Can you check water conditions without using any water testing kits?

[Temp]

Our local aquarium store closed down, and the clerk told me the aquarium market is losing its grip. That was a year ago. Now, I don't see these kinds of store anywhere near my home.

How should I check my tank's water condition without using the water testing kits?

I don't want to buy the kits online. I don't have a lot of money on me. All of them were spent on my college tuition, and I have a small debt on me.

Thanks in advance for the advices, if there are some.

 

[jcolon]

To answer your question ... I'm sure aquarists with backgrounds in chemistry / biology can find other ways to test ... but for the average person testing water parameters requires a good test kit.

My question is ... is your tank cycled? You should only have to test your water frequently when cycling ... or if you see a sudden disease outbreak. Personally speaking, once your tank is established, you really don't need to test the water frequently. Ideally, by always using the same PWC's source following a scheduled maintenance done by the correct procedures should give you consistent clean water. I'm to the point now where I test my water once a month ... a couple of months back .. I was testing every 2 weeks ... before that once a week, etc .... and every time my numbers were nearly the same.

My recommendation (if your tank's is cycled and fish healthy) is spend the $$$ on a good test kit like the API test master test once a week ... after a month or two, if your numbers are consistent ... go to two weeks ... until you can go a month between testing.

 

[Bubble_B0y]

look at the behaviour of your fish.
- gasping at the surface
- yawning
- darting around the tank
- red gills
- heavy breathing
- listless movement
- resting at the bottom of the tank

all possible signs of declining water quality.

 

[Bubble_B0y]

unless you buy a test kit, you can never truly know the quality of your water

They are not expensive. 20 bucks for a complete kit.

 

[GoldenPlecTony]

I know you say your local 1 has closed down but how far is the next 1? They should test your water for if you can take some in. Its free in most places

 

[Temp]

To jcolon:

This is the problem. I couldn't even test, because I don't have a testing kit. And people here don't even know what is a testing kit...

I don't know how to say this, but it's the truth.

look at the behaviour of your fish.
- gasping at the surface
- yawning
- darting around the tank
- red gills
- heavy breathing
- listless movement
- resting at the bottom of the tank

all possible signs of declining water quality.

Gasping at the surface, darting around the tank, red gills, heavy breathing, and resting at the bottom of the tank: Easy to see. Thanks.

Yawning, listless movement: How do you "know" them? What do they look like?

unless you buy a test kit, you can never truly know the quality of your water

They are not expensive. 20 bucks for a complete kit.

Well, it's more than x10 times the amount of 20 bucks if you live outside of North America. Even more crazy, I couldn't purchase one with all of the financial problems I'm currently having.

Worse, they don't sell them here.

I know you say your local 1 has closed down but how far is the next 1? They should test your water for if you can take some in. Its free in most places

Probably in a radius of 10 miles of unknown district... I don't know the next closest local store out there. It's like a maze of buildings without a single hint/clue to where its location is at.

I do know, the aquarist (that how you say it?) market is closing up, no one wants to buy fishes in the city.

 

[BillD]

I don't test my water, but I try to change it regularly. Unless you have an overstock situation, a 50% weekly change should keep you in good shape.

 

[Unicorn]

To jcolon:

This is the problem. I couldn't even test, because I don't have a testing kit. And people here don't even know what is a testing kit...

I don't know how to say this, but it's the truth.

Gasping at the surface, darting around the tank, red gills, heavy breathing, and resting at the bottom of the tank: Easy to see. Thanks.

Yawning, listless movement: How do you "know" them? What do they look like?

Well, it's more than x10 times the amount of 20 bucks if you live outside of North America. Even more crazy, I couldn't purchase one with all of the financial problems I'm currently having.

Worse, they don't sell them here.

Probably in a radius of 10 miles of unknown district... I don't know the next closest local store out there. It's like a maze of buildings without a single hint/clue to where its location is at.

I do know, the aquarist (that how you say it?) market is closing up, no one wants to buy fishes in the city.

Well, consider your options: you live in a place where you can't get help/assistance. You can't afford the test kit, you don't know how to find the next store...

Where will you get your fish food and other supplies once you need them?

It seems like keeping fishes in Taiwan is a luxury and maybe you should see it as such if you can't afford the basic supplies.

I don't mean to be rude, just trying to be realistic.

You dont need a test kit if your tank has been good the way it was and you keep up with whatever you did. But in the long-run you will need different things (eg replace heater, filter material etc) and you need a better plan as to how to get it sooner or later.

 

[Temp]

Where will you get your fish food and other supplies once you need them?

I have a little surplus of my fish food, a large bag of media filter, water pump, a broken tank lamp, all of them bought from my used-to-be local aquarium store before it went bankrupted.

So, it can take a while.

It seems like keeping fishes in Taiwan is a luxury and maybe you should see it as such if you can't afford the basic supplies.

I don't mean to be rude, just trying to be realistic.

This I totally agree. The only places where I can see aquarium tanks are where there's fast food restaurants, furniture stores, general hardware stores, etc. places where you have to buy stuffs from.

Curse you, society!

You dont need a test kit if your tank has been good the way it was and you keep up with whatever you did. But in the long-run you will need different things (eg replace heater, filter material etc) and you need a better plan as to how to get it sooner or later.

In the long run, I have to live far from where my fish tanks are, and they are to be taken care of by my brother and/or my father.

There are no aquarium stores over there, as far as I know.

===================================================

Who else have this problem? If there is a way to do this, please share.

 

[Fishguy2727]

I never test. I keep an aggressive water change schedule (50-80% at least once per week). When in doubt I do a water change. In most cases this is all you can (or at least should) do.

 

[Unicorn]

I never test. I keep an aggressive water change schedule (50-80% at least once per week). When in doubt I do a water change. In most cases this is all you can (or at least should) do.

50-80% ?! that's alot!
I wouldn't dare doing that with my reef tank. Dunno about FW though, can remember doing that much either... Maybe 30%...

 

[Fishguy2727]

Definitely not in SW, but FW definitely. No one should jump into, but if you can do them properly (no temp issues) they are very beneficial.

 

[Temp]

Just keep doing water changes, either 30% to max 50% on the safe side.

Check.