cj82989

Ok, so this might start some drama but i have always done FW tanks and been pretty good with them and my bro. does 2 FW tanks and has even been breeding plecos but neither of us have ever done any testing on FW tanks, and untill i started lookin into saltwater tanks never new any1 tested FW tanks. i didnt pay much attention really untill i came here and started reading what some of you had to say(just to see what was bein tested etc..) and alot of it was same stuff that was in saltwater-nitrites ph etc..-

so what this thread really is about is how importent is it really to test FW tanks. i dont have anything against any1 that does and they most likly are makin there fish happy witch is good, but i no my bro. has done a very impresive job with his tanks and has done no testing. just luck?


can some of you tell me if its really that importent?

THIS IS NOT MENT IN A BAD WAY...I JUST NEVER HEARD OF TESTING FW TANKS IF YOU TAKE THIS TO HEART AND GET MAD PLEASE DONT LEAVE ME MESSAGES SAYING SO IM JUST LOOKIN FOR AN ANSWER

Chief_waterchanger

Dino and I don't tests our tanks and all 100+ tanks do just fine. Of course Dino has kept fish for longer than I've been alive. (He has kept fish for 26 yrs, on the same well-water all those years.) If you know what you're doing and are on a stable water supply there is no reason to check the pH, that will stay the same unless you add or take away something that fluxates the pH. Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates are easy to control. Just do your waterchanges on schedule and do not overfeed. Something like 80% or more of people who keep fish overfeed them, which leads to ammonia spikes, phosphates urging algae growth, and an overall less healthy tank. If your ammonia stays in check so will the Nitrites and Nitrates.

Now people on municipal water supplies may want to check ammonia every so often, sometimes the city water authority gets the wild hair to add ammonia to the water.

But it is a good idea for someone starting out to do tests, in my opinion, until they get into a comfortable routine.

capekate

I agree CWC. When starting off with a new tank, to determine when it has cycled so that you can safely add fish its a good idea to use testing supplies. At least it lets you know when the tank has cycled. I no longer do water testing on any of my cycled tanks. My water is stable, being well water and no need to check the readings. With doing regular routine water changes weekly there is no need to check perimeters IMO, unless the fish are acting strangely then I would test to see if there is something wrong with the water.

~ kate

sirdarksol

I test my water when I am starting a tank, and continue to do so until the nitrogen levels stabilize. I also test whenever it seems like the fish are not doing well. Other than that, I don't test regularly. I think that testing until system stabilizes is a good idea, because it helps you keep balance in a new aquarium. And, of course, if the fish seem ill, you need to know why.

Other than that, as long as water supply is from a steady source, it shouldn't be an issue.

cj82989

ok that would make more sence. i didnt even no FW had that much of a cycle, i new it had 1 but a smaller 1. i guess it would be smart to test if things start to die ok so im not the only 1 that was surprised about it all lol. if any1 is gonna go that much outta there way tho(testing all the time) i give them credit for keeping there fish at better levles.

sirdarksol

Yeah, Freshwater has a cycle. I lost a guorami to ammonia poisoning because I didn't know anything about the nitrogen cycle. I received it as an established aquarium, and, not knowing anything about fishkeeping at the time, I washed the entire tank with water hot enough to sterilize it, literally washing the nitrifying colony down the drain.

But anyway, the cycle is a big enough deal that most people lose at least a few fish in their first tank because they don't know how to safely set the aquarium up.
The biggest difference, of course, is that you don't have to cure live rock in a freshwater tank, and that process dumps a lot of ammonia into a saltwater tank. Other than that, freshwater tanks have the same sources of ammonia, namely the critters, and the aquariums need to build the nitrifying colony just the same.