Test your water weekly.

[Marconis]

Please, do it. Since 2007, I have never had an issue with ammonia. For like 2 years, I'd test weekly-monthly and then eventually stopped since I never had any problems. Once a tank was cycled, I'd test for the first week or two and then put it to bed.

All this talk on the forum about people with ammonia issues, and I'd always say in my head, "**** that sucks." As I responded to a thread a few minutes ago, I thought I'd go and test for ammonia in my tank. I noticed my fish were acting a little funny lately, so I thought, "Might as well." Put my feet up, browsed AA, glanced at the tube and saw a hint of green. My heart dropped. For the first time, or the first time that I'm aware of, I witnessed an ammonia issue even in a cycled tank.

This makes no sense to me. If anything, I overdose Prime when I do a PWC. I dose the volume of the bucket, and then add a final volume to the tank. I let it sit for 15 minutes, and then run the filter. Maybe I messed up somewhere.

*Sigh* In the process of doing a 70% PWC since the ammonia is around 1ppm. I feel like a complete idiot. How could I let this get by me?

 

[celticfan]

Hope everythings fine, ive had my tank for 3 months now and ive never tested the water but my fish have been fine. I realise I should have atleast tested the water before adding fish but I must have got lucky.

 

[DragonFish71]

I test mine mid-week, every week. Twice on weeks where I do cleanings, I do it mid-week and a day after cleaning just to make sure things are good.

 

[cinnamaldehyde]

Weird... I'm having ammonia + nitrite issues in my 55gal tank right too. No new additions, same routine as always (PWC once a week), same feeding routine, everything.

So yeah, I'll jump on that bandwagon and urge everyone to test at least weekly too!!!

 

[MurphyFish]

another +1 for checking...I have been checking my parameters much more often since changing substrates to eco-complete. pH jumped from 6.4 to 8.4 in five days. The Eco came with a sticker on it saying this happens. Figured I was out of the woods because it was normal after adding the stuff. None of the critters are acting off, but that can't be good.

 

[mfdrookie516]

There's an old saying "better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it." While this is in reference to another subject, I think it fits perfect. I test my water weekly, mid week. I haven't seen ammonia or nitrites since I initially set up my first tank and cycled it. All the others after that were seeded from other tanks and never went through the ammonia and nitrite spikes. While I've never seen bad test results, aside from high nitrates, I continue to test. WHy? Well, I want to catch a problem before it becomes a problem.

 

[ejaramillo01]

Well said mfd !!

 

[fred]

I agree! Haven't checked one of my tanks in over a month...think I better get on it!!