How Often Do You Test Your Water?

[Mako Man111]

How often do you guys tests your water after your tank gets established, especailly for nitrate?

 

[xanthedc]

Once a week just before a water change. Then if anything comes up a bit high then it informs me on how much of a water change to do. If nitrates are running high then, more frequent water changes are needed. Hope this helps. Cheers
Xanthe

 

[raptorrex]

How often do you guys tests your water after your tank gets established, especailly for nitrate?

honestly???
if i think i have a problem!!!!!

 

[xJake]

I test mine before and after I do water changes.

 

[geo7x]

i must admit im pretty lazy, havent tested my water much at all, maybe once or twice in the past couple of months

 

[xJake]

I only check mine before and after because my tap's pH varies sometimes and I need to make sure that the pH doesn't change too rapidly.

 

[andywg]

Hmm, I'm sure I tested my FW tanks some time in June. Might have been earlier.

My SW gets checked a little more frequently, maybe once a month or so, just to keep an eye on things.

The only exception is SW Salinity which gets checked at least every second water change to ensure that it hasn't gone off too much and I can then add more SW as top-up, or RO as water change to bring it back where I want it.

 

[Mako Man111]

Hmm, I'm sure I tested my FW tanks some time in June. Might have been earlier.

My SW gets checked a little more frequently, maybe once a month or so, just to keep an eye on things.

The only exception is SW Salinity which gets checked at least every second water change to ensure that it hasn't gone off too much and I can then add more SW as top-up, or RO as water change to bring it back where I want it.

Don't you need to test your water often if you have corals?

 

[lljdma06]

Now my 20g is older, not very often. Just when curiousity strikes. Newly established tanks will be tested much more often. When I had EI planted tanks, I was doing a water test everyday.

 

[Tolak]

When the fish tell me to.

 

[woogrl]

Yeah I was really bad about testing my water with new or old tanks. I think I had it tested initially when I set it up and then maybe once a year just out of curiosity. I never have had any problems with any of my fish tank or fish dying so I just never think to test it. My last tank was a 47 gallon pentagon with only 8 various africans. I did a water change every couple monthes( I know thats horrible) kept my Rena xp2 well cleaned and just left it at that.

 

[Griz]

pH, GH, KH, every couple of months, if I'm really bored and have nothing better to do. I can't recall the last time I tested Amonia and Nitrite, only if I see a fish acting strangely but that hasn't happened in ages.

 

[Mr.September15]

Hmm, for me since I just started my SW nano. I check it every other day until I can feel comfortable and also until my tank matures a bit.

 

[andywg]

Don't you need to test your water often if you have corals?

You can do. I tested for long enough to get an idea of how the tank was going. I now only tend to test the ammonia and nitrites if I get a gut feeling there could be an issue. I tend not to bother with my nitrates as I have found the API nitrates test kits to be as effective as pulling a number out of a hat. I have had two identical samples from the same tank tested at exactly the same time with one come up with 0ppm, and the other 160ppm. Similarly, I have had it read 160ppm on pure RO+SW.

The one time I thought there was a real problem I got the better half to nip down the lfs with a sample to check it against his test kits.

On top of this, I am only just branching into hard corals, so there wasn't the degree of care required.

 

[chishnfips]

I haven't tested my water in a while (month or so) I dont have any probs and no fish have died. I check the Ph now and then but its a 2 year old matured tank never over stocked.

so probably once a month or so I do water checks.