https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-microbiology-of-reef-tank-cycling.214618/
Nitrite has no bearing for us at all
*nitrite compliance was mentioned above as being variable based on conditions and nutrient settings in the tank and I agree that’s likely here, we just skip the trite altogether in my thread to reduce any distractions that can misread on a test, we focus on ammonia because failure there can kill things in a new cycling tank. Since ammonia generates the losses in a failed cycle attempt we like to work only with that alone. Freshwater cyclers sure might need to test for nitrite, and don’t pre treat the water with anything before you do so the test has a chance at reading correctly
As the years build, the cycling threads really get big but some summaries for your thread tied to that one:
-we routinely cycle tanks without any testing at all based on submersion times and boosters used or not. These are universal times across earth; the only thing that impedes completion is extremes in temp, meds or drying time. From that rule alone, testing becomes optional, because submersion time is the running rule. High quality and accurate parameter testing / old school big 3 is handy for speed cycling where a full dry tank must be made ready in two weeks, that’s the fastest possible time we can substrate cycle a given system if there’s a production rush deadline or just a desire to speed up legit cycling.
-testing has many misread options, I’ve linked more than ten examples where testers said someone was stalled out, but they weren’t. Even though we focus only on ammonia testing to stamp a cycle ready, even ammonia can misread (myriad examples linked and found in searches) so no tester will supersede submersion time rules, although we can create conditions to make most reef tests for ammonia actually work for us (not requiring a ‘zero’ read, but looking for any down movement at all within 24 hours after submersion times have been met/cycled)
-it is accurate to use the old school model of big 3 cycling/testing, it’s true ammonia and nitrite should be zero and nitrate should register some when a cycle is complete. The reason I made a thread breaking those rules is in response to MASS testing variation reported by reefers, on items that don’t have a variation time, something had to clean this mess up. Most reefers have a hard time knowing what to believe, their tester reading green/slight yellow, or nine solid bioindicators clearly displaying they have no ammonia though the tester seems to barely indicate they do. The use of the popular additive Prime, common for QT tanks, directly adulterates nitrite testing, linked. Nitrate, though it -always- is produced when ammonia drops after submersion times, may or may not be detected by us so we kick that out altogether, nitrate is for algae tuning whether our kits detect any to prove that doesn’t matter. 3% of cyclers import or actually farm denitrifying bacteria alongside nitrifers; they’ll eat up nitrate, and show zero, making us think a cycle is stalled but they do not ever stall. More ways of mistesting beyond those are linked as well, ammo is testing is where it’s at, and even that takes a back seat to submersion time
