It's funny you said that Platytudes. Last year when we went to the Georgia Aquarium, we decided to do the behind the scenes tours. They actually use test strips to test the water. Now before anyone says anything, I'm sure their strips are of much better quality then what hobbyist use. I agree that the strip tests might not be as accurate as the API but it still will give you an indication that something is happening in your tank. That and they are better then nothing at all.