Do tanks really need all that testing?

[steppy104]

Seriously...is it even completely necesarry?

my sis and brother-in-law have a fish tank. when they first got it, they had all these things for it to keep it running just right. to high of amonia? they did their thing...water to hard/soft? they fixed it....

and they had a ton of fish die back then. my brother-in-law was about to call it quits, and just gave up all the testing, and what do ya know? all the fish are living! they haven't had any deaths since then, save for the fish that have been eaten my their frog

so is it really necesarry to do all that testing and whatnot? i must admit, i don't do it either, for any of my tanks, and they are all fine and dandy. very rarely do we have any deaths or sicknesses.

 

[WILDER]

I would say yes it is important, as it's like fumbling about in the dark, how do you no if you are doing enough water changes, and if there is a sign there is something wrong with the fish, at least you can test straight away and rule out water quality.

 

[steppy104]

in the case of my bro-in-law all testing did was kill everyone

who knows....maybe it's just sour luck...

 

[WILDER]

I see, I don't mess about with my water i don't mess with ph and gh and kh and all that, i just test for ammonia,nitrite,nitrate, and ph..

 

[astroboy]

I don't test on a regular basis, but i do test if i think something is wrong.

Sometimes, if i'm really bored and have absolutely nothing to do, i'll test the water. The last time i tested was a few months ago

Testing is more important to know where you're at for fishless cycles

 

[sylvia]

It is very important. However, you need to know how to use your tests to your advantage. Messing with pH almost always results in fish deaths (that must eb why they lost so many fish). Plus you need to know what to do if you have high ammonia/nitrItes. In fact, it doesn't matter whether you do water changes - it might help a bit - but ammonia is still lethal and nitrIte is still deadly. Only 0 ammonia/nitrIte is safe. As for testing for nitrAtes, that's the best wway to know when you need to do a water change and it can be a warning for old tank syndrome. Fish are highly adaptable and surprisingly hardy. I am not surprised they are doing fine now - but forget water changes for a while and then try introducing a new fish... Another death. By testing, you can avoid this. As for your friends, their tank should be much more stable now than when they first started and their fish will have acclimated too. Still, a sudden change in their environment WILL kill them and ammonia/nitrIte is still deadly. If you test your water but know nothing about what those results mean, there's no way for them to help you become a better fish keeper and provide your fish with the best possible environment.

 

[SirMinion]

I have to admit, I rarely test the water because I know that my regimin of water changes and filter cleans keeps the water in tip-top condition.

Testing is absolutely vital on a tank untill it has fully matured and after adding new stock and when medicating, but once it's stable & healthy then proper mantainance should negate the need for all but occasional testing.

Also, the smell of the water tells me a lot about it's condition.

 

[CFC]

To test or not really depends on your level of experience and how well you know your fish, i can admit to only testing for nitrates and pH once a month and never testing for ammonia or nitrite unless i have a problem, but this is because my tanks are mature and stable and i stick to a strict regime of feeding and water changes, i also know my fish well enough that i can tell if their is a problem just from watching them for a few minutes or in some cases seconds.
For those new to the hobby or those setting up new tanks from scratch i recomend testing the water weekly until they are confident enough in their own knowledge to stop testing.

 

[steppy104]

holy poop theres alot of people here....i'm scared....

it's an old tank...they've had it for...umm.....i dunno. i think since not long after they moved into the house.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Yes all that testing is important and water stats are vital to know but i wouldn't advise changing the ph or anything; most fish can happily live in water that doesn't nesararily have the exact ph they desire, problems that most people experience when using boosters to alter the ph is that every time they do a water change it alters the ph making it very uncomfortable for the fish.
Also, doing lots of water changes when cycling a tank will just prolong the process and it is usualy expected that you will get rises in ammonia and stuff, but all this depends on how you chose to cycle the tank etc.

How exactly was your brother going about cycling the tank and was he using any chemical/boosters etc?

 

[steppy104]

Yes all that testing is important and water stats are vital to know but i wouldn't advise changing the ph or anything; most fish can happily live in water that doesn't nesararily have the exact ph they desire, problems that most people experience when using boosters to alter the ph is that every time they do a water change it alters the ph making it very uncomfortable for the fish.
Also, doing lots of water changes when cycling a tank will just prolong the process and it is usualy expected that you will get rises in ammonia and stuff, but all this depends on how you chose to cycle the tank etc.

How exactly was your brother going about cycling the tank and was he using any chemical/boosters etc?

i don't even know if he did cycle....that was soooo long ago! lol. and i have no clue what he was using and whatnot....i'm just saying what he said. i know nothing about his tank really....

edit-cicle? what am i thinking?!

 

[Inchworm]

Hi steppy104

Frankly, I seldom do water tests either. But, I am a fanatic about doing regular and large water changes. My old gravel vac is my favorite tool and I use it regularly in my gravel bottomed tanks. When I do test, I find that the Ammonia and Nitrites are at zero and the Nitrates is at around 30, which seems to be what my tap water is. In other words, the water is fine.

If you have a tank that is not too heavily stocked, have excellent filtration, and do generous bottom cleanings and water changes, it's entirely possible to find that your routine keeps the chemicals nicely in check.

However, certain fish are more delicate and require specific pH and other water conditions to keep them healthy and with them, testing is just about mandatory.

 

[steppy104]

ya...i guess the fish they have are pretty simple...I dare not mention them on here though, cuz i know what'll happen...

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i've got a quarter that says it wasn't the testing but the fiddling with the water composition afterwards that was so detrimental. with a few exceptions, a consistent water composition is better than a fluctuating. oscillating pH levels, quick-fix ammonia treatments, high then low salt levels -- all these stress fish and weaken their immune systems. the best thing one can do for your fish isn't have perfect water but just clean water. if you freak out and change everything the instant something is less than ideal, then yeah, testing is a form of overkill. if you just use testing as a supplemental to know whats going on between regular water changes, then it can be quite helpful.

its not the information, its how you use it.

 

[OohFeeshy]

I'd say you only really need 2 kits. Ammonia and nitrite. I don't bother with pH, I don't want to even think about messing with it. And nitrate isn't needed, I do weekly water changes anyway, so I don't need to use them as an indicator as to when to change the water. Plus if I need those tested, I can get it done for free in the lfs.