Do you test aquarium water?

[Barry Tetra]

Hey there,

I was wondering how many of you in this forum tested their aquarium water with the test kit?

Personally, I don’t use them, as I find them unreliable, so does most people in European and Asian planted tank forums. But then I have planted tanks and only keep easy fishes. I don’t cycle my tank as well, I just planted the tank heavily, then wait about 2-3 months.

 

[malfunction]

Yes, but not nearly as religiously as I used to. Now it’s mostly when I set up a new holding tank for grow outs and quarantine. I’ve had most of my setups for years, so they’re pretty stable and it’s very rare that testing provides any additional useful info. I think testing becomes unnecessary once your tanks are established and you’re keeping up with maintenance, but really useful in the early days when you’re trying to understand what your water parameters are, and how quickly they change in the tank.

Although I have plants in all of my tanks, I’m not a massive plant guy so always pay attention to my parameters when I set up a new tank, but I cheat when it comes to cycling by just transplanting media from one of my other tanks

 

[MattW]

I only test if there is something wrong with the inhabitants or when setting up a new tank. I stopped regular testing a while back now.

 

[Jennet]

As I am just getting back into hobby from yonks ago, and am just setting up two new tanks, yes I do. Because I know it is necessary until I feel I don't need to do it quite so frequently once I become knowledgeable enough to not do so.

 

[Tomsfish]

I bought a new master kit when it came time to re stock my 180 this last Spring.
It had been years since I tested the tank.
While I was comfortable with my existing fish in the tank, I was not comfortable adding many new fish without knowing what tanks values were.
I now have a new master kit that I will rarely use again.

 

[emeraldking]

I hardly test the water n my tanks. When I suspect something wrong in the water household, I'll test the water.

 

[GaryE]

I don't, but I think newcomers can learn a lot by doing so. I regularly check the municipal water reports, which are promptly posted online and reflect a testing spot I can see from my back window. So I know my water.
Since I change water on a very regular basis, what I have here stays in the chemical range of what I get from the tap, minus the chlorine. If I add tannins, they change nothing fundamental.

I dislike the API Master Kit, because it isn't a master kit. It tests well for the cycle, and gives pH, but hardness is more important than pH. I think they count on hobbyists to learn that as they go, and then have buy the add on kits. When we've fished in the tropical wilds, I notice our water testing guy uses different kits - European ones that seem much more complete. I can't say the brand because I've not done the testing.

 

[gwand]

I test for the nitrogen compounds only when a fish is sick or when I’m cycling a new tank. Some of my tanks are on well water where the GH fluctuates seasonally. Therefore I check GH every 4 to 6 weeks.

 

[connorlindeman]

I threw away my test kit a while ago. I never have issues with my fish.

 

[Back in the fold]

I bought an API fancy test kit seven years ago and have used it to check pH a couple times . The pH is the same as it’s been for many decades here . I want my $ 30 bucks back .

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Same here. If I suspect something is wrong, I'll test, especially the 150 gallon, which is in a dentist's office and which I only see once a week. For that one, I er on the side of knowing exactly what's going on. But even that one only gets tested a few times per year.