Would A Lack Of Ammonia Affect Nitrite Processing

[P&J]

Are the bacteria that process ammonia related to those that process nitrite? I ask because of my cycling issues. Last weekend, I was out of town and couldn't add ammonia, effectively killing my bacteria. Instead of processing 4ppm in a day, it took 3 days to drop. Fast forward to this past weekend and the same thing happened; I missed one day, and now my ammonia processing has slowed down again.

During all this, my nitrite has stayed high. I think it's been off the chart for 2 weeks now (API test-- drops immediately turn purple, and after 5 minutes it's silvery-purple no where near anything on the card), but I'm not really showing any nitrate. I think the nitrate is at about 5, but it's impossible to read those colors and has been showing the same since the tail end of my failed fish-in cycle.

I know the lack of ammonia killed my bacteria and slowed that process, but I figure that since the nitrites never fell to zero the bacteria that feeds off of those should still be OK. Am I normal on my nitrate, or did I kill too much bacteria?

-P

 

[backtotropical]

Hi P&J,

It sounds like your nitrite processing bacteria (Nitrospira) haven't really got started yet.

When fishless cycling, ammonia processing bacteria (Nitrosomonas) will develop first. These will start to process your ammonia, making your nitrites rise. I think you are still at this stage.

Then, once nitrite is off the chart (the stage you are at), the nitrite processing bacteria (Nitrospira) will start to develop. These bacteria seem to have a habit of not shifting any nitrite at all for maybe 1 or 2 weeks, but then doing it all in 1 or 2 days. Don't worry that your levels have been off the scale for ages, it's quite normal. You'll see it drop all of a sudden. If you are concerned, try doing a 50% water change. This may kickstart it.

Because your bacteria are not yet processing any nitrite, you will not be seeing a rise in nitrate. The nitrate in your tank has probably come from the tap.

Keep adding ammonia, and once you see nitrite falling, you're just about there.

Hope this helps.

BTT

 

[rabbut]

If nitrite remained presant, then the bactiria processing this still had food, and thus should not have died off However, I don't think you have a substantial colonie to die off yet, as nitrate is not rising I would do a 50-75% water change, and see if that gets things moving again

HTH
Rabbut

 

[P&J]

If nitrite remained presant, then the bactiria processing this still had food, and thus should not have died off :

Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for. I wasn't sure if the bacteria were the same or different than those processing ammonia. Thanks to both of you!

-P

 

[purplekaz]

I'm pretty sure the nitrite is still there because there is no (or little) bacteria able to process it yet.
If every one of your bacteria got killed off, you would still have a tank of nitrIte.
One kind of bacteria processes ammonia into nitrite, a different type, as BTT said, changes nitrite to nitrate.
Looks like you have the first type of bacteria, but not much of the second type yet.

I'm in a similar situation myself - 4ppm of ammonia is processed completely to nitrite in 12 hours, but I'm still waiting on my other army of bacteria to change that nitrite to nitrate.

I understand it usually takes twice as long for the second type of bacteria to do their job, but once it happens it does so quickly and then you're pretty much ready for fish after a water change.

For me it's taken about 2 weeks so far, so patience is the key. And don't forget how important it is to add ammonia daily, or even twice daily, to keep the process going.

edit: spelling