than with my previous methodes.

My tank beside from feeding, cleaning the glass, harvesting algae every couple of weeks and change carbon and gfo once a month runs itself. I even dose my elementz per hand, because I want to have some work on the tank on a daily base.

So for the way I like reefing it is worth everything

Cheers
Matze

 

[d2mini]

Ok, so when you go that route do you feel there is a noticeable difference in overall health and coloration? I thought about going this route in the past. No water changes obviously sounds attractive. But then again when you start looking at everything it takes to get everything right, it seems like extra effort .. and if it's really worth it?

I'm only a few months in but IME this is the least effort EVER.
The doser is doing it's thing. I'm testing alk, calc and mag just like I normally would. And so far I've sent in ONE triton test which entailed putting water in two test tubes, applying postage and letting my postal carrier pick it up with the rest of the mail. Hardly a hassle.
Not sure where you are seeing extra effort. It's LESS effort.

 

[Scott.h]

So what are the nitrates running? I'm carbon dosing small amounts 1.8 ml per day in 85 gal of water to keep my nitrates about 2 Ish. Without doing the water changes are you letting your nitrates go higher, or are you carbon dosing also, or just understocking the fish? I'm concerned with a build up from adding vodka by not doing water changes. Is that ever a problem?

 

[joefishUC Verified Sponsor]

Triton is very easy but the ability to test and add everything possible makes it seem complicated. My 500 gal service client here in LA does almost nothing to his triton tank. The alk gets tested regularly and fine adjustments get made to the dosing amounts. The skimmer, gac and gfo all get maintained and serviced like on a berlin style maintenance plan. The Base Elements takes care of everything else. Sometimes after reviewing an icp report we add some iodine or manganese but the major ions like calcium, mg, B, sr, s are almost always dead on. If we were really bored we would try boosting one element at a time and notice the color differences in the tank's inhabitants. Neither him or myself has had the time to do this though. The colors and growth are consistent due to the constant daily supply of both major and minor ions- no waiting for the next water change or squirt of a random bottle like other methods. Nitrate stays very low due to the algae in the filter and po4 is easily handled with a bit of gfo. It is a very simple method once you see the full picture.

 

[d2mini]

So what are the nitrates running? I'm carbon dosing small amounts 1.8 ml per day in 85 gal of water to keep my nitrates about 2 Ish. Without doing the water changes are you letting your nitrates go higher, or are you carbon dosing also, or just understocking the fish? I'm concerned with a build up from adding vodka by not doing water changes. Is that ever a problem?

My tank is pretty new but my nitrates dropped from 50 ppm when i started it a few months ago to about 1ppm now.
No carbon dosing with Triton.

 

[Matze]

Well if one creates a filter like Triton suggests, there won't be that large of a nitrate problem. When I switched to Triton it took the system 3 weeks to get rid of the nitrates.

 

[Scott.h]

Well if one creates a filter like Triton suggests, there won't be that large of a nitrate problem. When I switched to Triton it took the system 3 weeks to get rid of the nitrates.

In hindsight I know there's better ways, and when you redo something you'd always do things a little bit different. But you also run into a space factor sometimes. I have a 75 tank with a 50 fuge. Three kinds of macroalgae, deep sand bed, submerged bio balls floating around where I could stuff them pre-fuge, marine pure block in sump, p04 reactor, and a tank full live rock with 10x water changeover per hour. Coming from 40+ nitrates I'm doing good, but when you have a big eel it's an ongoing battle. Unless with the triton method there is something to combat nitrates I would assume I'd still have to dose something.

 

[Matze]

Mhm okay I will happily admit it will take some time until the system is stable enough to handle an eels poop.
See when you do use Triton you do just work on the chemical side of things. The biological filtraion is done through your fuge and the bacteria in the tank. In your special case that might not be enough. But on the other hand as soon as your corals really take off in growth they strip a lot of No3 and PO4.
Again I can't say for sure though that this will handle an eels nutrients.

Mhm I can imagine how such a large animal in such a little amount of water will kill a good nutrient level.

 

[Scott.h]

Mhm okay I will happily admit it will take some time until the system is stable enough to handle an eels poop.
See when you do use Triton you do just work on the chemical side of things. The biological filtraion is done through your fuge and the bacteria in the tank. In your special case that might not be enough. But on the other hand as soon as your corals really take off in growth they strip a lot of No3 and PO4.
Again I can't say for sure though that this will handle an eels nutrients.

Mhm I can imagine how such a large animal in such a little amount of water will kill a good nutrient level.

Yeah in hind sight I wouldn't have gotten it. Now Id have to destroy the tank to get her out. Which may happen eventually. I guarantee without that I'd be running zero without using vodka. Also if I did it again I'd make my fuge at least the size of the display. But you are right about more corals sucking out the nutrients out. I could use more. But for now I'm lucky enough to be keeping an eel with sps. If I could get that eel out I think id try triton.

 

[Matze]

Eels scare the cr.p out of me.
Thats like a real phobia. So if you get it out my serious respect!

Coral growth with Triton becomes quickly very fast. So that sucks out a lot.

 

[justingraham]

Ok so I have a question what happens if u start the triton method without a Refugium? It's a long story but I should be in my new house Friday but I'm not I have my dkh at 8 and I'm ready to start triton so should I just wait to start triton till my fuge is set up properly?

 

[joefishUC Verified Sponsor]

Ok so I have a question what happens if u start the triton method without a Refugium? It's a long story but I should be in my new house Friday but I'm not I have my dkh at 8 and I'm ready to start triton so should I just wait to start triton till my fuge is set up properly?

When do you think the refugium will be up and running? For those that want to use Triton products but don't run a refugium, there is the Core 7 Reef Supplements. It is similar to the COre7 Base Elements but designed to be used without a refugium. If you plan to start up the refugium very soon I would opt for the Core 7 Base Elements version.

 

[justingraham]

When I get into my new house so whenever that happens

 

[d2mini]

My tank is pretty new but my nitrates dropped from 50 ppm when i started it a few months ago to about 1ppm now.
No carbon dosing with Triton.

Nearly a month later, my parameters are rock solid.
Just like when I used to run a CaRx, all I do is test Alk every few days. Everything else just falls into line.
So easy!!!!

 

[justingraham]

So I am out of salt
I am going to be ordering the core 7 stuff on Friday should I also order the triton salt? Or is there another salt I should buy?
Also @d2mini or anyone for that matter are u using any other triton stuff. If I'm ordering I'm thinking I should get everything I need
So should I grab the carbon or anything else
Thanks in advance
Justin

 

[d2mini]

I just use the main elements and the ICP test kits.