Nitrite Spike, But Little Ammonia Drop ?

[Halo2928]

Hello, I am currently on day 5 with my cycle using some mature media to seed

Yesterday

Ammonia:4ppm
Nitrite:0.50

Today

Ammonia:2ppm
Nitrite:2ppm or 5ppm (darkish purple)

I just want to know whats causing this. Also on day 2 or 3 i had a nitrate spike so im just a bit confused

 

[the_lock_man]

Sounds about right - each unit of ammonia produces somewhere between 2&3 units of nitrite (I can't remember the exact conversion rate), so 2ppm ammonia would convert to about 5ppm nitrite. The n-bacs would then have converted a little nitrite into nitrate.

That's my logic, anyway!

 

[waterdrop]

This is correct - each 1ppm of ammonia produces about 2.7ppm of nitrite. Often the use of mature media will display a different pattern of progression in the phases of the fishless cycling process. The MM can start you with wildly different amounts (and ratios to each other) of the two species of bacteria you are trying to grow.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Halo2928]

Thanks for the replys, just wanted to check if it was normal ; )