I Seem To Be Bypassing My Nitrite Spike

[sketchy]

I'm half way through a fishless cycle now, ammonia is being processed (4-5ppm in 24 hours-ish). However, nitrites only showed up on the one or two tests a few days ago. Probably about 0.25 ppm, although it can always be hard to tell with the tests - but by any means, not the huge spike I was expecting!!! (In the last fishless cycle I went though, nitrites were off the charts for about a week!)

Just checked, and I seem to be getting nitrates, abut 20ppm at the moment.

My question is why?!?!

Tank stats are:

90l
pH is 7.6 (although may have changed due to cycling)
Ammonia is currently at about 8ppm (turns out theres a hole in my bottle, so I added twice as much as I thought!!! )
Nitrites are currently at less than 0.25ppm (I would say 0ppm, but its a bit dark here, so I may be mistaken! Its definately more blue than purple by any means!)
Nitrates at 20ppm
Cycle has been running 7-8 days

I have a few plants in there, but not that many, and a fluval 4+ filter (i think!)

I bought the filter fully cycled, however, the bacteria didn't quite manage the drive home. Could it be that the nitrite to nitrate bacteria have survived, while the ammonia to nitrite bacteria perished?

Thanks for any help on this issue!
sketchy

 

[waterdrop]

I'd guess it could be any of those scenerios..

ie. N-bacs might have survived better as you say, A-bacs still trying to come back.

A-bacs might be coming along but N-bacs are hardly developed and the signs are just not clear yet.

Because of the 8ppm, you might have developed the wrong species of A-bacs (they still process ammonia but die off when ammonia level drops down to the range we want.) I wouldn't worry about this, probably very unlikely, especially since the filter was previously cycled and should have at least some of the correct bacteria.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[sketchy]

Cheers!

Its ony 8ppm as of this morning. For the last 3 days or so I have been topping up to 4ppm daily. I think I just did the lid up too tight and split the top!

It's going to be a couple of weeks anyway before I can even consider getting fish, so the tank should be uber cycled by then!

 

[waterdrop]

Yeah, you should be fine. Make sure your pH doesn't drop too much.

 

[sketchy]

Awesome - I'll keep an eye on that. Just water changes if it does aye?

 

[waterdrop]

Yup, assuming your tap pH is higher, I think mid 7's and higher are more optimal for bacterial growth with speed

 

[sketchy]

Yea, tap water pH is about 7.6. I'd be keen to test it in the lab to see just how accurate the API tests are. However, labs are now over for this term! Woop!

 

[waterdrop]

Yeah, all our undergrads have been driving around blowing soap bubbles out the car windows here on campus - you can tell its break...

 

[sketchy]

Not quite the end of term for me yet - exams to come! Then let the childish shenanigens begin! *plots away*