Parameter?...More like Paramenace: How often do you check your parameters?

[AlyciaMarie Verified Admin]

Stability in our home reefs is one of the most important ingredients in keeping a happy, healthy aquarium. Some of you may love checking your parameters, and that's awesome for you, but do not love checking my parameters! In fact, my obsession with "perfect" parameters got me in lots of trouble not too long ago, but that's a story for another time.

How often do you check your parameters? And why?

Photo Credit: bfazio1030

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

For me, it depends on what type of coral are kept and their size in comparison to tank volume. I have two sps tanks that are tested multiple times a day, as they are full of colonies and frags that use up a lot of calcium and alkalinity. My lps and softy tanks get tested once a week as they don’t swing water parameters as much. I never test my fowlr tank for anything, I just do water changes.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

We usually check ours when something is going wrong in our tank.

 

[felda001]

I have a monthly calendar reminder but if something seems off I’ll test more often

 

[shakacuz]

1-2x weekly(either sunday/wednesday, or wednesday/saturday)

also ICP test every 3-6 months either for follow up, or to test for any pollutants if tank isn't doing well. i run the reef moonshiner method, so ICP's were more frequent when the tank was newer.

 

[encrustingacro]

I don't like to admit this but I don't really check my parameters. If anything seems off, I just do a water change and that usually fixes the problem.

 

[bobnicaragua]

I have an acropora tank and have been on the Moonshiners method about 3 years. I check alk 2 or 3 times a month and do monthly ICPs.

Prior to that, I did water changes and tested alk every week or 2 two and occasionally tested phosphates and nitrates.

I ran softy tanks for maybe 20 years and never tested anything (just kept up with water changes).

 

[Uncle99]

Alk every day.
Nitrate and Phosphate weekly.
Mg and CA monthly.
Same time every day.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Alk every three days and everything else weekly

 

[paragrouper]

Alk every three days and everything else weekly

about the same as this.

 

[fishface NJ]

KH...once a week
Ca, Mg, NO3 and PO4...every other week

 

[gbroadbridge]

Apart from Alkalinity which is auto tested 4 times a day, others (PO4, NO3, K, and Ca) are tested monthly.

I never check Magnesium .

 

[Dburr1014]

I'm hit or miss on checking stuff.
I tried to check alkalinity at least once every couple weeks but sometimes I go a couple months. The same goes with nutrients unless I'm trying to deal with one particular goal in mind, like lowering phosphates, I'll check more often than normal just to make sure I'm trending in the right direction.

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

I test quite often in the beginning stages of a tank, but after the 6 month mark I start to only test when something is off. This works for me and my nano as I don't dose. In my new 120 I assume I'm going to be needing to test more often and on a schedule because I will likely need to dose.

 

[DanyL]

I picked “Other”.

On main system I have automated Alk test 6 times a day.

The rest is the same for both of my systems:
Alk, Ca, Mag, NO3, PO4 - Manual tests, once a week.

That being said, when I have any instability I start testing everyday, than as I gather the trends and start to stabilize I switch to once every 2 days, 3 days, and than back to once a week - but for this I only test the related group: either Alk/Ca/Mag or NO3/PO4.

 

[JohnC86]

Stability in our home reefs is one of the most important ingredients in keeping a happy, healthy aquarium. Some of you may love checking your parameters, and that's awesome for you, but do not love checking my parameters! In fact, my obsession with "perfect" parameters got me in lots of trouble not too long ago, but that's a story for another time.

How often do you check your parameters? And why?

Photo Credit: bfazio1030

Weekly

 

[Dkcav59]

Stability in our home reefs is one of the most important ingredients in keeping a happy, healthy aquarium. Some of you may love checking your parameters, and that's awesome for you, but do not love checking my parameters! In fact, my obsession with "perfect" parameters got me in lots of trouble not too long ago, but that's a story for another time.

How often do you check your parameters? And why?

Photo Credit: bfazio1030

Having a 6 week old 55 gallon, I check 2x a week. Saturday and Wednesday. I top the water off as needed and glass clean as well. I'm now into the " ugly" stage and will be doing partial water changes 1 x week. I check EVERYDAY to make sure all of my equipment is working as it should be.

 

[aliceb]

Aim to check ALK daily at the same time, everything else twice a week.

 

[JayM]

I tested weekly for the first 8-9 months, but now only check every other week.