How many of us "don't test" aside from salinity?!?

[Haggisman14]

So how many of us don't test for anything aside from salinity?

Now granted I have a small Deskmate Classic tank (4.8 gallons), but the only thing I test for is salinity. When I started this tank, I knew I could have gone one of 2 ways, test like crazy to hit the "right" numbers across the board, or don't. I went the latter.

To be honest, in my whole reefkeeping career (21 years), I"ve never really tested much, and have had good success. I know I'm probably in a small minority of people that run tanks like this, but I went slow and steady with my tank. Cycled it properly for almost 2 months, Added the CUC, then fish, then corals, and all has been going well.

I stay consistent with water changes every 8-10 days, depending on how weekends work as this tank is in my office, but aside from daily feeding, manually topping off with about 1/16 cup of water a day (as I have a lid on the tank), this method works for me!

What do you guys do. How many others approach their tanks like I do.

Discuss

Tank as of 8/30/23 (6.5 months old)

 

[Northern Flicker]

Probably depends a lot on your expectations - high performance tanks are going to have controllers and they will probably also be tested more regularly to make sure the calibrations haven't drifted.

Us casual folk who aren't measuring success by how much we can frag...it's more of curiousity thing. I've been testing regularly because I don't mind doing it and I am interested in the affects of different feeding and w/c schedules.

 

[Mark Goode]

I had a tank years ago, everything was always fine, and my test results were always pretty much the same - so I stopped bothering.

Everything died.

 

[jmichaelh7]

I have to because I run calcium reactor . Dkh spikes are possible

 

[Haggisman14]

I had a tank years ago, everything was always fine, and my test results were always pretty much the same - so I stopped bothering.

Everything died.

definitely always a possibility!

 

[Haggisman14]

I have to because I run calcium reactor . Dkh spikes are possible

valid reason!

 

[Haggisman14]

Probably depends a lot on your expectations - high performance tanks are going to have controllers and they will probably also be tested more regularly to make sure the calibrations haven't drifted.

Us casual folk who aren't measuring success by how much we can frag...it's more of curiousity thing. I've been testing regularly because I don't mind doing it and I am interested in the affects of different feeding and w/c schedules.

I would definitely agree that If I had a big tank (anything over 30-50g) testing would have to be a weekly job

 

[AydenLincoln]

Me! I do test occasionally but for the most part I don’t. I perform regular water changes. When I tested I would obsess over numbers and that led to me chasing numbers and doing more harm.

 

[Nano_Man]

Only if something in the tank looks off .
Salinity once a week top off every day with ro

 

[Haggisman14]

Me! I do test occasionally but for the most part I don’t. I perform regular water changes. When I tested I would obsess over numbers and that led to me chasing numbers and doing more harm.

I think that's what actually led to my downfall in my old 29Gallon BioCube.

I didn't stay consistent with my water changes, tried playing catchup, and then when the numbers told a certain story, I would then overcorrect.

Here the KISS method is working well with the Deskmate, as long as I'm staying consistent with my water changes.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I have a 36 gallon, mostly softy tank, I don't test. I just do a monthly 30 gallon water change. It is 5 ½ years old.

 

[Haggisman14]

I have a 36 gallon, mostly softy tank, I don't test. I just do a monthly 30 gallon water change. It is 5 ½ years old.

I like it!

 

[Vivid Creative Aquatics Verified Sponsor]

I rarely, if ever do any manually tests anymore. Here at the office we are running a 134-gallon mixed reef cube tank, a 5-gallon Fluvial, a 10-gallon Waterbox and a newly setup 15-gallon IM tank.

The 134-gallon tank has a Trident that i run, but it has never really been calibrated, so i dont know the actual numbers, but i use it as more of a trend indicator, and then through observation of the tank, make small increments adjustments.

For the smaller nano tanks, two of them are are all pretty easy softie tank - one is even growing some maco algaes. it's almost self maintaining. i dont test them, and do a monthly water change.


For the 15-gallon, I think I might try and try making that a mixed reef. It has some easy (but sensitive) birdsnets growing in there now, and it's not dying, so maybe...

 

[Haggisman14]

I rarely, if ever do any manually tests anymore. Here at the office we are running a 134-gallon mixed reef cube tank, a 5-gallon Fluvial, a 10-gallon Waterbox and a newly setup 15-gallon IM tank.

The 134-gallon tank has a Trident that i run, but it has never really been calibrated, so i dont know the actual numbers, but i use it as more of a trend indicator, and then through observation of the tank, make small increments adjustments.

For the smaller nano tanks, two of them are are all pretty easy softie tank - one is even growing some maco algaes. it's almost self maintaining. i dont test them, and do a monthly water change.


For the 15-gallon, I think I might try and try making that a mixed reef. It has some easy (but sensitive) birdsnets growing in there now, and it's not dying, so maybe...

I like it. They're doing great b/c of all the RFG's you've got in the tank (my Deskmate is LOVING mine!).

I'm doing a mixed reef over here and everyone's happy. SPS are polyps out and encrusting. Zoa's are adding polyps, chalices, favias and lord's are encursting and making new heads/eyes, and my GSP on the back wall is finally off the plug and onto the wall!

Let the good times roll!

 

[exnisstech]

I've pretty much gotten to the point alk is the only thing I test regularly. I have 3 tanks with coral growing and I manually dose 2part so I test alk weekly and adjust as needed for coral growth.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I test occasionally but not consistently though.

 

[blecki]

I never test. My LFS on the other hand... I take a sample in about once a month. Compare calcium/alk/magnesium to the previous month. Make sure phosphate/nitrate are normal. Calculate how much of the big 3 to dose. Come home and dose. That's about all the testing.

 

[sesbalders]

I take a sample once month or two to the lfs with a digital checker, have done for years. To be honest I did test regularly (tropical) and found I ended up chasing too much and causing huge swings.

 

[vetteguy53081]

So how many of us don't test for anything aside from salinity?

Now granted I have a small Deskmate Classic tank (4.8 gallons), but the only thing I test for is salinity. When I started this tank, I knew I could have gone one of 2 ways, test like crazy to hit the "right" numbers across the board, or don't. I went the latter.

To be honest, in my whole reefkeeping career (21 years), I"ve never really tested much, and have had good success. I know I'm probably in a small minority of people that run tanks like this, but I went slow and steady with my tank. Cycled it properly for almost 2 months, Added the CUC, then fish, then corals, and all has been going well.

I stay consistent with water changes every 8-10 days, depending on how weekends work as this tank is in my office, but aside from daily feeding, manually topping off with about 1/16 cup of water a day (as I have a lid on the tank), this method works for me!

What do you guys do. How many others approach their tanks like I do.

Discuss

Tank as of 8/30/23 (6.5 months old)

I was once in this boat but with now loads of coral and fish, I have monitors and follow up with testing every few weeks as I do daily water changes

 

[mfinn]

With my softy tanks, I feel testing isn't needed. I'm not saying don't test, just isn't for me.
I haven't done any testing except salinity in probably 35 years on my softy tanks. Just regular water changes.
On my lps tank I did test because I was dosing chemicals. I feel if you are adding something extra to the tank you need to be aware of the numbers.