[Dearth]

Well since I started this conversation and the resulting chaos falls on my shoulders I guess I should explain my tank first off I live alone secondly this is a long winded story

95 gallon wave tank
Made the decision to make my tank a softie tank because I know I don't have the equipment or space for said equipment.
Have 14 fish all under 4 inches several snails, crab, shrimp and 8 sea cucumbers ATM
My tank is as simple as it comes skimmer one end return pump on the other no other equipment at all
Manually dose vinegar once per day when I remember to

I don't have the standard 9-5 job and I work shift work (4 days on 4 off 12 hrs per shift 2 days 2 nights rinse repeat)so a maintenance schedule is spotty at best for me and there are times I am too physically exhausted to do anything but I feed my fish once per day

So down to testing my water just before my heart attack I was testing every week with 2 different test kits (API and Salifert) for all the usual stuff and could not trust either test so usually went down the middle of the road. Then my heart attack happened after that it was all I could do for 2 months after just to fill my top up water. After I recovered enough to go back to work I had other medical issues that took precedence over my tank all I did was feed my fish and top up my ATO. Enter 4 and a half months after my heart attack I did my first water change in 5 months I had red cyano everywhere and sick coral I was on vacation so I did 4 water changes in 9 days started cleaning up the cyano and by July my tank was healthy again. I did lose a few coral as would be expected but no fish, shrimp, snails or crab and had 3 sea cucumber at the time.

In all this time never did a water test and by the time I realized I hadn't done one in almost 7 months and as I got busy again with work and dealing with my medical issues I just kept up with my water change monthly and vinegar dosing and before you know it was a new year and if you care to look on 2017 full tank shots in pictures you will see what my tank looked like in January 2016 to January 2017 and not one water test.

You need not agree with my methods or maintenance schedule but I think I have done well for myself and it works for me and I have a happy thriving tank to boot. It may bite me in the asss one day and I will deal with it then but for now I have a healthy happy thriving tank which I will continue to enjoy