Do we test too often?

[Gumbies R Us]

As reefers, we can get caught up in a vicious cycle of number chasing. For me, I have fallen into this trap, and I'm sure many other reefers have as well. One of the causes of this, from my perspective, is over-testing. Even when our tanks look perfect, we still want to test to make sure those numbers are perfect, which can lead to us being stressed out and potentially causing issues for our tank. All of that to say, do you find that we are testing too much, not enough or just the right amount? Where would you say you are with testing right now?

 

[Baldyreef]

I test a little to much but in my eyes better safe than sorry

 

[reonimation]

I test bi-weekly but feel guilty about it. I want to formulate a habit to test more often.

 

[saltwaterfish.com Verified Sponsor]

I had a big drop in alk so I've been testing every day for the past two weeks to make sure my levels are brought up but not too fast as my clams are a little ticked off. I find it tedious but know it's worth it in the long run. Ideally I'd like to just test 1-2 times a week.

 

[get-salty]

As long as you're not adding tremendous amount of live stocks or making drastic changes.
Equipment working properly... i feel like once or twice a month manual testing is good.

 

[Biokabe]

I've settled in to what I think is a pretty decent testing rhythm.

I have a Trident with my Apex, so I 'test' the big three constantly. I don't trust it 100%, and I certainly don't chase numbers with it, but it's usually at least ballpark accurate and lets me know if there's anything egregiously wrong.

I do the eye test daily (also known as "looking at the tank,") and make sure that nothing is acting out of sorts. This is what I consider the most important test, and ignoring this one is how I've gotten into the most trouble.

I do a manual test of the big three + nitrate/phosphate every weekend. This is to keep my Trident honest and to make sure my nutrients aren't going completely out of whack.

Finally, once every 3-4 months I'll do an ICP test to check for the things I can't easily test for myself and to keep both the Trident and my manual testing honest.

 

[get-salty]

I've settled in to what I think is a pretty decent testing rhythm.

I have a Trident with my Apex, so I 'test' the big three constantly. I don't trust it 100%, and I certainly don't chase numbers with it, but it's usually at least ballpark accurate and lets me know if there's anything egregiously wrong.

I do the eye test daily (also known as "looking at the tank,") and make sure that nothing is acting out of sorts. This is what I consider the most important test, and ignoring this one is how I've gotten into the most trouble.

I do a manual test of the big three + nitrate/phosphate every weekend. This is to keep my Trident honest and to make sure my nutrients aren't going completely out of whack.

Finally, once every 3-4 months I'll do an ICP test to check for the things I can't easily test for myself and to keep both the Trident and my manual testing honest.

100% "the eye test" !

All reefers should spend at least 1 min scanning thru your tank daily.

 

[Evil1]

I rarely test now. Only when a coral is not behaving normally. Only time I test is after a WC which is rare as well. WC only when I need to bump my salinity up to my happy zone

 

[exnisstech]

N, P, and alk once a week unless I'm adjusting AFR because of an increase or decreased in demand, then unusually test every other day until it's dialed in. Calcium every few months. Eventually I plan on testing less but I have a tank I have to dose to keep N and P detectable so I like to keep an eye on those. No ICP or any other testing is needed for me.