Is all that testing really necessary?

[saltnewb]

So, I'm super lazy as time goes on. When I start something new, like a saltwater tank, I'm great about testing and cleaning and changing water and so on...but I've stepped back from testing so much. My tank appears to have great growth of the zoas and stuff and the fish look great and are super active.

So is it really necessary to test all my parameters all the time? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? After water changes? Before water changes? Once every three months? Six months? Twelve months?

What is your testing regimen?

 

[ksfulk]

In short - maybe.

It depends on what you are trying to keep, what testing you are talking about and what "all the time" means. I test Alkalinity everyday without fail. Calcium once a week, salinity weekly and other parameters less frequently. The more you test, the better you have an idea as to the trend of your tank. Can you get away with not testing? Sure - but you are toying with fire. Still, data for the sake of just having data means nothing if you dont know what the numbers mean or what to do with them.

 

[DracoKat]

I test before every water change to gauge if I need to dose anything and how much of a WC I should do. I do WC 2-3 times a month.

And I test again few days after to make sure levels are good and adjust accordingly.

 

[Labridaedicted]

I kinda reached a point on my old system where I could tell if something was off and usually what it was by looking at the tank. That being said, I do try to do weekly tests on the main stuff anyways: calcium, alk, salinity, nitrates. Mag I do monthly as well as phosphates. PH is on a probe so I can monitor regularly. I also check salinity before and after water changes. There's nothing other than ph I check daily.

I keep a log to monitor changes over time and these trends help me determine dosing regimen.

 

[Webslinger]

Things can go south fast. My corals tell me when to test. Once a month

 

[saltnewb]

Thanks for the input. My tank is a simple little tank. As far as corals I have some zoas, gsp, orange ricordia, and some random coral I picked up from Petco, still haven't gotten it ID'd on here yet.

 

[happyhourhero]

I test alk every few days, calcium and mag once a week. SG once a week at 5 gallon water change. Never test anything else.

 

[Labridaedicted]

Thanks for the input. My tank is a simple little tank. As far as corals I have some zoas, gsp, orange ricordia, and some random coral I picked up from Petco, still haven't gotten it ID'd on here yet.

Post pic, we'll I'd it

 

[saltnewb]

Here is the thread I started for it like 2 months ago or something like that. Nobody has commented on it but me with follow up pics and showing growth.

ID Please

https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/ID-Please.293660/

 

[saltnewb]

Okay it's only been a month, but still...lol

 

[happyhourhero]

Looks like a kenya tree or a colt coral..something along those lines but it doesnt have its polyps out in the pics. Could be one of the finger leathers too. Wish I could see polyps.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

YES and NO!

 

[saltnewb]

Looks like a kenya tree or a colt coral..something along those lines but it doesnt have its polyps out in the pics. Could be one of the finger leathers too. Wish I could see polyps.

Someone was able to identify it as sinularia.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

"I don't test as often as I should." I think that's the answer most reefers would have to give. I think for the most part there are very few tests that need to be run continuously. I would say a monthly test of PO4 is healthy just to be sure nothing crazy is happening and a regular test of anything you're dosing. Alk should generally be tested regularly ESPECIALLY after you start dosing it. I would think weekly is sufficient in most cases.

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Also, testing becomes more necessary in SPS tanks IMHO.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I think if you want to keep a reef with hard corals then you need to at least test alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. You need to keep a regular check on the Salinity as well. Once you get to a point and have dosing dialed in then you can test less. Is it necessary, yes and no, depending. SOME form of testing is always going to be something you have to do owning a reef tank.

 

[saltnewb]

The only thing I "dose" is some reef accelerator because the bottle says it helps with making rocks purple. Otherwise I run a simple no steroids setup.

 

[dbl]

I too used to test religiously. Now I only test about once per month. I do so just to make sure my dosing regimen is still on par.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

A local friend said, "its a fine line between owning a reef, and the reef owning you."
I personally worry a bit as I answer questions here from folks testing constantly and not knowing what those results mean. when in fact, its just the normal ebb and flow of overall health(like my love handles), and struggle to correct the "problem".

I have some great corals, but im not in a competition, and its not my only hobby or priority in life. Its a pet. Like any pet you can often see that its not doing well, kinda obvious(like my love handles).
Some are focused on having the biggest most beautiful tank a hobbyist can, like owning a horse you want to compete with, so they test more and try to keep it in the best possible condition, and sometimes are quite successful with it.. It works for them. Others are confounded by the apparent "Need" to test, and the focus directed away from the overall and obvious health of the tank in lieu of what they now THINK is a problem indicated by the test.

My self, I test Salinity, Alk and Ph the most(dosing paranoia), and rarely nutrints unless I'm experimenting. (I stripped my nutrints with my refugium and wanted to know at what point I was at when my zoas started to faint and when the xenia got thin).

I got schooled by my tank last year. Added more light. Not dosing. Natural seawater from scripps Pier. Talbot damsel SHREDDED my dsb.I was on the road. When I got home after a month the N/P test were off the charts alk at 6-6.5. refugium had overgrown.
The SPS had THE single most explosive growth I had ever seen. like lil cheap frag stick to colony in 30 days. And no. I didnt get cyano.

 

[singleshot]

I use to test weekly then monthly now I really can't remember when I tested last, I check my Salinity on WC day which is once a week roughly 20-50% that's all I do. If I see a problem then I'll test