Only time I bother checking pH is when I'm adding livestock and that's not very often. Gives me a better idea of how long to drip acclimate the new critter before setting it loose in my tank. The stagnant water in the sealed bag you carry home from the LFS can have significantly different pH than your tank. If I remember correctly, inverts can be sensitive to large, quick swings in pH. If the swing takes place over a 24 hr period, such as the night/day cycle in most folks' systems, it's usually no problem.
I use the chem colour changing kit to check. Early days in the hobby I considered getting a probe but when I read up on the requirements for calibration & periodic replacement of the tip, it was an easy choice to do without.
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