Nitrate spike after adding mineral mud to refugium?

[jlear3]

Is this a common occurance? I've been trying to deal with a cycle that I created moving my aquarium (On my own DERP) and adding a sump (which was also kinda messy) to my only 9 mo old 40BR aquarium. I lost everything in the move and I understand what I did wrong but everything had settled and ammonia was, and still is 0. Nitrates yesterday, tested with Red sea kit, were about 20, possibly 30. I then did a 20% WC and stopped the siphon/return to the sump and added mineral mud to my center section. ( in hindsight, maybe should have just drained the sump and refilled with the mm inside already but maybe next time...)

I just checked nitrates and now it looks like they're about 50. I didn't feed much yesterday due to the refugium mud, so I can't understand where they came from. TIA R2R

Also, first post here, been lurking quite a while!

 

[Fishgeek88]

Welcome! I would suspect that the mud would cause this. It will take some time for bacteria to culture in the mud. As its title states it is mineral mud so it will be releasing nutrients until it gets established.