Methods

Reef tank methods compared: dosing and nutrient control

Berlin, Red Sea, Triton, Balling, kalkwasser, calcium reactors, all-in-one bottles, ULNS and Zeovit, refugiums, carbon dosing and the sand question, side by side. Each works. Each assumes something different about your tank.

Last checked 21 October 2026. How we check

How do the reef-keeping methods compare?

Methods compared
Method	What it does	Cost	Effort	Suits	Needs
Berlin method	Live rock as the filter, strong skimming, regular water changes	Medium	Low to medium	Most beginners and mixed reefs	A skimmer
Red Sea Reef Care Program	One brand's salt, supplements, food and nutrient control, dosed from tests	Medium	Low	Keepers who want a recipe	No refugium for the four-part version
Triton method	Lab ICP tests every few months set the doses; refugium; no routine water changes	Medium to high	Low once running	Sump systems, keepers who like data	A sump with a lit refugium
Balling and Balling Light	Calcium, alkalinity and either a salt-free mix or water changes, dosed by pump	Low (bulk salts)	Medium	Medium to large stony coral tanks	A three-head dosing pump
Kalkwasser	Calcium hydroxide in the top-off water	Very low	Low once running	Low to moderate demand; raising pH	An ATO or doser; evaporation caps the dose
Calcium reactor	CO2 dissolves aragonite media; the effluent carries calcium and alkalinity	High up front, low running	Medium to tune	Heavily stocked stony coral tanks	A CO2 cylinder and regulator; a sump
All-in-one solutions	One bottle with calcium, alkalinity, magnesium and trace elements	Medium to high per unit dosed	Very low	Nanos and light to moderate demand	A one-head doser
ULNS and Zeovit	Ultra-low nutrients through zeolite, bacteria, carbon sources and heavy skimming	High	High	Experienced SPS keepers	A zeolite reactor, strong skimmer
Refugium and algae scrubber	Grow algae in the sump or on a lit screen to take up nutrients	Low	Low	Tanks with a sump; fish-heavy tanks	A sump chamber or scrubber and a light
Carbon dosing	Feed bacteria a carbon source so they take up nitrate and phosphate	Low	Medium (testing)	Tanks with stubborn high nitrate	A good skimmer and regular tests
Sand bed or bare bottom	Whether the tank floor carries sand, and how deep	Low	Low either way	Sand: most tanks. Bare: high-flow SPS	Nothing extra

Cost and effort are our judgement for a 300 litre tank: kit plus a year of consumables, and weekly hands-on time.

Which method should a beginner choose?

Start with the Berlin method: rock, a skimmer and about 10% water changes a week. A soft coral tank may never need more.
When you add stony corals, test alkalinity daily for a week. Reef Builders suggests dosing only once alkalinity, calcium or magnesium fall below natural seawater (about 7 dKH, 400 ppm and 1200 ppm).
For small or light demand, add an all-in-one bottle or kalkwasser.
As demand grows, move to Balling, a brand programme such as Red Sea or Triton, or a calcium reactor.
Whatever you choose, pick one target and hold it. Our targets by brand page explains why the published numbers differ.

Where do the brands disagree?

Where the brands disagree
Topic	What sources say	Our reading
Alkalinity level	Triton, Fauna Marin, Zeovit: near natural seawater, about 6.5 to 8 dKH Red Sea: up to 11.5 to 12.6 dKH for growth, lower for colour Charterhouse: 7 to 11	All agree on one thing: steady matters more than the exact number.
Which test to dose by	Red Sea four-part: weekly calcium Triton: alkalinity every few days Tropic Marin: alkalinity, with calcium to track drift	Follow your method. If unsure, dose by alkalinity.
Refugium	Triton: required Red Sea four-part: not for refugium systems	Choose the method first, then the sump.
Water changes	Triton: none with a refugium Fauna Marin Balling Light: about 10% weekly Red Sea: test and correct after each change	About 10% a week for a first tank.
Nitrate and phosphate	Older advice and ULNS: near zero Reef Builders 2023: nitrate 5 to 10, phosphate 0.05 to 0.1 BRS 2025: above zero, nitrate under 25, phosphate under 0.1	Measurable, not zero. The trend since about 2015 is away from zero.
Brands revise themselves	Red Sea set targets by coral type in 2011, by tank type in 2021 and by objective in 2024	Check the date on any brand figure.

Sources

Red Sea, Complete Reef Care four-part manual (V24A)Published March 2024. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
Red Sea, Foundation testing and supplementing manual (v21a)Published 2021. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
Triton, the Triton MethodRead 21 October 2026, read in full.
Triton, frequently asked questionsRead 21 October 2026, read in full.
Reef Builders, Fauna Marin Balling Light instructionsPublished 11 September 2009. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
BRS, using kalkwasserPublished 31 August 2022. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
Reef Builders, calcium reactors explainedPublished 13 January 2014. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
Tropic Marin, All-For-Reef and Pro-Reef salt (label figures read via retailer listings)Read 21 October 2026, search summary only.
Korallen-Zucht, Zeovit system (guide summaries read via retailers)Read 21 October 2026, search summary only.
BRS, high versus low nutrientsPublished 25 August 2025. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
Reef Builders, the role of nutrients in a reef tankPublished 22 July 2023. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
Fauna Marin knowledge base, phosphorus and phosphateRead 21 October 2026, read in full.
BRS, sand versus bare bottomPublished 23 December 2024. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
Reef Builders, how and why to dose your reef tankPublished 19 September 2023. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.
Charterhouse Aquatics, what to test in a reef aquarium and how oftenPublished 2 July 2026. Read 21 October 2026, read in full.