I guess I'm an exception. I test(ed) regularly for ammonia, nitrIte,
nitrAte, pH and KH. By "regularly", I mean daily to once-a-week (with water
changes). Now, I have an Ammonia Alert card in the skimmer box (which is
even more sensitive than my test kit), so all I have to do is lift the lid
to see if the ammonia level is OK; nitrIte is OK if I don't have ammonia,
and I use Koi Clay, so I know that any nitrIte I might have is absorbed
anyway; nitrAte levels are ~ 10, so that's OK, and my pH stays rock solid if
my KH is kept at 12 drops (or 215 or so). Unless I have heavy rains, I can
check the KH once a week and adjust as necessary. If we get rain, the KH is
high enough to keep me from too much of a fluctuation, let alone a crash,
and I can check it at my leisure to make adjustments without worrying. But
I didn't learn this about my particular pond and its peculiarities until I
had a year of regular testing under my belt. I think you need to obcess
about your pond the first year: then you know its ins/outs, and you can
relax a bit.

Lee



"MLF" wrote in message
...
Can anyone suggest a water test kit that won't require me to get a
second mortgage?

Michael Fermanis
New Orleans, Louisiana USA (Remove the RICE to reply)
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