@ectoaesthetics
ability to measure actual cycle status is what ushered in the change, we have digital meters that track out to .00x ppm nh3 instantly nowadays, back then they had color gradients to guess from and a very very slow lag time in response by the test kit.
in other words, those were all skip cycle tanks you mentioned. they didn't have blips, the testers showed .25 which nowadays everyone knows what that means when API says it (don't fear, nothing is wrong, most running reefs show that reading in any API poll)
KF
there is no need to manage pH in a cycle it will complete within ten days of dosing bottle bac and providing feed to the system. if you'll skip the ammonia dosing step, and sub in two pinches of flake feed ground up into powder, add this with your bottle bac and in ten days time the system will be cycled.
fish food is the direct substrate match to the initial strains of bacteria in the bottle. they alternate over time into longterm filter bacteria generations...at the start they're common sludge eating bacteria out of a bottle that also happen to oxidize ammonia when under load. you are saving yourself 91 gallons of new make water by specifically not dosing ammonia and instead trading off for ten days of fish food level ammonia, same cycle ability at the end + no huge water change. your current plan is selecting a method that requires a huge costly water change at the end.
by using updated cycling science, submersion date timing from the ammonia line of a cycling chart, we see by day ten ammonia is under control, on all setups. ammonia line drop dates don't vary on cycling charts, its a well known drop date. no huge ammonia dose needed.
