# Triton Labs, Triton Method



## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

I was mucking around looking at all the cool corals on Unique Corals website, and ended up reading about Triton labs products.
The water test thing was interesting, although expensive, and way too not useful for me yet. Maybe in a couple years.
However some of the other Triton products were also interesting, including their aluminum based Phosphate remover.
What got me wondering, was the comment that Unique Corals made about using the Triton product alternating monthly with the Rowa Phos. They wrote that alternating monthly between an iron based phosphate remover and an aluminum based phosphate remover was the most effective way to reduce phosphates.
My system will always struggle with high phosphates, and I am not looking for a silver bullet, but I am looking for an effective way to manage phosphates.
Yes, water changes are useful but not a control mechanism for phosphate reduction, and yes, fewer fish would help, too.
The question is: has any used the Triton Products, and has anyone ever tried the alternating monthly phos removal approach?


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

I've been reading about the Triton method for some time now and am glad it is on the continent - but not in Canada yet 

Interesting discussions over on RC with everybody tripping over themselves with their test results and frothing at the mouth at salt and additive manufacturers... Ala villagers with pitchforks and torches in the old Frankenstein movies lol.

At ~50 dollars per test with the eventual end goal of you using their proprietary customized elixirs (don't think that is available stateside yet), I'll wait for the bleeding edge adopters to provide actual end user experiences.

Randy Holmes Farley did an excellent write up on his own Triton test results.

http://www.reef2reef.com/blog/my-triton-testing-results-by-randy-holmes-farley/


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Unique Corals is selling a fairly big range of the Triton products. And yes, I can see the villagers with pitchforks. I can also see all the geeks checking their test results and murmuring "must get barium, my levels are 2ppb low"
This whole Triton product range might be over thinking the process a bit. I don't know. Water quality is not the same from ocean to ocean around the world, so just because we can test the levels of everything in our tank water, does it mean we should?
Although I can see some value in some of the products, for example the Pure Salt. And the aluminum based phosphate remover.
My thought is most corals and fish are fairly resilient in the average aquarium, and can adapt to the skanky (at times) water quality that we have.
However there is benefit for those who want to "up their game" and move to keeping something like......sea lilies? (I know, food issue not water issue with sea lilies) but you get the point. For me, scollys and elegance just don't thrive. So I can see how, in a few years, we may have a knowledge base that says, "for best results to keep scollys, raise strontium and vanadium to 25 and 40 respectively" or something like that.
But maybe we are just overthinking it.......


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

fury165 said:


> Randy Holmes Farley did an excellent write up on his own Triton test results.
> 
> http://www.reef2reef.com/blog/my-triton-testing-results-by-randy-holmes-farley/


Good article. I can only aspire to never having to test my tank.

Oh wait! I don't test my tank, that's John's job........


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Crayon said:


> Unique Corals is selling a fairly big range of the Triton products.  And yes, I can see the villagers with pitchforks. I can also see all the geeks checking their test results and murmuring "must get barium, my levels are 2ppb low"
> This whole Triton product range might be over thinking the process a bit. I don't know. Water quality is not the same from ocean to ocean around the world, so just because we can test the levels of everything in our tank water, does it mean we should?
> Although I can see some value in some of the products, for example the Pure Salt. And the aluminum based phosphate remover.
> My thought is most corals and fish are fairly resilient in the average aquarium, and can adapt to the skanky (at times) water quality that we have.
> ...


Didn't realize they stocked it now, not sure that is the whole lineup though. 
I'm open to upping the game but not a big fan of the walled garden ecosystem some of these solutions want you to buy into, like zeovit et al. At the prices they are charging is it that much better than some of the run o' the mill additives?


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Crayon said:


> Good article. I can only aspire to never having to test my tank.
> 
> Oh wait! I don't test my tank, that's John's job........


LOL don't we all. Keep in mind that RHF uses Instant Ocean salt on his reef tank


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

fury165 said:


> I'm open to upping the game but not a big fan of the walled garden ecosystem some of these solutions want you to buy into, like zeovit et al. At the prices they are charging is it that much better than some of the run o' the mill additives?


Totally agree.
With all the options for additives, zeo, Balling, Triton, not to mention the Kent, aqua vitro, Brightwell and other main stream players in the industry, it's totally confusing.

Kinda like toothpaste.........pick something and stick with it.

But back to the original question.......what about this aluminum phos reduction idea?


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Crayon said:


> But back to the original question.......what about this aluminum phos reduction idea?


Well what are your current reduction methods? Alternating sounds expensive since your media may not be depleted and needing a change every month.


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## fesso clown (Nov 15, 2011)

fury165 said:


> Didn't realize they stocked it now, not sure that is the whole lineup though.
> I'm open to upping the game but not a big fan of the walled garden ecosystem some of these solutions want you to buy into, like zeovit et al. At the prices they are charging is it that much better than some of the run o' the mill additives?


Not a fan either. 











fury165 said:


> LOL don't we all. Keep in mind that RHF uses Instant Ocean salt on his reef tank


I was gonna be the jerk to point that out...



Crayon said:


> Totally agree.
> With all the options for additives, zeo, Balling, Triton, not to mention the Kent, aqua vitro, Brightwell and other main stream players in the industry, it's totally confusing.
> 
> Kinda like toothpaste.........pick something and stick with it.
> ...


Are you using good old GFO in a reactor?


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

fesso clown said:


> Are you using good old GFO in a reactor?


Yup, Rowaphos in a reactor, plus Nitraguard cubes in socks with air stones. We have to change our Rowaphos every 6 weeks (known because levels start to rise at 6 weeks) and current readings today for the phosphate was 0.31 ppm. Best we've ever had is like 0.08 but we made the mistake of taking the GFO offline and trying another magic bean called Bio Clean from France (the little vials). It might work for some people but we went backwards.
So back to the GFO.

Not looking to replace the GFO, just wondered if maybe the concept of switching between the iron based reducer and the aluminum based reducer every 4 to 6 weeks captures phosphates that maybe aren't captured by the alternate.
Unique Corals says they do this, but doesn't say why.


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## fury165 (Aug 21, 2010)

Have you tried carbon dosing in the form of Vinegar or Vodka?


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## fesso clown (Nov 15, 2011)

Crayon said:


> Unique Corals says they do this, but doesn't say why.


And there is the red flag. any product that doesn't tell me why it works or what the actual ingredients are (usually for some silly "proprietary" reason) I am very skeptical of and will stick with the tried and true and cheaper methodology.

Do you have an algae problem? If not I wouldn't worry about getting the PO4 down too fast, maybe try an extra 1/2 cup of GFO and wait a month.

Do you feed allot?

Undersized or ineffective skimmer?


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

fesso clown said:


> And there is the red flag. any product that doesn't tell me why it works or what the actual ingredients are (usually for some silly "proprietary" reason) I am very skeptical of and will stick with the tried and true and cheaper methodology.
> 
> Do you have an algae problem? If not I wouldn't worry about getting the PO4 down too fast, maybe try an extra 1/2 cup of GFO and wait a month.
> 
> ...


Combination of all of the above?
Two tanks, same sump, one has a massive bryopsis issue, the other is fine. Am raising MG to see if we can get it under control. Have reduced lights and feeding in small tank w bryopsis issue but need to find balance so finicky fish and nos corals don't starve.
Skimmer, supermarin 200, that is not the issue. I clean it almost weekly cause the cup gets stinky fast.
Lots of fish. I know that's my issue. However they are not leaving, so just looking for ways to compensate for fish poop production. Feeding in big tank is appropriate, and keeps aggression under control. I can tell when the tangs get hungry. - they start to fight.
I can live with PO4 being high, but not out of control. Can't say corals grow great, but they grow fine. Things that like high PO4 are lovely, like gonis and alveopora, and even my sps look fine at these levels, but just wondering if I can get them down more and make more corals happier.
I run 2 cups GFO in the reactor, making it just over half full. Flow rate low, it looks like coffee percolating.


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## uniboob (Dec 29, 2012)

A hobbiest here in London area is sending his water away shortly. He posted as a group buy and offered to ship them all back 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Triton AlOx retails for about twice the price for SeaChem PhosGuard :O. I've interchanged using GFO and AlOx based on availability of need without issue nor benefit.

My preference is SeaChem PhosGuard vs GFO as I find it is easier to change, rinse and clean up. Cost wise I find it the same overall but saves me in time to do the aforementioned tasks.

On a physical basis, the uniform shape and size minimizes channeling of water, as with all PO4 removing media, they will drop alk for the first little while and either compensate for the drop or start with a lower flow rate and increase after a few days/a week. 

AlOx isn't as crumbly as GFO and you can tumble the spherical AlOx quite vigorously without ill effect. The color change from stark white to beige makes it easier to determine media exhaustion is a nice "accidental" feature.

If you are using GFO, stick with it. No need to change and adapt to something that basically does the same thing.

JM2C


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## Crayon (Apr 13, 2014)

Thank you! That was exactly the advice I was looking for. It also helps clear up why my ALK keeps dropping like a stone..........


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