Do I need to test with weekly water changes?

[Fishyj]

I have a 13 gallon Aquatop tank that I plan on giving weekly water changes from 2 to 4 gallons. My question is basically, do I really need to test the water? If I do need to test then what is absolutely necessary to test? Looking forward to the input.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Are you going to have hard coral?

 

[DrkNMighty]

I would still test and record the results. Your water changes should keep everything in your desired range, but the minute something goes wrong it helps to have a history of parameters to look back on.

 

[kevgib67]

Back in the day I had a tank for 16 years that was started in the 90’s. I think I stopped testing in the first year and just did weekly water changes. It was a predominantly softie tank with a few lps. If things looked unhappy I just increased water change amount and frequency until things looked better. Now I run a predominantly lps tank with a couple sps and I need to test regularly. As mentioned by @Cichlid Dad, it will depend on what you plan on keeping in your tank.

 

[Miami Reef]

Salinity and temperature are the most important parameters to test for.

Test alkalinity occasionally. Use a balanced alkalinity and calcium additive (AFR, ESV B Ionic etc), and you won’t need to test calcium or mg.

I wouldn’t even bother with nutrient test kits. They don’t really help with much unless you go with certain high-end corals.

 

[ReefRebels]

13 gallons is hard to keep stable. Do you have an auto top off? If you don't you gotta test salinity a couple times a day (which is super easy and you get to feel very important looking through a refractometer). I still test salinity even with an auto top off to be safe, but only a couple times a week.

You can get test strips that will test a bunch of the other things at once, nitrates, alkalinity, copper, ph, ect, ammonia is always a separate strip and these test strip bundles are cheap. Unless you are doing some acros, test strips should be fine for now, just make sure they say they can be used for saltwater.

And, don't be afraid to break up a 4 gallon water change into a few 1-2 gallon water changes over the course of a week. Frequent smaller water changes are more stable than big swings caused by weekly water changes. I change a gallon sometimes 2 on my 20g almost every day and I find it to be much better than when I was doing 5 gallons all at once each week. I also don't worry about calcium or magnesium because the water change replenishes those substances.

While testing is important, as long as you are diligent in water changes, you should do fine. Good luck.

 

[exnisstech]

I have never ran a tank smaller than 40g. I would think on a smaller system with regular changes using a salt with parameters that are what you want to run would probably be fine early on. If you start adding coral as they grow I would test to see if water changes are keeping up with alk consumption. That said I test NO3, PO4, and alkalinity weekly. At times I'll test alk daily if I'm trying to make some adjustments. I rarely check salinity in the DT as mine don't change. Temp is monitored.
I think testing becomes less as the tank matures and you kind of get in tune with it so to speak. Many times there will be a certain coral that can be an indicator that you should probably test. It just takes time to get there.

 

[exnisstech]

I wouldn’t even bother with nutrient test kits. They don’t really help with much unless you go with certain high-end corals.

Assuming your talking about nitrate and phosphate? They sure can be helpful for diagnosis issues like nuisance algae, cyano etc not just to meet coral needs IME

 

[Miami Reef]

Assuming your talking about nitrate and phosphate? They sure can be helpful for diagnosis issues like nuisance algae, cyano etc not just to meet coral needs IME

Eh. I’m not convinced testing nutrients has any effect of algae growth. My tank runs near 0 and I grow algae just fine without herbivores. I’ve seen tanks (@Thales ) with PO4 about 1.0ppm and no algae. There are many examples of this. @jda also runs NSW levels and can grow a forest of algae if he didn’t keep herbivores.

Likewise, I’ve seen cyano in both high and low nutrient tanks. I’m not convinced nutrient testing is that important for the sake of algae.


A quick disclaimer: if you are hardly feeding your tank, you should definitely get nutrient test kits to ensure nutrients are detectable for the corals.

I practice heavy in heavy out, so I know my corals have nutrients despite my residual levels being low.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I haven't tested my 15 gallon softie/RFA tank in 2 years, everything is flourishing, and not a even one hair of algae in that tank and the rocks are all purple.

It actually does better than my main tank which is 2 years older and gets lots of love and attention and testing, but has cyano and green algae in a couple spots. I don't get it.

 

[Fishyj]

I plan on keeping some acans, mushrooms, and maybe some rfa’s. I will have an ato for the system. I hopefully in the future will have an automatic water changer that will change out 1 gallon a day.

 

[exnisstech]

Eh. I’m not convinced testing nutrients has any effect of algae growth. My tank runs near 0 and I grow algae just fine without herbivores. I’ve seen tanks (@Thales ) with PO4 about 1.0ppm and no algae. There are many examples of this. @jda also runs NSW levels and can grow a forest of algae if he didn’t keep herbivores.

Likewise, I’ve seen cyano in both high and low nutrient tanks. I’m not convinced nutrient testing is that important for the sake of algae.


A quick disclaimer: if you are hardly feeding your tank, you should definitely get nutrient test kits to ensure nutrients are detectable.

If course testing doesn't have any effects on algae growth. I agree with most of your other thought and experience the same in my tanks, one near 0 N and P and over run with gha another 15 and 0.04 and nice and clean. I still think N and P testing can be a useful tool especially for new comers to the hobby. It can help determine over feeding habits, do I really need to change water, trends etc. At the end of the day it's just another tool

 

[CasperOe]

I plan on keeping some acans, mushrooms, and maybe some rfa’s. I will have an ato for the system. I hopefully in the future will have an automatic water changer that will change out 1 gallon a day.

I suppose it comes down to how much you value the corals you add, how much piece of mind you want and how much you appreciate the process!

Until you learn your tank, it's needs and consumptions, then I would do my testing diligently! It makes it much easier to make a qualified guess down the line if you don't feel like testing on that particular day/week.

Here's what I would do until you're comfortable yourself that you can deviate from this:

Daily:
- Alkalinity
- Salinity (.. until you trust your ATO! - then weekly)

Weekly:
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Phosphate

Monthly:
- Nitrate
- pH

There's nothing right or wrong - 10 reefers will do 10 different things but the only way you get to know your tank is to interact with it!

I test most things daily (automated!) but i still do my manual tests once every week/month.

 

[Miami Reef]

If course testing doesn't have any effects on algae growth. I agree with most of your other thought and experience the same in my tanks, one near 0 N and P and over run with gha another 15 and 0.04 and nice and clean. I still think N and P testing can be a useful tool especially for new comers to the hobby. It can help determine over feeding habits, do I really need to change water, trends etc. At the end of the day it's just another tool

I meant to say controlling nutrients has very little effect on algae growth.

I’m not against testing nutrients at all. I test my nutrients all the time.

 

[tzabor10]

It’s good practice to test regularly. I can’t ever think of a time I have over tested. I get as lazy as the next reefer, but when I see awesome tanks, there is regular testing

 

[Fishyj]

A lot of good points.Thanks for all the input. I think once I start adding coral, I will check minimum 2 to 3 times a week. In the mean time the tank has just begun its cycle, ato coming today , so at least I can test the ato and salinity every day to make sure it’s in the correct range. I plan on taking it extremely slow this time.

 

[Oiseaufeu]

Since my tank isn’t a year old, I’m trying to test it weekly. Skipping a week once isn’t a big deal, but not optimal as my parameters could swing drastically. I already lost my nitrates in my freshwater tank, so I’m trying to keep them.

 

[Digimes]

I have a 13 gallon Aquatop tank that I plan on giving weekly water changes from 2 to 4 gallons. My question is basically, do I really need to test the water? If I do need to test then what is absolutely necessary to test? Looking forward to the input.

Necessary is a broad word, I have currently downsized to an EVO 5(g). I test Calcium, PH, KH, every 10 days. I test temp often and salinity before/during any water changes, which is about 1 gallon a month. I have been maintaining different Reef tanks over a 30 year span and I am not a water change weekly believer. Current morning pic for reference.

 

[Oiseaufeu]

Necessary is a broad word, I have currently downsized to an EVO 5(g). I test Calcium, PH, KH, every 10 days. I test temp often and salinity before/during any water changes, which is about 1 gallon a month. I have been maintaining different Reef tanks over a 30 year span and I am not a water change weekly believer. Current morning pic for reference.

That’s good if it works for you. My tank is only 5, almost 6 months old, so I assume it needs weekly water change. And I’m also a beginner in this hobby even if I spent a year or 2 in research. I don’t have calcium, mag or po4 test kits, so the only thing that I can test is my ph, my salinity, nitrates, nitrites, alk, and ammonia.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Water changes cannot maintain alk in any high demand tank unless the changes are daily and large and the new salt water has a higher alk than your tank.

As folks have suggested, measuring alk is the way to know if you are succeeding with the water change plan in terms of the major ions.

Trace elements may or may not be met.