Most Tested versus Least Tested Parameters of the Reef Tank

PICK the Most Tested & Least Tested Parameters of your Tank (Pick 2)

  • Calcium (most)

    Votes: 49 5.9%
  • Alkalinity (most)

    Votes: 574 68.8%
  • Magnesium (most)

    Votes: 7 0.8%
  • Phosphate (most)

    Votes: 80 9.6%
  • PH (most)

    Votes: 76 9.1%
  • Nitrate (most)

    Votes: 91 10.9%
  • Nitrite (most)

    Votes: 7 0.8%
  • Ammonia (most)

    Votes: 27 3.2%
  • (least) Calcium

    Votes: 14 1.7%
  • (least) Alkalinity

    Votes: 5 0.6%
  • (least) Magnesium

    Votes: 79 9.5%
  • (least) Phosphate

    Votes: 18 2.2%
  • (least) PH

    Votes: 43 5.2%
  • (least) Nitrate

    Votes: 15 1.8%
  • (least) Nitrite

    Votes: 230 27.6%
  • (least) Ammonia

    Votes: 315 37.8%

  • Total voters
    834

revhtree

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We don't always REEF the same way and when it comes to testing the same holds true. Some of us test alkalinity religiously and neglect calcium, whole others test calcium and neglect alkalinity! Today I was wondering what parameters that our members tested the most and what they tested the least! Of course there are some things we should only test very rarely so let's take them off the table and only focus on the following tests.

1. Out of the following tests which one is the MOST tested by you?

2. Out of the following tests which one is the LEAST tested by you?

  • Calcium
  • Alkalinity
  • Magnesium
  • Phosphate
  • PH
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrite
  • Ammonia
ReefKinetics-Multi-TestKit.jpg
 

rtparty

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pH by far for me. It is monitored 24/7. Only temperature is watched that often. No one is testing alkalinity 24/7.

I haven't used an ammonia or nitrite test in close to 16 years. They are irrelevant to me even when cycling. I don't try to get a tank started in a week either.
 

DiefsReef

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Everyone with a controller that is selecting anything other than pH as most tested is a liar ;Wacky

pH by far for me. It is monitored 24/7. Only temperature is watched that often. No one is testing alkalinity 24/7.

I haven't used an ammonia or nitrite test in close to 16 years. They are irrelevant to me even when cycling. I don't try to get a tank started in a week either.

Exactly what I was just thinking.


But the question was.. What are you testing. Not what are you monitoring...
 

Goaway

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1. Out of the following tests which one is the MOST tested by you?
Alk is my most tested. Sometimes I do that daily when I think something weird is going on. I know there are monitors for it, I haven't bought those yet. I do have a reef seneye. However, it doesn't check alk levels. Real bummer..
2. Out of the following tests which one is the LEAST tested by you?

Ammonia is the least on my list. If the water gets cloudy a little, maybe smelly, I will test it. Hasn't happened for unknown amount of months now.

Everything but ammonia - nitrites and nitrates are tested every other week. Phosphates might actually be my most resent daily check. ;Sour

Everyone is currently happy. I just need to go away!

Edit: alk is consumed a lot faster than calcium from my experience.
 

Goaway

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But the question was.. What are you testing. Not what are you monitoring...
Much different concept.

I had a seachem badge when I was first cycling. Kept it there for months until the sticker faded away. It wasn't a faulty one, I did test it in not so free ammonia waters. This was more for monitoring so i didn't have to bust out the test kit.
 

James_O

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1. Out of the following tests which one is the MOST tested by you?
Nitrate and Phosphates, but only because my tank is still new and I need to monitor those readings.

2. Out of the following tests which one is the LEAST tested by you?
  • Calcium
  • Alkalinity
  • Magnesium
  • Phosphate
  • PH
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrite
  • Ammonia
Would have to be Ammonia - haven't tested for that in over 5 months.
 

M Stein

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Everyone with a controller that is selecting anything other than pH as most tested is a liar ;Wacky
To be fair, if something is being monitored 24/7 but you don't need the data you can claim otherwise.
I don't have a monitor but even if I did; I have found that following a basic kalk routine keeps my numbers where I need them, Whereas my alk continues to fluctuate.
 

Operator Wrasse

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Everyone says ammonia... but if something is really going wrong quickly, you should test things in this order: Alk, pH, Nitrate, Phosphate. That is (currently) the most influential parameters that effect coral health like RTN and polyp bailout. If all of these things are in the clear, something probably died in your tank and is beginning to nuke it, ie. mass snail die-off or a fish is rotting in the rockwork. Therefore..., ammonia would almost certainly be tested more than nitrite, making nitrite the least tested parameter. There's especially no reason to test for nitrites outside of a cycle unless you have confirmed you're getting a mini-cycle from die-off. Additionally, there is new evidence that corals absorb nitrite, so you may not even be able to register nitrite if you do have observable ammonia.
 

Jay Hemdal

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We don't always REEF the same way and when it comes to testing the same holds true. Some of us test alkalinity religiously and neglect calcium, whole others test calcium and neglect alkalinity! Today I was wondering what parameters that our members tested the most and what they tested the least! Of course there are some things we should only test very rarely so let's take them off the table and only focus on the following tests.

1. Out of the following tests which one is the MOST tested by you?

2. Out of the following tests which one is the LEAST tested by you?

  • Calcium
  • Alkalinity
  • Magnesium
  • Phosphate
  • PH
  • Nitrate
  • Nitrite
  • Ammonia
ReefKinetics-Multi-TestKit.jpg

For us, temperature is the most common test (every 300 seconds via remote monitoring!).

jay
 

Aquatic acrobat in your aquarium: Have you ever kept an eel?

  • I currently keep an eel in my tank.

    Votes: 25 14.1%
  • I have kept an eel in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 30 16.9%
  • I have not kept an eel in my tank, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 27 15.3%
  • I have no plans to keep an eel.

    Votes: 92 52.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 3 1.7%
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