I have never understood the aversion to testing water quality? I enjoy sitting on the banks of my lake and during that time, I test the water. I am a firm believer in knowledge. I can't change mother nature but I can gain some insight.
Do you phosphates and ammonia increase after a heavy rain? Do your total dissolved solids go through the roof? If you don't know the answers to the basic questions of an ecosystem you are trying to manage, you aren't a very good manager.
For less than 100 bucks you can buy a pond test kit, a digital thermometer that will give you temps to 25' and a TDS meter. A DO meter is expensive but I use a 30 dollar test kit with 50 tests.
I spend 50-100 dollars a year tracking my water, all while sitting in the serene environment of its shores. My fish kill is zero. Seems like a good deal.
