100% agreed. The definition of a completed cycle is that no degree of water changes can unstick the working bacteria. This was the core method Dr. Reef used in his bottle bac thread to chart completion…full water changes then he would re dose ammonia and watch it go away overnite to prove those systems were really cycled
he did this water change so that no floating bacteria in the water could cheat the test, only working surfaces were measured.
you don’t need to reverify ammonia, it’s done. Your setup is much older than the longest taking mix of bacteria he studied. Only your surface area could be limited/ need to see tank/ but nobody’s display reef is ever lacking surface area either way. Quarantine setups are the risk for surface area placement and degree of inclusion.
Fritz for example was able to adhere to surfaces in *48* hours or less, meaning that’s one quick cycling product. Dr. Tims was always adhered by day ten or less, no mixes he checked took longer than ten days to adhere for the working strains. You can do ten water changes back to back and it won’t uncycle your tank, those bac are adhered until you dry, boil freeze or medicate them away.
