What is Triton? And why?

[Sobo's Reef]

I’ve been reading numerous threads about this “Triton Method” and how everyone is running out of supplements more and more. Me personally, know nothing about the Triton method but was curious what it was.
Seems to be a lot to take in for new reefing members. I’ve seen numerous people with their charts of numbers and I don’t know what it means in all honesty... is it simply just a new way of dosing your tank? Or is your system made around the “Triton method”???

Late night/early morning spitballing lol don’t mind me [emoji869][emoji869][emoji869]

 

[Jason mack]

Triton method is just dosing Yes .!
The main 4 bottles contain 1 magnesium, 2 calcium ,and alkalinity.. 3a-3b.. all bottles are dosed equally , based on your alk which you keep at 8dkh .. on top of this is the triton icp test .. which monitors your water and the trace elements in it .. based on the results and the advice on dosing from triton we add the necessary trace elements needed too keep our water as near to what NSW( natural sea water) is .. its really just that simple ..
There are two types of triton methods
1 other methods
2 CORE7

Other methods is used without a refugium
And CORE7 is used with a refugium

With other methods we use skimmers or media reactors too control nutrient export (nitrate/phosphates no3 and po4 )
With CORE7 they use a refugium ( Marco algae ) too control nutrient export ..
This is triton in simple terms .. hope it helps explain a little for you !

Mack

 

[Sobo's Reef]

So it laments terms... it’s pretty much, me using a Skimmer, a refugium and some chaeto to achieve what they are achieving? Minus the dosing?

Let’s say I’m dosing calc and alk? Still the same or different?

 

[Water Dog]

Different in this respect, dosing using the Triton method or ATI Essentials maintains your trace elements near to NSW levels. As trace elements are included in their dosing regimen and can be further monitored and adjusted through ICP testing. Therefore, these methods allow for no water changes. With regular Alk and Ca dosing, say through BRS 2 part, you are not replenishing the trace elements, thus a routine water change schedule is necessary.

 

[Sobo's Reef]

Ohhh so Triton method is more for an automated system? Rather then a weekly or bi weekly water change?

 

[Water Dog]

They are all considered automated dosing systems... just that Triton and ATI accounts for the replenishing of trace elements, whereas regular 2 part dosing does not. So with 2 part dosing, you replenish trace elements through regular water changes.

 

[Jason mack]

I suppose so , but i do a Triton test Every two months .. and based on the results Will dose tracé elements accordingly..
here’s a link too my last test , then you can see what a triton test tests for ..
https://www.triton-lab.de/en/showroom/aquarium/auswertung-b/icp-oes/36700/

 

[Joe Batt]

It's more of a holistic approach to reef keeping. You do few if any water changes after you start the tank so as to not introduce any unwanted elements to the tank.
You cycle the tank and send off a water sample to Triton to be ICP tested. This gives you an initial baseline which you correct according to the recommendations they give.

Nutrients are mainly exported through a large refugium and skimmer, it's not even recommended to use filter socks or the like.

You dose the Core 7 as per standard dosing and adjust to maintain the Kh around the 8 mark. Every few months you resend a test sample to Triton for further testing and they recommend changes if required.

 

[Sobo's Reef]

Oh wow that sounds pretty crazy.. seems to be crazy at first tinkering with the levels/numbers but sounds like a solid method in the end

 

[Mandelstam]

Here's a good talk about it:

 

[Flexin]

This is helpful also

https://www.triton.de/en/products-services/triton-method/

 

[Flexin]

Here's a good talk about it:

Thank you for the video. It’s very interesting. It really makes me feel like we are winging it with water changes...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you for the video. It’s very interesting. It really makes me feel like we are winging it with water changes...

lol, maybe. Lots of successful tanks thrive that way.

None of the methods are perfect solutions, regardless of cost and effort involved. Don't get me wrong, I think the testing and supplementing has a lot going for it, but isn't perfect. I'd probably pick a modified version of this method if I was starting over.

Issues that might not have been mentioned in their video include:

1. They cannot detect down to NSW levels of certain important elements (e.g., iron). So sticking to the simplistic idea that NSW levels of everything is best, still cannot be achieved.

2. We really do not know what levels of trace elements are actually required.

1. One can perhaps assume that NSW levels by ICP are adequate, but that may not actually be correct for a number of critical chemistry reasons
2. Levels of trace elements well below NSW levels may still be adequate to supply organism needs. There's no reason to assume that every trace element is just barely adequate levels to allow organisms to thrive.

So IMO, there is still a fair amount of trial and error testing and/or trust that soemone else has already figured it out for you.

 

[Flexin]

And I joke around saying just write a check and have someone come to your home and manage the tank..

Seriously it’s interesting. However, I’ve not seen a cost comparison between this and an average person who takes cake of their tank(s) by doing water changes. Silly comments like they want to put the salt people out of business makes no sense when you are just paying someone else. Thanks for the extra info. I love this hobby!

 

[MIReefer78]

lol, maybe. Lots of successful tanks thrive that way.

None of the methods are perfect solutions, regardless of cost and effort involved. Don't get me wrong, I think the testing and supplementing has a lot going for it, but isn't perfect. I'd probably pick a modified version of this method if I was starting over.

Issues that might not have been mentioned in their video include:

1. They cannot detect down to NSW levels of certain important elements (e.g., iron). So sticking to the simplistic idea that NSW levels of everything is best, still cannot be achieved.

2. We really do not know what levels of trace elements are actually required.

1. One can perhaps assume that NSW levels by ICP are adequate, but that may not actually be correct for a number of critical chemistry reasons
2. Levels of trace elements well below NSW levels may still be adequate to supply organism needs. There's no reason to assume that every trace element is just barely adequate levels to allow organisms to thrive.

So IMO, there is still a fair amount of trial and error testing and/or trust that soemone else has already figured it out for you.

I’d interested in hearing what you “modified” version would be.

 

[FlyinBryan]

It’s just an alternative to water changes. I like doing water changes and have no intention of giving it up. Even if I spend a few extra $$. I’ve had amazing success.

 

[jose hernandez]

if wat ur doin is workin 4 u leave it alone if it aint broke dont fix it

 

[PaulG]

I have converted my system to full triton and I have to say I am very happy with the outcome. I run a reefer 450 and had little space for a refugium so I converted the ATO into one. I think adding a refugium was the single best improvement that I made. I also selected a plant grow light (Kessil 380 - I would have done something smaller if I had to redo because of my specific install). The dosing of core elements and the addition of the refugium has really helped my tank and my SPS now grow very nicely. I do run rowaphos at 50% of the time as well as carbon. This helps to deal with the PO4 spikes as my fug is a bit smaller than the recommended size for triton. I have had no water change for over six months and coral growth has been very nice (for a first tank after 2 years I am very happy . I am more interested in outcomes that test results and I think overall it has simplified my life and I can enjoy the tank more. I still run UV (25 watt) - this is not recommended by Triton method but it has really helped me keep the fish disease free and I don't think it has negatively impacted the performance of the system in a significant way. One more point is that the system is highly automated with Apex dosing pumps. In terms of cost I find the system to cost the same as doing regular water changes with a good salt and then adding two parts. In addition to the core elements there are few other trace elements that my tank require (K, I, B) which I dose weekly - based on ICP test results.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’d interested in hearing what you “modified” version would be.

Here's a copy and paste from another recent thread where folks were asked what method they'd use if they were starting over. here's what I wrote:

In terms of water chemistry maintenance, I'd maintain calcium and alkalinity with limewater (maybe pH limited to pH 8.55 or less to prevent overdose; probably on dosing timer rather than ATO) and a two part (if needed; maybe also pH limited to pH 8.55 or less). I'd like a continuous alk monitor, and if Mindstream comes on line, I'd monitor ammonia 24/7 and in different system location (main tank, exit from refugium, etc.) for interests sake.

There are some ions I would dose essentially independent of measurement because I don't think measurement is particularly useful for them (e.g., iron because it is typically below detection limits; silicate because it depletes so fast).

There are a bunch of ions that I do not consider important at the levels reefers typically have (e.g., lithium, maybe barium, I'd need to think through this list) and I would make no effort to control those either by export or by dosing.

I would likely experiment on the tank over time to re-verify for myself that my longstanding opinions on certain chemicals are not useful if dosed to maintain natural levels, despite the fact that many reefers do. If they showed a positive effect, I'd rethink dosing them. These include iodide and strontium.

There are a whole bunch of biologically active trace elements that I'd likely measure and dose which I did not in the past, but which also tested low (e.g., molybdenum) and I'd likely dose these to roughly NSW levels. I might experiment on these in a variety of ways (e.g., allowing one to go undosed for a long time and then restart and see if anything apparently changed).

I'd probably do automatic water changes, but again, might also experiment on the amount, from none to a couple of percent a day.

As to other "methods", I'd likely do some or most of these:

Ato
Temperature control (temp controller to kick on heaters or cooling system)
Skimmer
Rodi unit with inline tds
Nutrient export (macroalgae, gfo, organic carbon dosing, GAC, maybe experiment with organic resins like Purigen)
Might try LED lights to save electricity, but I'm not yet convinced I'd like the look

 

[tony'stank]

As to “why” the Triton method. I am 70 years old and I found it increasingly difficult to do water changes. I tried rolling brute containers but still was hard to do I don’t have the money or situation to have a mixing station or AWC. So I found myself only doing water changes every six months to a year. I figured that since I wasn’t doing WC I should switch to a more rational way of reefing. Hence the Triton method