How many people with established reefs do little or no testing with test kits?

[YOYOYOReefer]

Just realized besides testing alk and calcium at water changes I haven’t tested In 6 years. I do send 3-4 samples a year for ICP

im Just not following the automated testing craze that seems to be happening in the hobby.

 

[KrisReef]

If a tank is set up to be stable once it is dialed in then testing can be a redundant task ime. The reef keeper who has a good sense of what the tank and creatures are supposed to look like should hopefully be able to detect when they need to test to see what is going wrong in their tank. The more livestock that is consuming elements from the water column can determine the frequency of the ICP testing to keep abreast of the situation.

Allowing for a greater level of testing is perhaps redundant in reefing but having the ability to detect changes before they get to be problematic is not a bad thing, and it’s a good thing for people who want it.

 

[homer1475]

My tank is coming up on 6(I think?) years old. I rarely test, maybe once a month. Everything is pretty dialed in, and I haven't added any coral in a couple years.

 

[RichReef]

The only thing I test regularly is ALK. 2 days after a water change.

I will do a random MAG and CAL test but that stays pretty consistent with ALK adjustments.

My glass is my nutrient test. I shoot for every 3 days for cleaning.

 

[Dbichler]

I only do softies so rarely test anything you get goes at telling if something is off and need to which is usually every three months

 

[Zos4me]

i test salinity and then watch corals for any sign of unhappiness. i only havea 13 gal tank so i use nutrisea water and change a gallon a week. only issue is a little bit of cyano so far but i think i added too much for livestock so just waiting to see if it settles down.

 

[Spicy Reef]

I have mixed tank and only one "difficult" acro. I test around 4 months. Tanks been up for 3 years. first year I tested weekly. My eyes, salinity and PH monitor can usually pick up on things.

Sometimes I'll pull a pop quiz if things feel off

 

[Potatohead]

I check alk a couple times a week. Cal/Mag maybe once a month. I haven't tested nutrients in a long time now... At least a couple months.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Went 6 years without water testing as numbers when sporadically tested were dead on even with ICP tests. The advantages of big volume tanks. The power of tank stability and maturity.

 

[Haacheew]

Have not done any water test for more than 2 years. Only measure pH and salinity after bi-weekly 15% water change.

 

[hans4811]

The only thing I test regularly is ALK. 2 days after a water change.

I will do a random MAG and CAL test but that stays pretty consistent with ALK adjustments.

My glass is my nutrient test. I shoot for every 3 days for cleaning.

Ditto !

 

[Rugops]

I test every month for Mg, Ca and dKH. I have a lot of LPS in my 29 gallon and they suck up elements pretty dang fast.

 

[Stephen8169301]

I hardly test I just read my tank the best I can weekly water changes and I will take my water to my lfs once a month to get a full reading of the water before and after water change

 

[FrugalReefer]

The only things I test on a regular basis are alk, temp, and salinity. I pretty much judge nutrients on what my tank looks like.

 

[albano]

Went 6 years without water testing as numbers when sporadically tested were dead on even with ICP tests. The advantages of big volume tanks. The power of tank stability and maturity.

Basically the same here… salinity checks, but haven’t owned any test kits in years.