Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Interesting results so far. I had expected some of the results, but didn't expect alk to get checked more often than ALL of the others.
To me alk is the most important. If it is not stable neither are the others. If your alk is steady it should be a very good indicator of what your calcium is.
I wish I had your husbandry skills! You never test for anything?
Well I do put my finger on the glass every morning to make sure the temp is correct. I do occasionally test the salinity. Well not really but if I get something new and I acclimate it for a little while I see that the salinity in my tank is the same as the bag. If the salinity in the bag is way off, I call the store to tell them, their salinity is off. If your fish are spawning, your corals are growing, what are you testing for? I feel you will only screw it up by changing it as the water you are using for changes already contain everything in the right amounts. Corals only use a tiny portion of the calcium in the water unless they are growing a foot a day. If the water is clear, no smell, fish are living ten or twenty years, that is enough for me.
But I will test if something starts to die which luckily hardly ever happens.
About 5 or 6 years ago a company tested my water for free as they were curious as to what the readings in such an old tank were.
How does Paul B's tank get an alkalinity and calcium reading higher than natural seawater when he uses natural seawater for water changes and doesn't dose anything?
I only use about 10% NSW as it is to heavy to use all of it and I do dose. I use ice melter for calcium and baking soda for alk.
A tank full of fish, softies, and LPS may never need to be dosed at all.
Ah, I see. Dosing but no testing.