how often should you check your water?

[TheFighterFish]

I used to do it more often. But after the initial cycle period and everything looks stable (with weekly water changes), I've seldom used my testing kits.

When should be the next time I check my tanks?

 

[mollybreeder]

i test once a week unless i notice any unusual behaviers with my fish.

 

[YahooFishKeeper]

after you get your tankrunning smoothly and cycle is over you dont need to chaek asoften. i would say around once a month.

 

[tubbs24]

I normally check mine about twice a month, just to see if anything is going out of whack...

 

[Methylx]

I've been told to be on the safe side basically do it before and after every water change you do, but you'll begin to learn what suits you. I say its better to know about an eliminate a problem before it occurs then try to fix it after. So preventative testing is a cheap way to keep things from getting out of hand.

 

[f8fan]

honestly *hangs head in shame* I rarely check my water parameters unless something is going wrong visibly (fish dying/cloudy water/murky water/fish acting weird). I do my regular water changes, check how things "look" every day, and try not to overfeed. But, my tanks have been running for a couple years. I try not to overstock, keep up on the water changes, and don't overfeed. If anything bad happens then I will test the water, other than that, I rarely test the water.

 

[TheFighterFish]

I'm kind of like F8fan. Although, I haven't kept my fish for years, it's been several months without any fish casualties (outside the cories) or strange water conditions. That is why I have been so lenient on the testing.

 

[Nativefish Boy]

honestly..never. maybe once a year at best. after i set the tank up and it makes it thru the first few days, i will test once maybe twice. after that..never

 

[Etheostoma]

Twice monthly, with water changes, until everybody's all grown-up and you've got a genuine feel for how things are going. After that, you'll know enough to know when you should test.

Owing to well-established, regularly maintained tanks with stable populations, and a water supply of consistent quality, I don't test very often. A city water supply with the source being a river or reservoir would likely prompt me to test more often since there can be profound seasonal variability in water quality.