Every day I smell each tank's water & I change any tanks that need changing. No mystery. API isn't as sensitive.
All my tanks get 50% changes every 2 to 5 days, depending on the bio-load. I siphon gravel as necessary, usually every week.
If the ammonia goes up from 0ppm to anything detectable on the API, I can smell it, and that tells me the nitrates are up too.
So I don't often break out the test kits unless I suspect something abnormal, like a change in tap water or a dead fish stuck in a rock.
Now I may not have this luxury if I buy larger tanks. Currently I run just under 300g total, but change 400g total a week.
All my tanks get 50% changes every 2 to 5 days, depending on the bio-load. I siphon gravel as necessary, usually every week.
If the ammonia goes up from 0ppm to anything detectable on the API, I can smell it, and that tells me the nitrates are up too.
So I don't often break out the test kits unless I suspect something abnormal, like a change in tap water or a dead fish stuck in a rock.
Now I may not have this luxury if I buy larger tanks. Currently I run just under 300g total, but change 400g total a week.
