No tests... ever.

[Tamberav]

50 percent water changes in my experience keep frags, even acro alive and colored

I did have to dose when the tank filled in and had colonies of LPS or SPS though.

I didn’t find low alk to kill anything. There is even a beautiful SPS tank running around 5? on another forum but he does have a calcium reactor running wide open so he is dosing.. it’s just not keeping it any higher.

Anywho it’s a nice start. Remember tanks change over the years. Some testing now and again can help you see those changes and spot potential problems before they happen.

 

[DJF]

too bad you can’t ask your fish and coral if they think you should test :) good luck with your experiment… on their behalf

 

[SunnyX]

In reality, reefers do more harm than good by constantly checking parameters and chasing numbers. The reefers do not allow nature to take its course and are constantly tinkering. They also do not learn, through trial and error, what to look for in their systems when a problem arises. Data is good, but it doesn’t always tell the whole story.

I don’t test often, and really the only thing I do test is ALK once a week. But, I do water changes of 25% per week and have a good eye for changes in my system.

The things I do monitor:

PH : daily
SG: weekly when conducting water changes
ALK: weekly
TEMP: daily

Other than that, I don’t test for anything else. My latest setup has never been tested for nutrients. I have never ordered an ICP test. So long as the corals are looking good and I have no slime or algae growth I carry on with my daily routine. Should corals lighten up, darken, and glass sand begin to exhibit algae film I will scale back or increase fish food fed daily.

The only time I will ever bust out the Hanna meters to check for nutrients is if there is something in the system that is off and I have failed to correct it one my own. Thankfully it’s been years since I have had to do that. So long as I do not deviate from my daily dosing, feeding amounts and water changes everything should remain in balance.

Experience has taught me that the most valuable and noteworthy parameters to track are PH and ALK. I keep an especially close eye on PH as it is , in my opinion, the key determining factor for SPS growth and health. I target 8.3 but some days that can be tough, especially in the hot and cold times of year when the windows are closed and CO2 builds up in my home.

The key takeaway here is to get the system dialed in and then stick to the routine/process and never deviate. Once that is achieved success is all but guaranteed.

-Sonny

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

50 percent water changes in my experience keep frags, even acro alive and colored

I did have to dose when the tank filled in and had colonies of LPS or SPS though.

I didn’t find low alk to kill anything. There is even a beautiful SPS tank running around 5? on another forum but he does have a calcium reactor running wide open so he is dosing.. it’s just not keeping it any higher.

Anywho it’s a nice start. Remember tanks change over the years. Some testing now and again can help you see those changes and spot potential problems before they happen.

Every once in a while I see a post with the claim of never testing. Sure, they can have a tank that's successful without testing but usually they phrase it in a way that makes it sound like testing is a pointless thing to do. More accurately their tank is successful DESPITE not testing since they're doing something else they fail to mention such as large water changes or something of that nature. And if it's meant to be a statement that testing is just an additional unnecessary cost I think the vast majority of people would agree that testing is a very useful way to monitor what's going on in your aquarium and help determine if something is wrong.

 

[LovinlifeinGuam]

In reality, reefers do more harm than good by constantly checking parameters and chasing numbers. The reefers do not allow nature to take its course and are constantly tinkering. They also do not learn, through trial and error, what to look for in their systems when a problem arises. Data is good, but it doesn’t always tell the whole story.

I don’t test often, and really the only thing I do test is ALK once a week. But, I do water changes of 25% per week and have a good eye for changes in my system.

The things I do monitor:

PH : daily
SG: weekly when conducting water changes
ALK: weekly
TEMP: daily

Other than that, I don’t test for anything else. My latest setup has never been tested for nutrients. I have never ordered an ICP test. So long as the corals are looking good and I have no slime or algae growth I carry on with my daily routine. Should corals lighten up, darken, and glass sand begin to exhibit algae film I will scale back or increase fish food fed daily.

The only time I will ever bust out the Hanna meters to check for nutrients is if there is something in the system that is off and I have failed to correct it one my own. Thankfully it’s been years since I have had to do that. So long as I do not deviate from my daily dosing, feeding amounts and water changes everything should remain in balance.

Experience has taught me that the most valuable and noteworthy parameters to track are PH and ALK. I keep an especially close eye on PH as it is , in my opinion, the key determining factor for SPS growth and health. I target 8.3 but some days that can be tough, especially in the hot and cold times of year when the windows are closed and CO2 builds up in my home.

The key takeaway here is to get the system dialed in and then stick to the routine/process and never deviate. Once that is achieved success is all but guaranteed.

-Sonny

You sound like you e developed a well thought out method...OP never mentioned any method so it sounded like he was crediting success solely with the practice of never testing.

 

[Tamberav]

To be honest I don’t test much.

Salinity, Temp and Alk mostly.

Alk every 1-2 weeks.

No3/PO4 every few months unless I mess with filtration.

I do have a pH probe though it’s never drifted into anything concerning. It came with the APEX.

I never test magnesium or calcium. I don’t even own test kits for them anymore. They never change and I dose 2 part off alk.

I can not get away with NO testing though as my corals have grown quite large and my little 15g monthly water change on 80g tank isn’t going to cut it.




Quoting this as I read this as I was about to post above. Seems similar to my approach.

In reality, reefers do more harm than good by constantly checking parameters and chasing numbers. The reefers do not allow nature to take its course and are constantly tinkering. They also do not learn, through trial and error, what to look for in their systems when a problem arises. Data is good, but it doesn’t always tell the whole story.

I don’t test often, and really the only thing I do test is ALK once a week. But, I do water changes of 25% per week and have a good eye for changes in my system.

The things I do monitor:

PH : daily
SG: weekly when conducting water changes
ALK: weekly
TEMP: daily

Other than that, I don’t test for anything else. My latest setup has never been tested for nutrients. I have never ordered an ICP test. So long as the corals are looking good and I have no slime or algae growth I carry on with my daily routine. Should corals lighten up, darken, and glass sand begin to exhibit algae film I will scale back or increase fish food fed daily.

The only time I will ever bust out the Hanna meters to check for nutrients is if there is something in the system that is off and I have failed to correct it one my own. Thankfully it’s been years since I have had to do that. So long as I do not deviate from my daily dosing, feeding amounts and water changes everything should remain in balance.

Experience has taught me that the most valuable and noteworthy parameters to track are PH and ALK. I keep an especially close eye on PH as it is , in my opinion, the key determining factor for SPS growth and health. I target 8.3 but some days that can be tough, especially in the hot and cold times of year when the windows are closed and CO2 builds up in my home.

The key takeaway here is to get the system dialed in and then stick to the routine/process and never deviate. Once that is achieved success is all but guaranteed.

-Sonny

 

[DJF]

Here’s my story. I am incredible regular with my routine. For the longest time I never tested nitrate… I figured with some phos in the water, 6 tangs & 20ish fish total- I would never have an issue. My corals were colored and we’re fine for 3+ years… but guess what came back to bite me. 0 nitrates!!! I was shocked - I get your system is smaller and different. I just don’t understand why not testing would be something to strive for- especially if the point is regularity.

 

[flashsmith]

I don't ever test until something looks off. I have 2 decent sized systems an IM SR80 and a reefer 625xxl. I do have a doser hooked up to the reefer. I manual the 80. Biweekly 10% water changes in both and both are packed with SPS to softies. Clams as well. You do need to establish a baseline but after that it should be self contained as long you keep a routine and don't neglect your tank like alot of people get into the habit of. Like anything else in life routine upkeep is key to success. Check the simple things first.. I also believe if you are into micro management this hobby isn't for you. You'll constantly be trying to attain consistency that will never come. If it looks good to your eye roll with it.

 

[Tamberav]

The only tanks I NEVER test (except to match salinity and temp with water changes) are my pico tanks :) they get 100 percent water changes instead.

I have also found you can get away with no testing with some soft coral tanks. I say some because there are actually some soft corals that will do poorly if parameters are wacky.

 

[doubleshot00]

I love these , it's funny to see them a year or two after these posts, its usually nonexistent, or not in the same glory. IMO There is no way you can run a successful reef tank without some sort of testing, heck you can't even have a nice pool without some sort of water testing......

I agree to a point but a lot of reef tanks are ran by api test kits for years and no forums. Lol.

My tank is a used 90 and i saw the pictures the previous owner had. Tank looked amazing. All ran by api and a hydrometer.

 

[MoreReef]

My guess would be very low bioload and steady & frequent water changes...

High bio load for su h a small tank actually. 1 royal grammar. 1 tailspot. 1 yellow tail and 1 clown goby. A bunch of Snails Hermits and shrimp. Lol... I think the high bio load adds just enough nitrates in between water changes for my lps and zoa to thrive. Water change about 25% every other day.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I myself rarely test as I let my fish and coral talk to me ( when they look unhappy which is rare)- I test before acting.
I however have 38 years in this and Do NOT recommend this practice. Even with my many years, it does not prohibit disasters

 

[MoreReef]

too bad you can’t ask your fish and coral if they think you should test :) good luck with your experiment… on their behalf

Lol... all the fish and corals have been in There sfor atlleast 6 months now. It isn't an experiment anymore... it's an established thriving Reef.

 

[MoreReef]

I myself rarely test as I let my fish and coral talk to me ( when they look unhappy which is rare)- I test before acting.
I however have 38 years in this and Do NOT recommend this practice. Even with my many years, it does not prohibit disasters

I find that disasters in such a small tank could only be caused by external factors... myself. And since I'm not doing anything different since day 1... no disasters lol

 

[MoreReef]

I don't ever test until something looks off. I have 2 decent sized systems an IM SR80 and a reefer 625xxl. I do have a doser hooked up to the reefer. I manual the 80. Biweekly 10% water changes in both and both are packed with SPS to softies. Clams as well. You do need to establish a baseline but after that it should be self contained as long you keep a routine and don't neglect your tank like alot of people get into the habit of. Like anything else in life routine upkeep is key to success. Check the simple things first.. I also believe if you are into micro management this hobby isn't for you. You'll constantly be trying to attain consistency that will never come. If it looks good to your eye roll with it.

"If it looks good to your eye roll with it" ... EXACTLY...

 

[fish farmer]

The only tanks I NEVER test (except to match salinity and temp with water changes) are my pico tanks :) they get 100 percent water changes instead.

I have also found you can get away with no testing with some soft coral tanks. I say some because there are actually some soft corals that will do poorly if parameters are wacky.

On my first softy/lps reef, my sinularia closed up, alk was below 7. Started adding reef builder, once I got it above 7, after a couple weeks, it opened back up. Nothing else seemed to care.

 

[Solga]

Just for the record, I am not the OP, but I never tried to say testing was pointless. I was simply stating that it seems overwhelmingly popular for people to support testing a multitude of different parameters, buying all kinds of testing equipment, and chasing the "correct" numbers. To me, testing is an important step early on in the game, and from time to time, I can see where it is useful just to keep a track record for GUIDELINES. None of the hobbyist testing equipment is accurate enough to establish pinpoint accuracy and shouldn't be treated as such.
Let me explain a little of where I am coming from...
After operating water treatment equipment at work for a few years, I no longer need to test anything before adding splitting agents, polymers, caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), surfactants, acids, etc. I can tell by looking at the water, and the consistency of the fallout and sludge. And even when a new water treatment system was added for a different line, I rarely needed to test anything then, because of my previous experience. Yes, some things were a little different, but it was generally the same principals. I still have to do monthly, bi annual and annual tests for the state, but that doesn't mean I need to do the tests to know what is going on in my systems.
I feel that this is 'similar' to reefing, driving a car, and many other areas in life. Once you get a feel for what you are doing, it just is not as important to test the air pressure in your car tires every day, if you know what you are looking for.

 

[MoreReef]

Here’s my story. I am incredible regular with my routine. For the longest time I never tested nitrate… I figured with some phos in the water, 6 tangs & 20ish fish total- I would never have an issue. My corals were colored and we’re fine for 3+ years… but guess what came back to bite me. 0 nitrates!!! I was shocked - I get your system is smaller and different. I just don’t understand why not testing would be something to strive for- especially if the point is regularity.

Mmmmm I think the high bio load did eno7gh nitrates for the lps and zoa. Water changes every other day do it for my acro... I think some reefers have become too dependent on testing kits and numbers. I find THAT leads into a rabbit hole.

 

[MoreReef]

Every once in a while I see a post with the claim of never testing. Sure, they can have a tank that's successful without testing but usually they phrase it in a way that makes it sound like testing is a pointless thing to do. More accurately their tank is successful DESPITE not testing since they're doing something else they fail to mention such as large water changes or something of that nature. And if it's meant to be a statement that testing is just an additional unnecessary cost I think the vast majority of people would agree that testing is a very useful way to monitor what's going on in your aquarium and help determine if something is wrong.

IF SOMETHING IS WRONG... nothing wrong, don't test... lol easy. I haven't been doing this too long. But I have been able to keep 2 stable Nanos for about a year now. Almost everyone said I was crazy and it would be a disaster before I set these things up. Reefers have become to used to chasing numbers imo.

 

[MoreReef]

Just for the record, I am not the OP, but I never tried to say testing was pointless. I was simply stating that it seems overwhelmingly popular for people to support testing a multitude of different parameters, buying all kinds of testing equipment, and chasing the "correct" numbers. To me, testing is an important step early on in the game, and from time to time, I can see where it is useful just to keep a track record for GUIDELINES. None of the hobbyist testing equipment is accurate enough to establish pinpoint accuracy and shouldn't be treated as such.
Let me explain a little of where I am coming from...
After operating water treatment equipment at work for a few years, I no longer need to test anything before adding splitting agents, polymers, caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), surfactants, acids, etc. I can tell by looking at the water, and the consistency of the fallout and sludge. And even when a new water treatment system was added for a different line, I rarely needed to test anything then, because of my previous experience. Yes, some things were a little different, but it was generally the same principals. I still have to do monthly, bi annual and annual tests for the state, but that doesn't mean I need to do the tests to know what is going on in my systems.
I feel that this is 'similar' to reefing, driving a car, and many other areas in life. Once you get a feel for what you are doing, it just is not as important to test the air pressure in your car tires every day, if you know what you are looking for.

Exactly... I'm not

What is your maintenance routine?

Just water changing every other day. 25%... with a heavy fish feeding and roids broadcast for the coral.