Test kit for cycle?

[Notsolostfish]

Is there anything better than api to measure a saltwater aquarium cycle? Im new to this hobby. And i have a hard time with api colors. I have hanna checker for everything else so far. Or just get an api one for cycle?

 

[AlecV]

I used Salifert for my cycle. Very easy to read colors and not too expensive

 

[gbroadbridge]

If you are using a bottle bac product, you don't really need an Ammonia test kit.

Add the bac, let the tank cycle for 4 weeks and it's guaranteed finished.

If you like watching a cycle (which doesn't make it finish faster), a salicylate test like Red Sea is better than a Nessler kit like Salifert, but both work okay.

There is absolutely no need to spend money on a Nitrite test, btw.

 

[brandon429]

Char


let me save you some headache friend

testless cycling 2022, don't but the kits. you're buying kits we'll just rail on afterwards if it's anything other than a digital meter, and we don't need any kit to cycle.

it's time based, shown on a cycling chart, the date ammonia drops. they're all the same date for a reason, because time duration can cycle any system and you use a calendar as the measurement not api


easy peasy can't fail your cycle:

add sand
add rocks

add saltwater. buy either Dr Tims cycling bac, Fritz cycling bac, or biospira cycling bac, and add the dose stated into the tank once. then add half a zip more lol.

take two pinches of flake fish food and grind into powder in hand

put in water, turn on heater and movement and leave alone for 15 days, you're cycled

you dont need to test, because it will be cycled always.
and if you test with non digital gear, and disagree you're cycled, that's a test kit misleading you live time.


next step: before adding fish read the disease forum here, stickies at the top for one hour then the posts for help at the bottom for one hour, read through several.

before you add fish, decide if you want to be part of that crew posting for help in 3 mos

if not, do what the stickies say.


cycling in 2022 requires no thought and no prep, bottle bac makers did it all.

it requires fish disease planning, having nothing to do with your cycle.