API Test kits

[TwoHedWlf]

It's not just the aquarium hobby. My other hobby, RC planes, people will post "Why did my battery die?" What is its voltage? Measure it with a multimeter or voltmeter. "What's a volt? I don't have a multimeter they're too expensive, why do my batteries keep dying?!" "Why did my motor blow up, I just put a bigger prop on it to make it faster!" How much current was it drawing? Do you have an amp meter? "No. "

 

[duanes]

As a chemist in a drinking water plant, some of the tests and equipment we used, were equired by EPA, and DNR laws, to be much more accurate and succinct than aquarium tests are. For some parameters, measuring down into the 0.0000 place was mandated by drinking water regulations.
These type tests used equipment, that would be too expensive for most aquarists to even give a passing glance to.


But I agree with those saying once a tank is up and cycled, and enough tests have been done to determine when water changes need to be done to maintain healthy parameters, the need for regular testing lessens.

Of course if all your fish were 1" when the tank was first set up, and now are 10", testing may be needed to determine if parameters are still safe,

or if a tank started with 7 fish, and now holds 70, testing will show "if" what was safe then, is still safe now.

Veteran fish keepers may have this under control, but someone that has only been in the hobby a year to 2, may still need to do regular testing.
And simple pH, or nitrate tests should be enough to find out.

If your tap water is pH 7, and stays @7 for 1" fish in the tank, then your water change schedule is probably adequate ,
But if 1 year later and fish have grow to 6", and your tank averages pH is 6 or lower, then your test is telling you, your water change schedule needs to be revised.

If with 7 fish in a tank, you nitrate level is 5ppm, but with 70 fish the nitrate tested 40-60 this is also an indication that nmaintanence like water changes and filter cleaning need to be up-graded.

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

I have always considered the API test kit to be the most basic piece of aquarium equipment. When I think about the fact that I have several
Hundred dollars worth of fish at stake I can’t fathom not having one.
I have read a lot of threads on this site where hobbyists have issues with their stock but don’t have tests kits. I am not trying to call anyone out but is there a reason why one wouldn’t purchase a kit? They are available in every fish store I have ever been in, are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. Just curious as to why?

Some people have other tools they test with, and some people have less than sound husbandry techniques. Also what Duanes said above.

 

[squint]

There are 3 major nutrient cycles (nitrogen, carbon, and phosphate). Phosphate is about as toxic as nitrate.

Nobody tests carbon even though high levels of DOC inhibit nitrification and are correlated with disease.

Nobody tests dissolved oxygen even though low levels lead to depressed growth and susceptibility to infection.

Both probably contribute to the bacterial infections I see people dealing with.

I test pH more than anything because I have soft water and a potentially fatal pH crash can happen in just a few days.

I've probably lost more fish to chlorine than anything else. The low levels toxic to fish require more expensive testing equipment.

The API test kit only gives you a small picture of what's going on. A lot of people have good numbers when they post about problems.

I bought a Hach DR/6000 last year but it was damaged in shipping and I couldn't be confident in it so I returned it. I might get a research spectrophotometer one day but the virus has caused me to rearrange priorities.

 

[twentyleagues]

As usual a lot of good info on why to test why we don't "need" to test and what tests are just not really available to the average hobbyist. I think once you've been doing this a while like RD. , duanes tlindsey and so many more, you shouldn't need a regular test as long as your husbandry skills are where they need to be (and you aren't lying to yourself). Newbs need to test on a regular basis. If your water source changes or you add or subtract fish you should test. I take my water to my lfs about once a month and have them test for me.
People with experience are more in tune with their tanks and can usually tell what's going on with just a glance.
There are tests that most of us do not do and probably should as S squint mentioned if you want or need a fuller picture of what is going on. I think the average fish keeper probably doesn't need to test for it or should I say wouldn't even if they could. Lots of stuff is in place or can be to supposedly help negate those.

When I did salt I had pH probs, temp, redox, I used Hannah meters for nitrate, calcium, alk, po4, obviously I used a lab grade refractometer and used calibration fluid monthly to zero it. Multiple tds meters there is more I'm sure I've forgotten.

I think to answer the original question. It's people 1. don't know
2.don't want to spend the money on something they don't understand.
3. don't care to learn about it.
Someone else said it not everyone cares really what happens they "care" but if it dies I'll get another one. I see that so often in practice, in condolences, all the time. I think we all in reality kind of feel that. I'd like to say I don't, on the surface I don't, I feel in my heart I don't, but when a pet dies we get a new one. I thought when my staffie died I'd never get another dog again I loved her so much. We had a puppy before she died....I miss my staffie and I'm sure someday I'll own another. So in reality animals are replaceable, in a manner of speaking.

 

[The Morning]

I test weekly. Both my tanks and my tap water. I have noticed recently, over the past year, that I have had significant fluctuations in my tap water. Both PH and ammonia in the water has varied My main tank is a heavily stocked mixed African tank. I had been doing 75% changes every 5 days or so. Testing showed that this was no longer adequate so I upped my changes and rehomed some of the fish.
I understand the point that consistent care of the tank reduces the need to test but I still like the security of testing to ensure water quality is consistent.

 

[twentyleagues]

I test weekly. Both my tanks and my tap water. I have noticed recently, over the past year, that I have had significant fluctuations in my tap water. Both PH and ammonia in the water has varied My main tank is a heavily stocked mixed African tank. I had been doing 75% changes every 5 days or so. Testing showed that this was no longer adequate so I upped my changes and rehomed some of the fish.
I understand the point that consistent care of the tank reduces the need to test but I still like the security of testing to ensure water quality is consistent.

In the 8 months I've lived at my new house I have realized that I don't need to test for pH or kh or gh as they are all high enough to not be effected by the typical stuff and or time it takes. My 75 gallon is so densely planted my nitrates take a month to hit 20ppm pH kh and gh are still the same out as out of the tap according to API tests. I test nitrates weekly and typically do water changes weekly on all the other tanks. Things that should be using calcium and other factors out of the water don't seem to dent it to much. I have a large crayfish breeding tank and two different snail breeding tanks no noticeable change in pH kh or gh. I stopped testing those at the tank I test my well water monthly for those and after a large temp change or rain or snow melt. If it stays consistent throughout the year I will probably drop tests to every 6 months to a year on those. Weekly nitrate testing will continue. And if I set up a new tank I'll test ammonia nitrite but since I use a bacteria when I start the tanks and on a biweekly basis I have not seen any ammonia or nitrite on any of the new tanks I've set up.

 

[duanes]

I test weekly. Both my tanks and my tap water. I have noticed recently, over the past year, that I have had significant fluctuations in my tap water. Both PH and ammonia in the water has varied My main tank is a heavily stocked mixed African tank. I had been doing 75% changes every 5 days or so. Testing showed that this was no longer adequate so I upped my changes and rehomed some of the fish.
I understand the point that consistent care of the tank reduces the need to test but I still like the security of testing to ensure water quality is consistent.

If your utilities source is a river, or small reservoir changes in pH and amounts of other parameters can vary season to season, month to month.
Where I lived in the US, my utilities source was lake Michigan, so being an inland sea, it was very consistent most of the time, but even there, spring thaws and rains would slight alter some parameters, and influence the amount of Chloramine that needed to added to keep water potable, so I tested regularly during those times.
Or if on an aquifer, in rural areas agricultural practices can seasonally alter water parameters and quality, especially nitrate and ammonia.
Especially if on a river as a source, regular testing of tap water may be advisable.

 

[RD.]

Like most things in this hobby, one size rarely fits all.

My water source is a glacier fed river, and I don't need to check anything on a regular basis. I already understand how & when the shifts from season to season will be, and I react accordingly. I can smell spring run off before the city posts it's water report. And for those that have a city or town that posts water quality reports I highly recommend utilizing those reports. My city posts monthly reports, using equipment far more sophisticated than I have ever owned.

Water Quality - The City of Red Deer

Drinking water is drawn from the Red Deer River. Before it is delivered to your taps, the water is treated with the goal of purifying the water to remove potential contaminants. , Monthly reports and a yearly summary of Water Quality Parameters., Drinking water is drawn from the Red Deer River...

www.reddeer.ca

 

[DN328]

I think OP's post was not targeted for the "experienced" folks. I think it was more towards the 80% of fish hobbyists. Most people dont have multiple established tanks where cycling is a not an issue...assuming they're even aware of cycling.

I think that's why one of the most relatively objective thing that one can check when fish aren't doing well. It doesn't always answer questions, but I think it's a basic thing to know and rule out.