Does high nitrate mean no ammonia?

[phatduckk]

Hi all,

Just curious here; I’m as familiar with the cycle as a noob can be but have a random question I couldn’t find an answer to via search.

Can you have high nitrate (~40) and ammonia simultaneously? Or phrased differently: does high nitrate mean the bacteria population is capable of handling ammonia to support livestock.

I’ve gone fallow for about 6 weeks due to Brook and have pretty high nitrates at the moment. Just wondering if the presence of high nitrates (about 40 on API kit) means my bacteria population is still in tact and can handle fish (ie process ammonia).

thanks

 

[Meldrath]

Yes, Nitrate is the end of the Ammonia -> Nitirite - Nitrate cycle. You probably want to get those Nitrates down though through some sort of nutrient export. (Skimmer + Algae turf scrubber, macro algae, vodka dosing etc.)

As you have just gone through brook and are now in a position restart your fish population; if you haven't considered quarantine practices, I'd look into them but I understand everyone does things their own way.

 

[phatduckk]

Yes, Nitrate is the end of the Ammonia -> Nitirite - Nitrate cycle. You probably want to get those Nitrates down though through some sort of nutrient export. (Skimmer + Algae turf scrubber, macro algae, vodka dosing etc.)

As you have just gone through brook and are now in a position restart your fish population; if you haven't considered quarantine practices, I'd look into them but I understand everyone does things their own way.

Ok awesome. Yup I’m with you on both counts. Just did a 50% WC and plan for another. Also started a refugium a few days ago. I have a bottle of nopox on hand as well but want to give the WC & refugium time before I commit to dosing anything.

for QT, again, I’m with you. I actually met a vendor that will fully QT fish through @Humblefish and he’s going to be my source for livestock. Once my garage construction is over I’ll have room to spin up my own QT but I might just stick to using seasoned vendors; we’ll see.

Thanks for the info!

 

[Dkeller_nc]

Technically, ammonia and nitrite/nitrate in tank water are independent. While bacteria will, of course, break down ammonia into nitrite and then to nitrate, it is possible to have both under certain circumstances. Specifically, a fully-cycled tank with a fair amount of nitrate in the water could experience an ammonia spike from a large creature dying, or from a kid or tank sitter dumping a large amount of food or other organic substance into the tank.

I realize this is not your situation, but just wanted to point this out in case someone with a different set-up read this thread.

By the way - at some point the density of the bacterial population of a cycled tank will decline without some sort of external food input. This is why one typically chooses to ramp up the fish population in a new/fallow tank fairly slowly, and why some choose to "ghost feed" their tank after the cycle is over and while they quarantine and acclimate fish.

 

[redfishbluefish]

You have other "sources" of nitrate other than the ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate cycle. The majority of nitrate seen in new tanks is coming from the rock that wasn't completely cured. That nitrate within is leaching out of the rock.