Parameters are odd, help please!

[Tangdora]

That specific test kit is extremely dependent on shaking the nitraAte bottle aggressively before adding the drops. If you don’t you will get a false reading. Should be detecting some given your nitrIte is elevated. Not sure I would call your tank fully cycled at this point. If you you can’t add 2ppm of ammonia (not recommend now given you added fish) and not read 0 ppm next day with no nitrite Spike then your probably not fully cycled.

 

[tidequeen09]

That specific test kit is extremely dependent on shaking the nitraAte bottle aggressively before adding the drops. If you don’t you will get a false reading. Should be detecting some given your nitrIte is elevated. Not sure I would call your tank fully cycled at this point. If you you can’t add 2ppm of ammonia (not recommend now given you added fish) and not read 0 ppm next day with no nitrite Spike then your probably not fully cycled.

I did the 2ppm ammonia test right before adding the fish. It read 0 a whole 24 hours later.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Alright, going to clear some confusion. Once you have detectible nitrates in your tank, your tank is cycled. No need to test for nitrites anymore, as this is not applicable to reef tanks past the initial cycle. API ammonia generally will say you have "some" ammonia in your tank; however, you more than likely have no ammonia in your tank. I would invest in more reliable test kits like Red Sea, Salifert, or Hannas. I've heard Nyos makes good test kits too ,but I have no experience with these. Below, I'm linking two threads for you that can help with further questions, better explain what I said, and can be good resources for you in the future

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cycling-an-aquarium.306554/https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-supreme-guide-to-setting-up-a-saltwater-reef-aquarium.138750/

 

[tidequeen09]

Thanks, here is a nice pic of my tank now, bloom all gone too yay

 

[KrisReef]

Hmm would you suggest getting another brand of nitrite test just to see if the nitrite is actually there?

I have a Tropic Marin dual test that can resolve both but I would not buy one just to see that nitrite is present. It almost certainly is, but at low concentrations it is not important except that it /they are needed for coral reefs to grow in our tanks.

 

[tidequeen09]

Hmm would you suggest getting another brand of nitrite test just to see if the nitrite is actually there?

I have a Tropic Marin dual test that can resolve both but I would not buy one just to see that nitrite is present. It almost certainly is, but at low concentrations it is not important except that it /they are needed for coral reefs to grow in our tanks.

Ya ok, I'll just watch snd see if the nitrite dissappears and do a small water change tommorow I think too.