Started Water Testing

[doresy]

ok, so as a newbie I upset a few people by saying that after several years of TF keeping I confessed to never bothering about cycling, did water changes monthly, and stats were unknown to me but, to my credit, apart from 1...no fish deaths

All that has now changed and all thanks to this forum I have realized the errors of my ways and accepted the fact that my fish may not be as happy as i thought and that I may have just been lucky. So, I have carried through my new years resolution and got myself a Master water testing kit. I do weekly 30% water changes with gravel vac-ing.

So, the beginners question is (after several years) do I water test before water change (to see what stats were) or after (to see what they now are)?

PS. All those that have communicated with me previously please note....no caps, heavily planted refers to real plants only....see I can learn and truly, I only need telling once, by one person not everyone.....end of sermon

 

[mark.w.jones]

I do a water test every few months for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate both before and after the water change. Before just to see whether I am leaving things too long before gravel vac and after water change to make sure any ammonia, nitrite and nitrate have dropped. Other than that I only test if I suspect something is not quite right with my fish.

 

[doresy]

I do a water test every few months for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate both before and after the water change. Before just to see whether I am leaving things too long before gravel vac and after water change to make sure any ammonia, nitrite and nitrate have dropped. Other than that I only test if I suspect something is not quite right with my fish.

sounds good to me

 

[Gazoo]

So, the beginners question is (after several years) do I water test before water change (to see what stats were) or after (to see what they now are)?

I'm into logging my results and keeping a spreadsheet so I test just before the water change and then a day after.

 

[doresy]

So, the beginners question is (after several years) do I water test before water change (to see what stats were) or after (to see what they now are)?

I'm into logging my results and keeping a spreadsheet so I test just before the water change and then a day after.

spreadsheets eh, that's the wife's department and she too busy but good for you....thanks for the reply