I'm going to disagree with you - there is nothing wrong with API tests - the issue is usually the test methodology. But - you're absolutely correct - nitrites are not an issue. This exact product that the OP is using says - add Fish and bacteria on day 1. I'm not sure why they are checking for 'a cycle'.
In a way - the fact that the Gobi and the coral are doing ok tell the story. Although I agree with @jda that every situation is different. In contrast to some other opinions, there is no real 'new cycling science' - but there are definitely new protocols that were not used/could not be used due to bacteria not being available. To the OP - I think the most important thing is 'follow a protocol' - as compared to multiple protocols. If the instructions on the bottle say do xxxxx, do that. If you like Dr. Tim's protocol - do that. Part of the problem comes in when people try to mix multiple ideas and then get confused when one part seems 'off'. I think your tank looks greatwell the first fish is in (neon goby) and I have been checking ammonia & nitrite which was zero yesterday and zero today, I'll double check again in a couple of days just to make sure, the few frags I have are also doing well and just need fixing in there final places. The purple cyano has gone brown and stringy so I guess it's on its way out so just have to wait for the next ugly stage. I'm just going to let the tank settle now for a week or two and see how the element levels behave before looking at dosing all-for-reef.
Thanks for all the advice.
www.reef2reef.com
API at 0.25 is likely user error - especially with the reading of the test itself. People assume if there is any 'green' that makes the ammonia 0.25. It is not - if you follow the instructions, if the ammonia color is more yellow than green (even if there is some green), the result is 'zero', not 0.25 and not 0.125, etc.in recap of the test-outcome-rules-all nature of old cycling science (I kept this thread for future use knowing the flip flop would come within a month)
1 ppm here in this thread means fully cycled per the umpires which had me amazed they weren't calling for 5 extra bottles of bac to be purchased, telling the cycler their initial bacteria were obviously dead/ reasons for the 1 ppm consistent reading.
but .25-.5 here
Modified API Test Results
Hello, After seeing a post about Dan_P’s modified API ammonia test. I decided to give it a try since I’ve been getting the .25 Ammonia reading on API for a month now (my tank is six weeks old and has 0 nitrites and 10-20 Nitrates). I’ve tried the Seachem Ammonia test to compare and the results...
means tread lightly, might not be cycled. old cycling science merely picks and chooses when to believe API, on a whim. as it turns out above, that's a skip cycle tank so api at .25 matched the ending discovery about cycle details.
and also 1 ppm meant cycled, this is why Paulo's tank still doesn't have trouble carrying fish
and so does api 8 ppm, on the searchable threads where two year old tanks read 8 ppm yet were running just fine. api is useless in reef tank cycling for the masses.
