How often do you test your water????

J

jc germ

Guest
well like the heading said..........How often do you test your water????
weekly
every 2-3 weeks
monthly...??????
 

bcollett

Member
Well, when i first started my tank i tested every couple of days. Then i slacked off, but i started having algae blooms and Red Slime problems so i went back to testing, every few days or so, and now that the tank is nice and stable, i test maybe once or twice a month as long as i dont see an drastic changes. if i notice suddenly that i need to clean the glass more often than usual i'll test to make sure i dont have a problem with Nitrates or phosphates etc. I do my water changes religiously so i dont worry about things like pH, Alk, Mag, or Calcium levels. I use reef crystals to mix my own water at home and all the params of the freshly mixed water are usualy perfect. If you test too often it will start getting pretty expensive.
Hope that answer helps.
 

meowzer

Moderator
At first I tested allll the time. After you get to know your tank, you can kinda tell when things are off...SO now I test when something does not look right
 
J

jc germ

Guest
thanks for the replys all so it is all up too one self
 

geoj

Active Member
Depends on when I set the tank up and what I am testing for but generally every two to three days with API test kits and once a month I do a more precise testing with other kits.
 

calbert0

Member
Almost never.
Seriously, almost never.
I tested my water for a long time and as my levels are always the same, i was just wasting my test kits.
I test once in a blue moon when i have been on vacation or something like that and get all paranoid about my params being off.
 

t316

Active Member
I have not tested anything in probably 6 months. When I see something out of the ordinary, then I test. But, I have a large volume tank. Small tank owners cannot take these risk, because when something goes bad, it happens fast.
 
J

jc germ

Guest
sure so just keep a eye on your system or something out the ordinary and you will be fine
 

t316

Active Member
Originally Posted by jc germ
http:///forum/post/3184945
sure so just keep a eye on your system or something out the ordinary and you will be fine
Unless you have a very small tank, then I would make it a habit to check regularly, because you will have very little time to correct the problem once it happens.
 

reefkprz

Active Member
I test different things at different intervals. it also depends on how old the tank is and how well I know it. I test my calcium and alk every couple days. ammonia almost never unless something is drasticly wrong. same for trites, trates I test semi frequently to make sure I am keeping up with them.
 
J

jc germ

Guest
ok ill keep that in mind i have a really large tank 1500L so ill just do normal testing like once or 2 a month
 

stanlalee

Active Member
calcium and alk weekly
magnesium monthly
salinity monthly
phosphates monthly
everything else never once cycled
 

asharp13

Member
Ive been in the hobby 6mos or so and i feel like i have a valuable lesson to share with all of you. i have found that it is a good idea to have corals that drastically change throughout the day. my mushrooms, ricordeas, colt coral, and DSP all shrivel when my params are off. when i started my tank i tested 3-4 times a week. now i test or do WC when i get clues from my corals or fish. if you use good water and good salt this is really all u need to do. hope that helps!
 

asharp13

Member
good point and i do test quite often. with small tanks like mine changes happen very rapidly...for instance my pH could be 8.2 one day and 7.8 the next. i have it balanced now and my tank is looking great but i was just saying that monitoring and examining your tank should also be considered a test that you should do DAILY!!!! plus its fun hahaha a lot can be learned by just gazing into your tank. for me at least i can tell when things look a little off...then i test
 

nycbob

Active Member
i dont test anymore except for sg during water change.once a tank is matured, such as more than a year or so, then there isnt anything to test really unless a problem occurs.
 

stanlalee

Active Member
Originally Posted by nycbob
http:///forum/post/3185246
i dont test anymore except for sg during water change.once a tank is matured, such as more than a year or so, then there isnt anything to test really unless a problem occurs.
I dont know about that. my carbonate (alk) demand goes up significantly with growth and stocking. I have trippled the amount of carbonates required within 6 months (tank is 1.5yrs old) to keep dKH where I want it. I would have easily crashed alk (and almost have by lapsing) without testing and noting the increased demands. naturally my calcium demands proportionately have went up but a lapse there doesnt bare the same consequences as alk nose diving rapidly due lack of regular checking.
nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, nitrite (if ever needed), pH dont need testing on an established system but alk and ca always need to be checked regularly on a growing reef tank. mg as well depending on your hard coral demands.
 
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