Let’s talk about the water quality parameters you want to test for in a freshwater aquarium.

If you change water when it’s not necessary your levels will change and may cause stress to your more sensitive corals like SPS corals. The more delicate corals you have, the more stability comes into play. They thrive off stability in your tank water. It’s best to only perform water changes when they are necessary – especially with reef tanks. If the water conditions are stable and not out of wack, then there is no need to make a water change! Test your water quality and see where your levels stand. This is where water testing comes into play. In most setups, with plants and modern reefs you may not need to change your water every week. They were so efficient that I had a lack of nitrates and phosphates, and I actually had to dose them to keep my corals healthy! I’ve frequently built reef tanks that had complete nitrogen cycles. It will tell you if a water change is actually necessaryīelieve it or not, planted tanks and saltwater reef tanks can be built so that constantly changing your water can be a thing of the past. The amount you need to dose changes over time as your plants or corals grow. Testing parameters like alkalinity tells you if you need to adjust your dosing schedule. If parameters are unstable, your plants or corals will suffer. It will tell you if you need to doseīoth planted tanks and saltwater reef tanks have additional parameters you need to monitor to ensure healthy growth of your plants or corals. As your tank matures, you will be mostly focused on nitrates and pH levels. Testing for Ammonia and Nitrites is really important when you are going through the cycling process.

New tanks are unstable and if you are doing a fishless cycle, you will need to test your water to see when it is safe to add fish and other inhabitants into your tank. This is the major reason to get into the habit of water testing. Ideally, you will want to perform water testing before you make a water change because they will tell you where your levels peak. You can see what is out of wack, or how much you need to change to get it back in balance. To me, this is like getting a check up on your tank. It’s really easy for an experienced fishkeeper to say that you must perform water testing because it’s a good habit. While it would be helpful to have separate posts for freshwater or saltwater, the fact of the matter is that people will not find this guide as easily online if I posted in two separate posts so bear with me if you see a section that is not relevant to the aquariums you keep. Both freshwater and saltwater aquariums have different things you will want to test for and different price ranges of kits. This blog is going to cover both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. Using the best aquarium test kits you can afford or buy will make maintenance a lot easier on you. Water testing helps you understand your baselines and when to change water or adjust your supplementation to improve the water quality. Part of keeping and owning an aquarium is regularly testing the water quality of your aquarium water. Chloroquine Phosphate Aquarium Dosing Calculator.

Bottom feeder fish tank