Eyeball only reefing?

[allsite]

I started the hobby a couple years ago and have had my share of issues, including a dramatic tank crash. I spent a small fortune on test kits, additives and so on. Fast forward a couple years and everything is going very well. I'm fragging some corals, fish look good. The odd part is I'm not testing any parameters. I'm 100% eyeballs.

I notice a faint film on the surface when I dose too much calk/alk, so I skip a few doses and it resolves.
When I get algae I blast/scrape, then replace filter media.
Not checking calc or alk, just a little dosing when it feels needed.
Lots of macro algae, nitrate reducing additives
Reef roids in very small quantity
Quarterly (3 months apart) water changes, 6ppm RO water (no di)

My question is how common is it to not be the scientist, in favor of just feeling it out? I mean, it's still scientific, but with unmeasured results, aside from booming corals and happy fishes...

 

[NanoJHB]

I think it really depends on what corals you have and your goal for the tank.

I have a thriving nano filled with softies and lps, 10% weekly water changes.
Never tested any parameters and couldn't be happier with the tank health and coral growth.

Doubt I'd have the same success with sps without any testing

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Cool beans...I'm really into the science of it all though so I would probably get bored without the testing and biological upkeep I choose to do...plus I feel like the testing, trials and errors, and other maintenance work make you so much more immersed...depends on what you're trying to keep or achieve with the tank as well imo. I'm trying to do some pretty experimental stuff right now that simple observations just can't help with much

 

[Ef4life]

It might be working fine for you, until it’s not.

regular testing is of paramount importance for the long term imo. But it sounds like you got some experience under your belt and have a good understanding of what’s going on in your tank, and getting to know your tank over the course of a few years you become in sync with it and that is very important too. You cannot book learn experience you have to do it live and it takes time.

 

[sheeb]

I started the hobby a couple years ago and have had my share of issues, including a dramatic tank crash. I spent a small fortune on test kits, additives and so on. Fast forward a couple years and everything is going very well. I'm fragging some corals, fish look good. The odd part is I'm not testing any parameters. I'm 100% eyeballs.

I notice a faint film on the surface when I dose too much calk/alk, so I skip a few doses and it resolves.
When I get algae I blast/scrape, then replace filter media.
Not checking calc or alk, just a little dosing when it feels needed.
Lots of macro algae, nitrate reducing additives
Reef roids in very small quantity
Quarterly (3 months apart) water changes, 6ppm RO water (no di)

My question is how common is it to not be the scientist, in favor of just feeling it out? I mean, it's still scientific, but with unmeasured results, aside from booming corals and happy fishes...

I pretty much eyeball it when I can. I have a test kit whenever I’m feeling fancy but if I see my corals, fish, sand, etc are doing well and notice no problems, I don’t see a need to test anything and second guess myself. Pretty new to the hobby but I’ve had my ups and downs from being a newbie but now, I don’t find a need to test my params unless I need to// post a forum.

 

[ReefPig]

It entirely depends on the corals you keep and how sensitive they are, likewise whether you’re adding new corals and fish.

I agree that many params you can largely ignore, such as Mg, No3, even Ca.

My regular testing was always Kh and PO4, as they’re both highly sensitive and can rapidly get out of whack.

If you’re into softies, some LPS, and you regularly water change, then you can skip most tests (IMO), but a lot LPS and particularly SPS can be very sensitive and you’ll be fine for a while, the corals will handle change well, up to a point, then suddenly you’ll blink and will lose a load, and you’ll not understand why, then you’ll test and find your alk at 2 (for example).

I think the whole idea of not testing anything, and just knowing what to do by looking at the corals baffles me as to how this would work long term.
Many SPS, for example, look at their best and most colourful, right before they die. I’ve seen this in my own tanks over the years. You think to yourself “wow they’re looking great”, then the next day RTN.

Leaving it to chance, just because you don’t like the science bit, pretty much goes against everything we’ve learnt in the hobby over the decades. I agree that we’ve become far too complex in many respects, but we need to do some of the science, otherwise what’s the point?

 

[Forty-Two]

I do both. I test Alk 3 times a day, PO3, N03, Salinity, Temp PH every day, and then Mag, Calcium, Iodine on off days.

However - I do find very often that I can look at my corals and I will know something is 'off' so Ill run additional tests. Usually something is starting to drift, and I need to take some correct action.

I think both are useful, but as others have said - SPS and some LPS (Im looking at you Favia's) need to have regular testing to ensure parameters stay in a pretty tight range.

 

[allsite]

Well thanks everyone, this is the advice I needed. I'm going to step up my testing game and better learn that side of the hobby, without going overboard. I mean, it's just a little 12 gallon nano mixed reef. Would testing dKH/Ca weekly and dosing the proportionate parts of Red Sea A/B/C be a good place to start?
Lastly I'll mention it's a goal to do infrequent water changes. It's hard to do in my little urban apartment and I'm currently controlling nitrates/algae via various methods (additives, GFO, lots of macro).

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Well thanks everyone, this is the advice I needed. I'm going to step up my testing game and better learn that side of the hobby, without going overboard. I mean, it's just a little 12 gallon nano mixed reef. Would testing dKH/Ca weekly and dosing the proportionate parts of Red Sea A/B/C be a good place to start?

If it's just a nano, you should more be worried about nitrates and phosphates accumulating...if you have a lot of corals you should test calcium, mag, and dKh

 

[damsels are not mean]

Honestly for a long while when I was newer, I'd say the first 4 or so years, I didn't really test much if at all. I don't think iver ever owned a phosphate test even. I didnt know anything about calcification and the test strips for nitrate always came up undetectable so i just stopped worrying about it. The guy at the lfs gave me a couple bottles to dose calcium and alkalinity and said "add a little every week" and it worked great for LPS and softies for all those years. These days I'm doing some sps after a soft reset so i test alk every week and do ~20% water changes when it drops below 11. I don't want a full sps tank so this will probably work long term. Corals are growing, kind of slowly for the sps but they seem to be focused on encrusting the bases now. I don't know if I'll ever buy a phosphate kit. Seems to not matter. I can't imagine it's within forum approved ranges since my nitrate was sky high before this reset.

 

[flashsmith]

I have 2 large systems and only test once a month. 10% bi weekly water changes. Both mixed with a little of everything. I think the main thing is a constant routine. You can quickly do more harm than good trying to micro manage every little thing in your system. At that point its no longer about what's actually living inside and the hobby is no longer a hobby. I switched to auto dosing and now my tanks run themselves. Don't get things straight from the ocean. Get things already acclimated to tank life that can handle small swings. Change your filter media often and dump your skimmer cup and enjoy. It's not that hard.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I have 2 large systems and only test once a month. 10% bi weekly water changes. Both mixed with a little of everything. I think the main thing is a constant routine. You can quickly do more harm than good trying to micro manage every little thing in your system. At that point its no longer about what's actually living inside and the hobby is no longer a hobby. I switched to auto dosing and now my tanks run themselves. Don't get things straight from the ocean. Get things already acclimated to tank life that can handle small swings. Change your filter media often and dump your skimmer cup and enjoy. It's not that hard.

Not gonna disagree that it's great when your livestock is already conditioned to tank live but with the sheer amount of stress fish have to endure on their journey to the shop, I'd say a freshly caught ocean fish not only has a stronger immune system but is less likely to introduce parasites as well.

 

[flashsmith]

Not gonna disagree that it's great when your livestock is already conditioned to tank live but with the sheer amount of stress fish have to endure on their journey to the shop, I'd say a freshly caught ocean fish not only has a stronger immune system but is less likely to introduce parasites as well.

The one and only time I ever ordered fish online was the only time ich nearly wiped me out. Never again. I'm lucky in that I have a good place who has a quarantine setup before they ever go into the sell tanks. Fish are medicated and eating well before he sells anything. Never had a loss. I can take that fish and temp acclimate and drop into my display with no worries. With that though once it goes into your system there's no bringing it back for credit. He takes no chances of things being introduced into his systems.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

The one and only time I ever ordered fish online was the only time ich nearly wiped me out. Never again. I'm lucky in that I have a good place who has a quarantine setup before they ever go into the sell tanks. Fish are medicated and eating well before he sells anything. Never had a loss. I can take that fish and temp acclimate and drop into my display with no worries. With that though once it goes into your system there's no bringing it back for credit. He takes no chances of things being introduced into his systems.

I'd never order a fish online either (that's still not fresh out of the ocean though which is what I was referring to)...I forgot not many people have access to very freshly caught fish as we do here...I'm talking about out of the ocean maybe a week at most probably less

 

[A Young Reefer]

I wouldn't say eyeball only reefing is possible at the early stages of a reef tank. when the tank matures and you start to develop some sort of ability to "read" your corals it would be possible. for example when something looks off you would know the problem and its associated solution.

 

[Timfish]

I use the "Eyeball" method a lot. Some of my systems have gone years without testing in the past. But I've been bitten a few times too so I try to test alkalinity, calcium and magnesium regularly.

 

[HBtank]

I started the hobby a couple years ago and have had my share of issues, including a dramatic tank crash. I spent a small fortune on test kits, additives and so on. Fast forward a couple years and everything is going very well. I'm fragging some corals, fish look good. The odd part is I'm not testing any parameters. I'm 100% eyeballs.

I notice a faint film on the surface when I dose too much calk/alk, so I skip a few doses and it resolves.
When I get algae I blast/scrape, then replace filter media.
Not checking calc or alk, just a little dosing when it feels needed.
Lots of macro algae, nitrate reducing additives
Reef roids in very small quantity
Quarterly (3 months apart) water changes, 6ppm RO water (no di)

My question is how common is it to not be the scientist, in favor of just feeling it out? I mean, it's still scientific, but with unmeasured results, aside from booming corals and happy fishes...

I think the issue with this approach is when something does happen, you will not have an understanding of what changed, or information to share to seek help.

But from a general perspective, our eyeballs are the most important test we can use.