API Test Kit Right?

[cadbike]

I recently set up a 10g nano reef for my wife (1+ month old) and a 12 gal aquapod for myself (1 week old).

 

All of the live rock was purchased at a LFS and I was told it was cured. I used about 10lbs of caribsea arag-alive sand in each tank.

 

I've been using the api saltwater master test kit for testing. on both tanks, ammonia has always been zero, nitrite has always been zero. She has been doing her own testing and she said that at about 1 week she had nitrate of 5-10ppm, but nitrates are now zero again. She has a CUC consisting of a few hermits and a few snails. She also has quite a few hitchikers that came on her rock such as bristleworms, snails, and feather dusters. I have about the same hitchhikers, but no CUC yet. I have had the exact same test results as her. I've go 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and now at 1 week i have 5-10ppm nitrates. I am somewhat concerned that this is not right and I got a bad test kit. Does this sound like I should get another test kit? or does it sound likely that my testing is right, and tanks just didn't go through a real cycle since the live rock had been at the lfs for more than a month? I'm concerned because my wife added a clown yesterday based on the test results we have been getting. He seems to be doing great, playing and eating, but I wanted to see what everybody's opinion was.

[jamesnmandy]

tank did not go through a real cycle, sounds right, but i am caution about adding fish/corals to a tank that never had a real cycle, you may see more of an ammonia spike when adding a fish in that tank than you would have if it had gone through a more severe cycle, i would test regularly since adding the fish, on your tank i would wait a bit longer before adding fish

[petkingdom619]

mine didnt do a full cycle either it was cured rock that was in the stores tank for awhile.

wait two weeks from when you put the rock in and check . if its good its good. You probably wanted to put the clown in after the other fish like gobies are what have you. if thats what your planning.Do half the clean up crew one week. . then half the otherI added a cleaner shrimp with my second addition of the cuc. then start adding fish

[cadbike]

Thanks for the replies. I'm not really in any hurry on my tank actually. I'll probably wait another month or so before I add anything. her tank has actually been up for a month already so I'm hoping that we are good. to go. I will watch the water parameters a lot closer now with the fish though. I've been doing 10% water changes weekly, and I may up that to twice weekly for a while.

 

Thanks again!