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so that mean the more ammonia you have the more nitrite there’s going to be? Which is why my ammonia was at its highest at the start on 4ppm on the next test that’s when it showed the nitrite.

But now the ammonia is less it’s not showing nitrite and it’s going through it’s process till we get to ammonia under 0.5 and nitrite over 2
Essjay said:
Once there are enough ammonia eaters, things really take off. Each 1 ppm ammonia is turned into around 2.5 ppm nitrite, which is why nitrite shoots up.
Then we have to wait for the nitrite eaters to get going. They can't start until the ammonia eaters have made nitrite for the nitrite eaters to eat.
Click to expand...
 
Yes, more ammonia means more nitrite. That's why the method on here says to start with 3 ppm ammonia, that way it can't make too much nitrite once the ammonia eaters start to grow.

Lets say you start out with 1 ammonia eater. It'll be a lot more than that but it makes the maths easier. The bacteria multiply by splitting into 2 new bacteria. Assuming all the bacteria survive -
Day 1 - 1
Day 2 - 2
Day 3 - 4
Day 4 - 8
Day 5 - 16
Day 6 - 32
Day 7 - 64
Day 8 - 128
Day 9 - 256
Day 10 - 518
Day 11 - 1024

and so on. This is why it's a slow start but once the bacteria numbers build up they build up fast. And the same with the nitrite eaters once they have some food.
 
Essjay said:
Yes, more ammonia means more nitrite. That's why the method on here says to start with 3 ppm ammonia, that way it can't make too much nitrite once the ammonia eaters start to grow.

Lets say you start out with 1 ammonia eater. It'll be a lot more than that but it makes the maths easier. The bacteria multiply by splitting into 2 new bacteria. Assuming all the bacteria survive -
Day 1 - 1
Day 2 - 2
Day 3 - 4
Day 4 - 8
Day 5 - 16
Day 6 - 32
Day 7 - 64
Day 8 - 128
Day 9 - 256
Day 10 - 518
Day 11 - 1024

and so on. This is why it's a slow start but once the bacteria numbers build up they build up fast. And the same with the nitrite eaters once they have some food.
Click to expand...
Yeah that makes sense, so all of a sudden there would be a huge jump
On day 21 you would be up to 1 million
 
Essjay said:
Some bacteria will die of course but the trend is faster and faster.
Click to expand...
Yeh makes sense, I’m going to pier aquatic not next Saturday the Saturday after so I’m hoping for some change! We will see how we are getting on tho! It’s unlikely to be ready by then
 
3 days later @Essjay

The pH has gone slightly higher but other than that no change
 

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Last edited:
It's just a question of waiting now. You'll test soon and find ammonia is right down and nitrite way up.
 
Strange. The pH should not have gone up.
Just a thought - what do you have in the tank right now - substrate, decor etc. I'm wondering if you have something in the tank that's raising the pH.
 
Essjay said:
Strange. The pH should not have gone up.
Just a thought - what do you have in the tank right now - substrate, decor etc. I'm wondering if you have something in the tank that's raising the pH.
Click to expand...
Aragonite as a substrate will raise PH. I used to use it in salt water tanks due to wanting to raise the PH. Actually I believe it actually raises the GH and the PH follows.
 
Essjay said:
Strange. The pH should not have gone up.
Just a thought - what do you have in the tank right now - substrate, decor etc. I'm wondering if you have something in the tank that's raising the pH.
Click to expand...

Sand Gravel the pump, heater and thermometer.

(Im very exact with the amount of water i put in the test tubes and also the drops from the bottle, i also shake them well)

the pH has got higher and higher each time.
See the chart below
 
What is the name of the sand and gravel? As jaylach said, some sands and gravels can increase pH and GH depending what they're made of. Some are targeted at Rift Lake cichlid and marine tanks, which will affect the pH.
 
Essjay said:
What is the name of the sand and gravel? As jaylach said, some sands and gravels can increase pH and GH depending what they're made of. Some are targeted at Rift Lake cichlid and marine tanks, which will affect the pH.
Click to expand...
I will have a look when I return home around 6. I hope its okay as it was quite expensive.

There water has been in that tank now for 23 days, so in a normal situation i would have done a water change which would keep the pH down im guessing?
 
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