Why Does Moving Substrate Cause Huge Ammonia Spikes

[techen]

As the title suggests, Am curious as to why.

 

[KrystaK]

Not certain, but I assume it's because some of the bacteria from your filter can also live in the substrate, and by disturbing it you are disturbing said bacteria. And because this bacteria processes the ammonia and you have disturbed it, it is not there to process the ammonia and therefore there is an ammonia spike

 

[techen]

I understand that a lot of the bacteria will be in the substrate. But surely the filter should adjust anyway, I doubt the impact would be enuff to cause a huge ammonia spike that kills fish in 1-2 days which is what am suffering from.

 

[lee420]

im guessing from junk stuck under it like food and feces, then when you move it the amonia escapes

 

[techen]

That makes more sense then, Ah well mistakes happen!

 

[frapadoodle]

When you say moving do you mean changing?
When I changed to sand, I went through a mini cycle, but the ammonia never went higher than .25ppm.
Sorry to hear about the tragedy.

 

[techen]

Not changing, I was moving it for planting and I kicked up a fair bit of it while doing so.

 

[frapadoodle]

That is a cunundrum.