Newbie here: How often should I test my fish tank for pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels?
Well honestly, the PH doesn’t matter much and messing with it only causes more problems. The idea that PH matters is pretty much a false one, unless it truly is out of wack (meaning it would not even measure on either of your kits). Fish are very tolerant of PH, and those numbers you may see on the profiles of fish are just an estimation of the PH in their habitat, not what they need to survive. For Ammonia and nitrite you’ll want to measure it every few days through the cycle to ensure no large spikes that will hurt the fish. As the cycle nears it’s end you can start testing for nitrates, which the presense of is a sure sign your tank is completing the process. For a healthy, cycled tank you really only need to measure ammonia and nitrite if there is a problem, or if you need to do some major tank work, like a full cleaning or a complete filter media replacement (neither are recommended), since these can deplete your bacteria. It’s a good idea to measure the nitrates before and after
