hi all, just curious, i KNOW i'm not the only one. i have a thriving 125g tank. 150ish lbs of live rock, full of flowing growing common lps and leather corals, i do 4 or 5 50 gallon water changes a year, i top off with ro water and i feed my tank (very lightly) that is it. i see this word test kit thrown around alot. am i the only one that doesn't own one? infact i haven't tested anything other than salinity for the past 5 years or more years. anyone else care to chime in?
-
Folks, if you've recently upgraded or renewed your annual club membership but it's still not active, please reach out to the BOD or a moderator. The PayPal system has a slight bug which it doesn't allow it to activate the account on it's own.
bravery test. fess up. i know i'm not the only one.
- Thread starter REEFLECTIONS
- Start date
I don't have the guts, I test every other week faithfully.
I test for Calc and Alk mainly. Not much else
Beyond salinity I only test alk weekly
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
im way too lazy to test. i wasted my money on a bunch of tests and used them a few times. i really applaud those who test all their params weekly, of course their tanks are usually the best anyways
hey mike, how have you been? it's good to know that i'm not alone in my practices, however if i had more than six tiny fish in a 125g tank and didn't feed so sparingly i might would feel inclined to do more water changes.
After thinking about this more, I do not want to give the wrong impression to a beginner. In my opinion, I think it is good to test and observe your corals. However, daily testing will result in you chasing a ghost with regards to parameter corrections. For a new reefer please remember water changes, testing, observing your corals/fish are VERY important. For those advanced and know their tank in and out, well hats off!
I also test for calcium and alk. I keep a daily eye on my ph meter because of my ca reactor. I have been doing 50 gal water changes on my 300 every 2 weeks. Keep in mind I run about 1500 ml of ekobac pellets which helps. Like others have said my tank gives me signs of its overall health. But remember if something is going bad it can go fast and keeping a watchful eye (whether it be testing or coral observation) is a must. I test weekly and was lucky enough to be taught by Austin who used to work at trop. When it comes to test colors and the frustration of what is a true reading remember you have to determine what your initial reading is and then add a bit more keepin track of start and stop of reagent. You can then have an average that is close to the actual levels.
This is a response to the original poster and anyone else that doesn't test their water and make proper water changes. You are not doing things right and should not have fish or an aquarium. These fish and other animals are our pets and we should be taking proper care of them. Would you give your pet dog or cat dirty water to drink? How about your children? If you are too lazy or too cheap to test your water, maybe it's time to find another hobby.
I hate testing. I tested for awhile for the basics; ammonia/nitrate/nitrite but always got zero after the initial couple of months. Now I'm seeing how long I can go without a water change on a new tank adventure - although I'm not trying any advanced corals.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Probably a *little* judgmental. If their animals are happy and healthy and the tank is happy and healthy it should not matter. Some here have been in the hobby long enough to instinctively know when a test or water change are necessary. I am not one of those people. But if somebody has a long standing tank of 30-40 years with exceptional results he, in my eyes, has earned the right keep his animals as he sees fit. Results speak louder than testing parameters.
My current tank has been setup for three years and my results for testing are below:
Ammonia - should never exist in a cycled tank - so I do not test
Nitrite - should never exist in a cycled tank - so I do not test
Nitrate - has NEVER been over ten - so I test around every 6 months
Magnesium - have never had to add extra Mag because I use a salt high in mag and do regular water changes - so I test every 6 months or so
Calcium - has been been lower than 400 or higher than 460 because I top off with saturated kalk
Alk - this parameter fluctuates easily in a stocked reef - so I test weekly and very rarely have to adjust
Phosphate - I do not test since the tests are often flawed - I add GFO when algae of any kind appears
Most of my fish and corals are over 8 years old so yea I must be torturing them. As others have said with enough experience you can tell what is wrong just by looking at your tank.