Testing your h20 how oftern do you test

[Ba19Ma88]

How often are you really checking your water quality?

What tests do you skip for the next weeks test?

What way or items can be used to speed up the process of testing? What are the pros and cons of the pinpoint meters that we see on the equipment board?

My reason for asking is I have found myself not testing as much as I should be I started to do all my tests weekly but that has become a thing of the past I am sorry to say. I was thi8nking if the meters speed up the process I would probably get back to my schedule.

 

[MarkO]

I'll prolly get flamed for this, but I don't test much anymore either. When I do test, it's usually just for alkalinity and calcium (about once every 3 or so weeks. Every two months or so, I'll test my nitrates to make sure they're still at or near zero. My pH varies according to the time of day and haven't found a very reliable test kit nor meter, so I really don't test my pH anymore.

That being said, I do have a digital thermometer I check daily and a refractometer I'll pull out once in a while for salinity.

My corals and fish are my best test kit. If polyp's aren't extending or fully or fish not eating, I'll run tests.

 

[Kevin McG]

Monday - salinity
Tuesday - PH
Wendsday - Ammonia
Thursday - Nitrites & Nitrates
Friday - nothing except water change every other
Saturday - Salinity(cause of water change)
Sunday - hung over
Call me anal but untill I get more comfortable with water conditions I am sticking to this.

 

[NateHanson]

I'm basically the same as Mark. When my tank is healthy, mature, and I'm not changing things on it I don't test am, nitrite or nitrate. Because I know they're always zero. Then I test ca and alk about every other week to make sure I'm supplementing correctly. I pay attention to temperature everyday, and test salinity a couple times a week.

Nate

 

[Matt L.]

I rarely test for anything, except for pH and temperature which I monitor continuously. I test for salinity before and after a water change just to make sure. I don't have much faith in commercial test kits,

Matt

 

[MarkO]

I just checked my records. When I started out, I tested my water 32 times in the first 30 days!
So yeah, test until you are comfortable.

 

[Mr. Slippery]

Ditto what Nate said. I also check CA and dKH when I do water changes as well and add B ionic to change water until they're close. Other than that I'm pretty lazy

 

[clamm]

MarkO speaking of which the water you have me was below 5 on nitrates but above 0. Waiting on my new test kit which was supposed to be delivered friday but wasn't...hopefully tomorrow.

I'll prolly get flamed for this, but I don't test much anymore either. When I do test, it's usually just for alkalinity and calcium (about once every 3 or so weeks. Every two months or so, I'll test my nitrates to make sure they're still at or near zero. My pH varies according to the time of day and haven't found a very reliable test kit nor meter, so I really don't test my pH anymore.

That being said, I do have a digital thermometer I check daily and a refractometer I'll pull out once in a while for salinity.

My corals and fish are my best test kit. If polyp's aren't extending or fully or fish not eating, I'll run tests.

 

[nitrofish]

I test every day, once I get things set (kalk drip and calcium reactor) I may cut back a little