Booted from Facebook Saltwater Group because I said "I DONT TEST"

[BZOFIQ]

Im fortunate to have worked for Pat Donston owner of Absolutely Fish Marine Aquarium and I learned the hard way lugging buckets back when I was in college.

Indeed very fortunate. Pat is a genuine guy with a wealth of no-nonsense knowledge. He is one of my favorites when he speaks at the society. We always pick his brain after the talk.

That said, don't worry about Facebook. There is life outside of it too.

 

[flagg37]

Those Facebook conspirators. I bet they’re part of QTanon too.

 

[Utubereefer]

I don’t test nitrate or phosphate

 

[alain Bouchard]

oh yeah, I dont quarantine...but I keep that a secret....people just arent ready...

 

[youcallmenny1]

Lol being on facebook... there's your problem!

 

[Duncan62]

Someone on a facebook group asked "How Many Times a Week do you test for Alkalinity?"

I posted in response RARELY, If at all anymore. And went on to explain the virtues of DOSING and Water Changes. Because I have a dosing schedule and I **Observe** my corals (LPS and Softies only tank).

I explained in my post that I had established a dosing schedule based on testing over a long period and that one can maintain a system with regular dosing and water changes and observe their Corals. My Acan's tell me when Nitrates and Phosphates are high.... My Torches tell me when they are lush and fat that the water is good. My Corals dictate to me when its time for fresh salt water.

INSTANT BOOTED.

Facebook people need to go to PETCO.

Been 6 months. Lol. Maybe I'll test today. Nah.

 

[Duncan62]

oh yeah, I dont quarantine...but I keep that a secret....people just arent ready...

What is quarantine. Always pour that free water that comes with your fish in. Lol. If your fish are healthy the stress could do harm.

 

[Tamberav]

That is pretty normal for Facebook.

Instead of being a place to share and exchange ideas and learn from each other… it is mostly a place for those with the same idea to stroke each other’s egos and continue through the world with their tiny minds.

I have seen people wish others harm and death… usually over something very unimportant like disagreeing over cat food.

Social media and screens seem to have lead us into a dark place.

The big difference is face book is set up in a way that you rarely get to know the other people. Same with other platforms. It’s just massive amounts of content… not a chat group or such.

 

[piranhaman00]

I didn’t know people still used Facebook.

same as Reddit , red people are clueless

 

[fish farmer]

My first tank in 2000 (38 gallon), I tested weekly, WC every other week, grew lots of softies and LPS, I don't think I had any corals die and even had a porities frag that I brought back from the dead salvaged in a live rock bin. I dosed/dipped kalk, if my numbers were low...I boosted the dose. I didn't care to know the daily consumption.

I pretty much try to do the same today, although testing and WC are less weekly...and I does show from time to time.

I tested my params the other day, alk/ca/mg/pH...pretty much what they have been running except the mg was a little low. Having a doser is great for consistency.

Granted my easy sps aren't growing at a maximum rate, but it could be due to the massive softy flesh that is waving around in the tank.

 

[alain Bouchard]

What is quarantine. Always pour that free water that comes with your fish in. Lol. If your fish are healthy the stress could do harm.

exactly what I meant...

 

[MnFish1]

Seems like lots of people like 'data'. I completely agree with you @BroccoliFarmer - unless you're starting up a new tank, adding large amounts of new coral, etc - testing once a tank is stable becomes much less important. Nice tank BTW.

I think some also take 'stability' to a degree that is not necessary - which may be the reason for the recommendation to test more often. With various equipment its now possible on an hour by hour basis dose alkalinity such that it stays (basically) totally stable. I'm not sure that there is a lot of information that this is any better than a tank with more fluctuation. Of course - large fluctuations are to be avoided.

 

[takitaj]

I quit that stupid program like 2 years ago and I've never been happier! It's a quagmire! ;Sour;Vomit

If you're to the point where you put in the work and know your tank well enough to test less or rarely then kudos to you. Someone that can't understand that isn't much of an expert. You don't want to be any part of that anyways!

 

[MnFish1]

What is quarantine. Always pour that free water that comes with your fish in. Lol. If your fish are healthy the stress could do harm.

What if that water contains copper that your LFS is dosing. In a big tank - not an issue - in a smaller tank - its an issue

 

[Duncan62]

I think this hobby is a joy, to be honest if you setup right from the start. Im fortunate to have worked for Pat Donston owner of Absolutely Fish Marine Aquarium and I learned the hard way lugging buckets back when I was in college. Now, while I only keep LPS and Soft Corals, I find that setting up a tank with cultured live rock and good current flow and patience is 90% of the battle. Plus I subscribe to the Attrition Theory: -Over time, your system will develop livestock that thrive. Regardless of what you do, some will die off. But The residual Life are hardy. And that is a reality of keeping a reef. How many times I had numerous thriving corals, fish...etc... when I introduced a new one and it did not make it.

I keep WATER. And I strive to maintain my water by dosing and water changes. Filtration is a given. It was established from the beginning. The Live Rock is KEY. Established Rock with diversity of life. Good Flow over the rock. I keep Rock and Coraline Algae as much as I keep Corals and fish. My Coraline Algae are thriving. rich purple and pink. Rock crawling with Pods at night. That is the heart of a system, the Rock.

As for Ca & Alkalinity.... I Dose in moderation and maintain fresh water changes. -When I do so everybody perks up and brighten. So... yeah. I rarely test.

What if that water contains copper that your LFS is dosing. In a big tank - not an issue - in a smaller tank - its an issue

I lucky that's not an issue. I'm lucky to get a my coral and fish from a local grow out farm. The anti pest measures and constant testing done there gives me confidence. Also there's only one store I'll buy from. I'm a 40 year customer there. I'm lucky.

 

[chaostactics]

Someone on a facebook group asked "How Many Times a Week do you test for Alkalinity?"

I posted in response RARELY, If at all anymore. And went on to explain the virtues of DOSING and Water Changes. Because I have a dosing schedule and I **Observe** my corals (LPS and Softies only tank).

I explained in my post that I had established a dosing schedule based on testing over a long period and that one can maintain a system with regular dosing and water changes and observe their Corals. My Acan's tell me when Nitrates and Phosphates are high.... My Torches tell me when they are lush and fat that the water is good. My Corals dictate to me when its time for fresh salt water.

INSTANT BOOTED.

Facebook people need to go to PETCO.

Not saying it's not possible, FB groups tend to be not the sharpest tools in the shed but Id give 2:1 odds that's not the whole story.

 

[Lyss]

That is pretty normal for Facebook.

Instead of being a place to share and exchange ideas and learn from each other… it is mostly a place for those with the same idea to stroke each other’s egos and continue through the world with their tiny minds.

I have seen people wish others harm and death… usually over something very unimportant like disagreeing over cat food.

Social media and screens seem to have lead us into a dark place.

The big difference is face book is set up in a way that you rarely get to know the other people. Same with other platforms. It’s just massive amounts of content… not a chat group or such.

"Disagreeing over cat food" sent me lol. B/c some people are very overly passionate about that and advocate for specific diets against vet recommendations and outside of science, and I can imagine FB amping up that passion to those extremes. When my last cat passed away in Dec 2019, I was on the hunt for a new one come January and had a difficult time with a rescue that was, let's say, "passionate" about that very topic.

 

[mslabonik]

Someone on a facebook group asked "How Many Times a Week do you test for Alkalinity?"

I posted in response RARELY, If at all anymore. And went on to explain the virtues of DOSING and Water Changes. Because I have a dosing schedule and I **Observe** my corals (LPS and Softies only tank).

I explained in my post that I had established a dosing schedule based on testing over a long period and that one can maintain a system with regular dosing and water changes and observe their Corals. My Acan's tell me when Nitrates and Phosphates are high.... My Torches tell me when they are lush and fat that the water is good. My Corals dictate to me when its time for fresh salt water.

INSTANT BOOTED.

Facebook people need to go to PETCO.

I think it is great, you know your tank that well and don't need to test, jealous, even though I don't test that often either lol, but still, it is your own decision and you shouldn't have been booted. With that being said, and I will probably get some backlash from this response. It is no surprise to me that you were booted, here it comes, if the President of the US can be booted off FB, then there is absolutely no stopping the control they have over people!! I think it is pathetic that social media has gotten to the point of not allowing other people's opinions without being blocked or removed. Where has our constitutional right of freedom of speech gone?? As someone said previously, cancel culture is in full-force and we as people has to start standing up for our rights against this monopoly of controlling us on social media and every other area of life! I personally can't believe where our country has gone and hope and pray that things will start to change. I hate FB and everything thing it stands for at this point and rarely post anything on it. Thanks R2R for this forum, I have read and posted more on this site in last few weeks, than I have on FB in years!!! I love that there is no discrimination of saying something wrong or what I may feel is a stupid question I have asked or statement I have made. Thank you R2R members for helpful information and interesting posts!! Back to your original post, kudos to you again for knowing your tank and watching your sea life that well!

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Someone on a facebook group asked "How Many Times a Week do you test for Alkalinity?"

I posted in response RARELY, If at all anymore. And went on to explain the virtues of DOSING and Water Changes. Because I have a dosing schedule and I **Observe** my corals (LPS and Softies only tank).

I explained in my post that I had established a dosing schedule based on testing over a long period and that one can maintain a system with regular dosing and water changes and observe their Corals. My Acan's tell me when Nitrates and Phosphates are high.... My Torches tell me when they are lush and fat that the water is good. My Corals dictate to me when its time for fresh salt water.

INSTANT BOOTED.

Facebook people need to go to PETCO.

I would ask...maybe that facebook group is comprised of a bunch of petco shoppers? Maybe an experienced hobbyist telling a bunch of petco reefers that they dont have to do basic tank husbandy and maintenance sends the wrong message..again, to a bunch of Petco shoppers. I dont agree that they should have done this...but very easily could cause some people that dont know any better to look to you as a success story and if you can be successful without testing, so can they. Meh..i guess in my advancing age, I am starting to see other points of view.

 

[shwareefer]

Regarding Facebook, I am thrilled to say I have no idea what you are talking about.