lucky?

[StarBelliedSneetch]

ok i know im just a new guy but every one has stuff about nitrates and ph and kinda stuff, i havent even tested my tanks and my fish are happy and active and healty. am i just lucky or have good water or is it really just not that important

[shalafi04]

i think testing your water is super important... However, it depends how long your tank has been put up for. if its a well established tank thats probably why you aren't suffering the cycling woes like the rest of us who are. If it is cycling, maybe you just haven't hit your ammonia and nitrite spikes yet and that is why everyone is "doing well." if you are cycling and that ammonia spike hits, and you are not testing your water, you may end up with a lot of dead or very unhappy ammonia burnt but alive fish.
just my opinion... its nearly meaningless. The pros will be able to give more input

[B_Ez]

How long have you had your tank up?

[StarBelliedSneetch]

4 -5 month, i do water changes every week. they guy who got me into it has never tested either and hes had tanks for years with no problems. heh the only problem he has had was when ever he names a fish it dies

[jbeining75]

they could be suffering ammonia or nitrite poisoning right now and look happy and you'd never know.... testing the water is extremely important......

[smaug]

it sounds to me like you have decent water,,,,,,,,,,,at the moment.The point to keeping your water parameters in the ideal range is to assure the best possible conditons for the inhabitant that you have.You say they are doing well,I have no reason to doubt that,however,could they be doing better?Are your fish at there optimum size and coloration,will they live there full life span or only for 70%.That is what testing your water can do for them but only if you intend to adjust what is out of whack.If your fish are healthy and active and you are satisfied then I suppose testing your water is a waste of time.

[NickFish]

Your fish could be suffering in there and you may not know it.

Or you could be lucky. Either way, testing water is very important.