Nitrates and Ammonia

[Nospherith]

Can the nitrIte level serve as an ammonia indicator?

If there is 0ppm nitrItes and about 20ppm of nitrAtes, does this mean that there is very little to no ammonia?

 

[gale]

Nope. My tanks have always read zero nitrites (one was cloned, the other I didn't know about cycling until it was all done) and I have had ammonia spikes. Usually due to adding fish.

 

[kgrehm]

If you have cycled your tank and there are 0ppm of Nitrites and there are some of the nitates then you are pretty safe. There is always going to be a little ammo. if your tank because of fish waste and food.

Yes. I there is nitrites then there is or was ammonia because thats what breaks it down.

 

[canarsie11]

Can the nitrIte level serve as an ammonia indicator?

If there is 0ppm nitrItes and about 20ppm of nitrAtes, does this mean that there is very little to no ammonia?

all that means is 20pp nitrates

 

[Nospherith]

What I'm getting is that you can't rely on the nitrite level to indicate the current ammonia level because nitrite is a product of ammonia that was broken down by cycling bacteria; although, a high nitrite reading will tell you that there was an ammonia spike?

 

[canarsie11]

No it wont. Only testing for ammonia can give you ammonia details