Testing regime
- Thread starter scotty333
- Start date
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As stated your testing regime will alter as time goes by…
With some tolerance from the mods/audience I’ll semi ramble here:
I’d get slightly paranoid about alkalinity at first anyway, personally I test daily via Neptune Trident but don’t even fully trust that and oft re verify with the two hanna DkH testers I own
I test phosphates as needed, it’s a acquired taste and hard to nail down but basically I go by the glass algae, not scientific but I can even usually tell if a snail died or if I over fed just by the dusting on the glass
Just for a baseline I’d test alk 3x/week, phosphate 1x/ week and mg & ca 1x/mo…other opinions and frequencies are probably equally valid
nitrates on occasion/as needed …this is algae based and by eyeball … I got no good input here as I’m not 100% certain any value under 20ppm matters …not versed on the whole phosphate/nitrate ratio either…I defer
Copper: Anymore I just ICP for FE, and other metals
I never have tested for ammonia or nitrites past initial cycle
With some tolerance from the mods/audience I’ll semi ramble here:
I’d get slightly paranoid about alkalinity at first anyway, personally I test daily via Neptune Trident but don’t even fully trust that and oft re verify with the two hanna DkH testers I own
I test phosphates as needed, it’s a acquired taste and hard to nail down but basically I go by the glass algae, not scientific but I can even usually tell if a snail died or if I over fed just by the dusting on the glass
Just for a baseline I’d test alk 3x/week, phosphate 1x/ week and mg & ca 1x/mo…other opinions and frequencies are probably equally valid
nitrates on occasion/as needed …this is algae based and by eyeball … I got no good input here as I’m not 100% certain any value under 20ppm matters …not versed on the whole phosphate/nitrate ratio either…I defer
Copper: Anymore I just ICP for FE, and other metals
I never have tested for ammonia or nitrites past initial cycle
scotty333
Active Member
I agree with everything apart from the calcium because my maxima is settled now after a month of moving around and it’ll probably start sucking it out
In a week it’s dropped 55ppm so this time next week I expect it to go to 500 ish
In a week it’s dropped 55ppm so this time next week I expect it to go to 500 ish
Dragen Fiend
Community Member
Im still considered in the early stages for all my tanks. Less than 6 months. I found the longer the tank is established. The more forgiving I can miss testing or eyeball what likely needs to be tested.
Every day: Salinity and PH because it takes 30 seconds.
Every 3 days: Calcium and magnesium and alk. The most crucial to me.
Every Sunday: Nitrates and phosphate
Every day: Salinity and PH because it takes 30 seconds.
Every 3 days: Calcium and magnesium and alk. The most crucial to me.
Every Sunday: Nitrates and phosphate
scotty333
Active Member
Seems reasonable schedule, my tanks holds 525 ltr so salinity does change for months only a bit emptying skimmate
Ph, well I wouldn’t know how to adjust this anyway so rarely test it even though I have a probe
I have nitrates and phosphate under control by means of vodka and caluerpa growing and a phosphate reactor if it creeps up
Calc , mag is barely shifting because I don’t have enough light for anything that uses it so no growth- no use and kh a small amount that I’m monitoring
Ph, well I wouldn’t know how to adjust this anyway so rarely test it even though I have a probe
I have nitrates and phosphate under control by means of vodka and caluerpa growing and a phosphate reactor if it creeps up
Calc , mag is barely shifting because I don’t have enough light for anything that uses it so no growth- no use and kh a small amount that I’m monitoring
Dragen Fiend
Community Member
I've only done 2 wc's now out of my 4 tanks. I was dealing with high nitrates and mechanical filtration was not cutting it. Between fighting GHA and my purple pincushion dropping needles. I had to make quick adjustments. Its a IM 15 gallon tank. I've got a protein skimmer on it and since then haven't had any issues. The only thing I do now is dose Kalkwasser and magnesium.
Dragen Fiend
Community Member
Nitrates and phos are released from food. The more you feed the more it breaks down. To control this either better filtration, refugium or wc is required. If you want less then cutback on feedings or add onto your filtration method. Which I cut back on feedings and added a skimmer. But for rapid removal of nitrates I do wc's.
GHA was caused by high nitrates. Unless you completely remove it. Eventually if nitrates spike again. It will come back with vengeance as it did for me lol.
Dragen Fiend
Community Member
Its close to 5 months. But yea 2 water changes since it started. Mechanical filtration plus a protein skimmer. I've dosed only kalkwasser and general purpose magnesium. soft/LPS only tank. Snails, hermit crabs, urchin and a firefish.
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