When should water Testing be done?

[love-my-fish]

hello everyone, Another newbie question for everyone. I know i'm going to get some slaps for this one but i'll take em to learn. I inherited a test kit for my aquarium and i have yet to use it... 8 months no test... I know i should be shot and not allowed to have fish

I do water changes now though and i know how to do them correctly thanks to the good folks on here....

K, seriously: When should you actually do the water tests on aquarium water?
1. a few hours after feeding? Before? What if you feed 2 or 3 times a day?
2. Shortly after a water change? how long ?
3. Before a water change and then after?
tks all for the help......

 

[justonemoretank]

How often do you do water changes? On most of my tanks and my pond, I do biweekly water changes, so I test the weeks I'm not doing a water change.

On the tank I'm changing water weekly on, I test in the middle of the week, because I do the W/C on Sunday.

The idea is to catch it not right before, because you're about to do a W/C, and those numbers aren't going to be good anymore, but not right after, because you're not getting a good picture of what's going on the rest of the time.

As for feeding, I usually test after feeding, but that's only because my fish are a little lazier and I can get my hands in the tank without having fish trying to eat my fingers.

 

[Krawnik]

I test once a week before doing a water change.

 

[love-my-fish]

How often do you do water changes? On most of my tanks and my pond, I do biweekly water changes, so I test the weeks I'm not doing a water change.
On the tank I'm changing water weekly on, I test in the middle of the week, because I do the W/C on Sunday.
The idea is to catch it not right before, because you're about to do a W/C, and those numbers aren't going to be good anymore, but not right after, because you're not getting a good picture of what's going on the rest of the time.
.

I test once a week before doing a water change.

Tks everyone for your comments.. I do water changes weekly about 20-25%. I'm getting the same consensus from others in another forum in GTA Aquaria which i'm a member of.. it's good to have opinions from other locations and i truely appreciate it..... will have to do a test and maybe at least twice a month until i get more familiar with my setup and so forth..
cheers!!!!!
sheldon

 

[Pharaoh]

Once my tanks are settled in, I only test when something seems off.

When the fish are still growing and settling, I test strictly to find out what a good water change schedule should be. If the nitrates are high, I step up the water changes. Once my schedule is set, I don't typically test my water.

 

[love-my-fish]

thansk pharoah, appeciate the response,,, exactly what i have been hearing from other people on another forum i'm a member of... guess i will have to start testing on my tank and see what is normal and then i have a basis to work with and understand that environment...
thanks a bunch
cheers!!!
sheldon

 

[12 Volt Man]

Once my schedule is set, I don't typically test my water.

same here. I only test after I get a dead fish, which is almost never since I began doing weekly water changes 10 years ago LOL.

the only time I lose something is if I sell it or death from injury/jumping, which has happened before.

 

[Reel Addiction]

Once my tanks are settled in, I only test when something seems off.

When the fish are still growing and settling, I test strictly to find out what a good water change schedule should be. If the nitrates are high, I step up the water changes. Once my schedule is set, I don't typically test my water.

Thats pretty much what I do, 30-50% water change weekly and every 3 weeks or so do a test before my water change to make sure Ive been changing enough.

 

[love-my-fish]

Thanks everyone for weighing in......
Cheers and much appreciated
sheldon

 

[bomber]

I usually test before I feed, test a day after I feed and afew hours after i change the water.

I would suggest documenting your tests with dates in a note book. This way you know exactly what you did to your tank.

Its good fish keeping pratice.