What do you test for?

[ldaniel]

I test GH, KH, Ca, Mg, Fe, K, P, pH, and Temp at least once a week.

 

[karen21]

I just do 15-20% water change once a week and test it then. There are some times though when I don't use the test kit at all. If you do regular water changes, a test kit is not necessary.

It does however come in handy when something does go wrong and you need to look for the test kit for confirmation. I pretty much know what my water parameters are going to be each week so testing is redundant. Water change fixes most things.

As Plecoking does a pwc every week, as opposed to every 4 weeks or so for an established tank, he's going to have little problem????
NOT trying to cause controversy on ANYone's side.
Surely the goal is to have a tank that is it's own eco-system, that doesn't need pwc every week.. THEN the owner can sit back and pat themselves on their back and say, "What a clever fish-keeper I am..!!"
Only speculating, as I said, I know nothing much!

 

[plecoking]

As Plecoking does a pwc every week, as opposed to every 4 weeks or so for an established tank, he's going to have little problem????
NOT trying to cause controversy on ANYone's side.
Surely the goal is to have a tank that is it's own eco-system, that doesn't need pwc every week.. THEN the owner can sit back and pat themselves on their back and say, "What a clever fish-keeper I am..!!"
Only speculating, as I said, I know nothing much!

You're in for a big surprise if you think you can sit back and let it all happen without lifting a finger. I do weekly water changes not because I have to but because I want to, because I care for the fish and all.

A home aquarium with its own eco-system, sounds like a fantasy. While it's true you can automate some things, you'll never replace the need to do regular water changes regardless and you'll never have an eco-system like they do in their native waters. It's fish in a home aquarium and that's all it will ever be.

 

[GuppyLover]

As Plecoking does a pwc every week, as opposed to every 4 weeks or so for an established tank, he's going to have little problem????
NOT trying to cause controversy on ANYone's side.
Surely the goal is to have a tank that is it's own eco-system, that doesn't need pwc every week.. THEN the owner can sit back and pat themselves on their back and say, "What a clever fish-keeper I am..!!"
Only speculating, as I said, I know nothing much!

Not to be rude but you surely arent a "Clever fish-keeper" if you think you can do monthly PWCS . Plecoking will be much less likely to running into problems by doing a weekly PWC. I cant imagine how bad my params would be if I left my tank go for a month. Its not ideal to have to do a weekly pwc but its needed to have a healthy tank.

 

[adadkins1]

You're in for a big surprise if you think you can sit back and let it all happen without lifting a finger. I do weekly water changes not because I have to but because I want to, because I care for the fish and all.

A home aquarium with its own eco-system, sounds like a fantasy. While it's true you can automate some things, you'll never replace the need to do regular water changes regardless and you'll never have an eco-system like they do in their native waters. It's fish in a home aquarium and that's all it will ever be.

This I do agree with pleco king. An aquarium cannot just be left to "run itself", that is just asking for trouble. I don't think ANY aquarium should go more than a max. of 10 days without a water change, and even then I would only do it with a planted tank. In a tank with no plants, weekly water changes are a total necessity since nitrates can build up quickly.

 

[karen21]

Not being funny, but tanks can, and DO run very happlily without weekly pwc..
Mine doesn't, as I'm new, and have made mistakes, and it's small..
Also,depends on the fish in there.
Just because I'm a "Newbie," doesn't mean I don't know nothing.
4 weekly changes are fine in my "neck of the woods," Unless some guys are just lying!
I DO agree that weekly pwc's take care of most things tho.. So maybe we are arguing for no reason???
By the way, I don't believe a tank can "run itself!" That is an ideal that we work towards..A bit like winning the lottery..!

 

[hphadl]

well..

When I test, I usually test after we clean the tank. I check for ammonia, pH, nitrite, nitrate, hardness, and alkalinity. We clean the tank about every 2 weeks.

 

[adadkins1]

When I test, I usually test after we clean the tank. I check for ammonia, pH, nitrite, nitrate, hardness, and alkalinity. We clean the tank about every 2 weeks.

I know this is kinda off topic, but if you test AFTER you clean, your water parameters will always be pretty good. You should really test BEFORE you clean you aquarium to see what it really reads. Also, it is recommended to do a partial water change once a week.

 

[hphadl]

Every time when we test our water, it's usually before we clean the tank. We've been told our pH is low and out nitrate is high, so we check those every day. When we regularly test, we check pH, nitrate, nitrite, hardness, ammonia, and alkalinity.

 

[tropical-fish]

I test once a week before my water change. I test ammo, nitrites and nitrates.

same here. usually the readings are the same each week but a change in water quality is something i'd want to catch early on

 

[Retired_AF]

Weekly test for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, pH.

 

[LyndaB]

We test for pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. We have thermometers that give us instant temp (also have alarms to indicate fluctation of more than 3 degrees in either direction).

We generally do water changes weekly, so that's how often we test unless there's an evident problem with a tank.