Testing frequency?

So seeing Vishnu's very nice little chart of numbers reminded me I haven't tested my tanks in......who knows how long. I decided since tonight is water change night and I have to get my hands dirty I should maybe do that. How about everybody else? Slackers or keeping trackers? I used to be pretty good about weekly testing in my first year, little less in year two and now it's become test when something is dying only. I'll post them up after I'm done so you can rate me. Maybe I'll get really ambitious and do it again next week.

should wait a day after a water change to test to get more accurate results.

A good idea would be to have a simple excel spreadsheet where you can log your numbers and keep track of them. I have been testing more often than necessary because my test kits (mostly salifert nitrate) has been a little off. Once every 2 weeks is pretty good for most needs.

Hey Vishnu, I'm using Salifert for nitrate as it's all I have right now, I have some dip strips and they read about 40 before and about 20 the second time but that's all I have to compare to. I'm going to order some new kits I think, any suggestions? I have API for calcium and Red Sea for ph and alk.

Anyways my salinity is fine 35 ppt, Nitrates are reading about 50 with Salifert however. I did another 8 gallons and it's now sitting at 25. Did another 4 and I'll check everything again tomorrow. I didn't bother with calcium or alk since I'm still doing changes. Added some carbon. I need to stop overfeeding, I only have two fish but I love feeding the corals and I have to flood the tank with food to stop my clownfish from stealing it all. Too much food floating around I think, plus I've been slacking on changes since everything looked fine. Serves me right I guess.
I also iodine dipped my yellow Figi since it's been doing crappy the past few weeks, I'm hoping it's just my water quality though, they are supposed to be more sensitive. I hope it gets better and looks happy again. I still have to test my other two tanks as well.

API for the money give close enough test results in my opinion,all my test kits are Salifert and I get the same results using API when I use them side by side with Salifert.

I have api and I like them, like Jim said they are very close to sailfert ,I had used sailfert Alk and Ca test and they both tested real close to each other.

i used to do them every time i did a water change, I would do them before i changed the water and then i marked them down so i can compare month to month to see the changes good or bad, most of mine are relitivly close every month so i cut down on doing them to when ever i think of doing them.

Um....didn't even have anything but test strips for a long time. Finally got several test kits last winter but have only used them a few times. My tank is more forgiving than a lot of yours though. I probably should step it up since I do not have all softies anymore.

I dont even test for nitrates anymore, my refugium eats all that up, and with 100lbs of live rock in the tank. I use salifert. instant ocean and API with all very close results.

Nitrates read 25 again this afternoon, I mixed up another 8 gallons to change tonight but I have to order more salt, apparently there's a towel in the bottom of IO buckets now, I have less salt than originally thought. And now I have a really thin crappy towel. What a downgrade from the t-shirts. I feel kinda shamed into testing now, I got so used to testing and having everything read good that I stopped worrying about it for too long.

Well if you run out of towels let me know between Dave and myself I think we have about 15 of those cheese cloth towels...LOL.

I only test calcium(420), alk(9), mag(1400). If they are perfectly balanced than the rest is going to be very close to ok. I have been using reef status tests after i used api for many years in the beginning. Now for christmas i think i am going to treat myself to elos test kits due to there reveiws for really good accuracy.