Water checks...How often and for what?

[Brenden]

Just wondering how often people check their water parameters and what all you check for.

 

[tripper]

I check my parameters about once a month at this point. I have not added much to the tank in a long time and everything looks very healthy. Since I am running a FOWLR at this point, I do not have to monitor Ca and Alk as carefully as when I was running a reef. The only thing I check more often is salinity, which I check at each water change. The parameters I check for are:

Salinity
pH
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Phosphate
Calcium
Alkalinity

tripper

 

[Jason]

I check alinity every day and I have been checking pH Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Calcium, and Alkalinity 3 or 4 times a wekk on my tank that is cycling.

On my tank that set p right now though, the only thing that has been checked in 6 months is the salinity.

 

[seaham358]

New tanks need to be tested more then old stable tanks IMO.

125 reef I only check my Ca and alk when I do water changes once a month so I know how much additive I need to use, and maybe the PO4 if I see some algae, NO3 and Silicate on rare occasion. thats it..

55 fowlr I only test NO3 maybe every other month if I behind on my water changes.

When new I tested for Ph, Amm, Nitrite, No3, Ca, Alk.

 

[SALTYDAWGY]

I check my Ca once a week. (Trying to promote coralline +400ppm) Ammonia once a week. Phosphates every other week. Temp when I am feeding. And copper once a month. Ran copper to cure ich problem in display. Using polyfilter to remove all traces.

 

[gilraen]

Once a week ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, SG. Just to make sure everything is still good.