Is everyone testing as much as before?

[Anonymous]

I was just viewing a post about test kits and it got me to thinking unless someone in my tank objects to something I rarely test anymore.

My Anemone lets me know if my salinity is not dead on balls 1.023

My Starfish let me know if I am over feeding, they become very lazy.

My Foxface lets me now if I am not feeding enough, he will start stalking my lawnmower blenny to grab dislodged algea as the bleeny feeds.

My shrooms react if the calcium gets lower than it should be.

Have the rest of you pulled back on testing as your tank has matured?

 

[afss]

To be honest I went through a huge testing period when i first set up my first tank. for about 3 months i tested frequently.. sometimes 2 times daily. Now I only test salinity (only when corals look stressed), and keep an eye on my thermometer. I figure if my corals and fish look happy the water is good by them. I dose only kalk (pickling lime) and top of (R/O) water with an occasional water change. I tried to get away from RO, but found the algea to be too much of a problem.

I am not advocating this method as i don't want to be blamed if someone trys it and gets in trouble. I do find however that like fishaholic says, your creatures will let you know whats wrong if you know how to listen.

The only key I see to this method is EVERYTHING is done slowly and with patience. This is true for all reefing, but especially so if you aren't monitoring parameters all the time.
_________________
Irritable Bowel Syndrome Forum

 

[Carpentersreef]

Testing?

I got tired of testing when time after time the results were the same.

Like you, Dave, I'll watch my animals, mainly my GOB and Pectinia for water quality issues. By that time, I already have a nagging feeling what I've neglected in my system. They just confirm it for me. I will test before I add something, though

Mitch

 

[EmilyB]

The last testkit I bought had the expiry date inside the box....

I agree, the inhabitants tell when it's time to test, after a tank is well established, of course.

 

[jdeets]

Not nearly as much as I used to. I use a Ca rxr and auto top-off system, so everything happens "automatically" for the most part. I take a gander at the thermometer and the pH monitor daily. I check the Ca rxr daily to make sure the bubbles are bubbling, and I check the Alk, Ca and salinity of the system about every two weeks. I make changes as necessary based on the numbers. I used to test several times a week--now I figure that with the larger system (180), it's going to take a couple of weeks to see a trend as the numbers change, so it doesn't make sense to test more frequently than that.

 

[DEADFISH1]

no, just Alkalinity test every now and then.

 

[Laurie]

I test alk about once every 10 days to 2 weeks. Calcium on occassion. Other than that, nope. Oh yeah, once in a while I take out the refractometer just because it's cool to play with.

When you get used to the way your animals look and act you can tell when something is wrong at a glance. It's like knowing when your child has a fever - you can just see it.

Laurie

 

[Quillen]

I test a lot less at both school and home, at home - everything is beautiful and happy. I could tell if something was off. My test kit is still pulled out for company and such to see that the tank has X about of this.

School still quite a bit more, as the filter died and a totally new thing was put in, then one of the people keeps playing with stuff. I go back and the salinity is off, because they put X amount of fresh water in "for me".

 

[Anonymous]

I test once every couple of months or if I suspect a problem may be developing. Now you got me thinking I need to do this. I need to do a water change too. The less I f*** with things, the better then grow.

 

[danmhippo]

i used to test diligently every week, even kept a spreadsheet with graphs to show correlation between the numbers. That was months ago.

Got lazy, Got tired of seeing consistent result.

Like the above posts, I watch the animals to see of testing is necessary. After so many years, I can pretty much guess which parameter is off when I look at the tank.

 

[Anonymous]

BTW

I think it important to note that someone new to husbandry for FW or SW understand that for the time it takes a tank to become established it is important to test so you can have a base of knowledge of how your inhabitants react given different situations. Luckily most situations repeat themselves several times in the course of six months to a year.

Also Know what inhabitant is the least hardiest. Then you have your "Canary in your coal mine"

 

[fishfarmer]

I tested all the basics during the first year once a week, amm, nitrites, phos, pH, ca, alk. Now I try to test the pH, Ca, alk at least every other week, and may do the others once a month. As long as I keep my water changes on a schedual and dosing consistant I'm usually fine. I had a situation this summer where my alk had dropped really low, 1.7 meq/L, and stayed there for a while. The only corals that seemed affected by it were my sinularia frags, my xenia didn't tell me a thing...so I still test alk, pH, ca regularly even if I believe my tank is looking good.

 

[chris_h]

I have never tested anything other than salinity, ph, or temperature. NOw I only test salinity and temperature.