It's a good idea to test at same time if you feed at same time.
Thats for ammonia/nitrite/nitrate tests.
It's a good idea to test pH at the same time of day as it will vary a bit if theres algae/aquatic plants in there as the co2 concentration in the water changes. But then you will have to take into consideration the light levels etc..... if your curious try testing at different times of day but shouldn't make too much difference once the pH settles down.
I would test temperature morning midday dusk and maybe in da night as well. ALways handy to have a temperature reading or 2 for outside setups.
The more tests you do the easier the cycle is too follow. Results are easily graphed later on and you can see how your cycle compared to other peoples. You can even record feed amounts to try follow how much ammonia is entering cycle each day, all depends on how bothered ya can be, but you never know how helpful it may be at a random future time.
For example ammonia will usually build up, peak and then decline to zero. Nitrite will appear after ammonia appears and build up, peak and then decline to zero. Nitrate will start to buildup after nitrite (unless it's in tapwater to begin with) and then decline as plants eat it, it's diluted by water changes or eaten by bacteria.....
At first test results are of little help. This is a game of keeping water always good. A test showing it is unhealthy is too late. damage to fish health may have already occured no matter how quickly you then act to correct the water conditions.
It is when you have built up a good picture of how everything is working that you can then predict future water problems BEFORE they occur. Tests are usually correct... so they are a good way to check that you are doing well if your ever unsure. But many people will use testkits less and less once they have used them to confirm they are doing the right thing.
Ya you still periodically test stuff, and if theres drama a ammonia/nitrite test is usually called for, but the rest of the time when alls well it's more checking on things like nitrate or iron levels. Keeping system running optimal.
I realise thats a ramble. But ya you can learn a lot from test results once they are in context. It's amazing how pages of test results on cycling tanks can be converted into a few graphed curvy lines. You can read all you want to about the chemistry, but actually testing a setup and watching duckweed bounce all the way from fishfood to ammonia to nitrite to nitrate to duckweed just hammers how it all works into your dna.
it's the cycle of life
But for it all to occur ya need the recylers in huge numbers. They are the ones who can convert the toxic waste to clean water and plant food. End of the day they are the most important crew keeping this planet suitable for life like us. Never see a handful of mulm on the front of TFH tho....
I may have had a bit too much coffee today at work methinks.......
Backyard Aquaponics
