Nitrogen cycle levels

Pete polyp · Nov 27, 2015

So when 1ppm of ammonia is produced does it break down into 1ppm nitrite and then to 1ppm nitrate?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 28, 2015

If 1 ppm ammonia converted into nitrite it will make 2.7 ppm of nitrate and then 3.6 ppm of nitrate. That increase is because of the weight of the added oxygen atoms (and ppm is a weight based measurement):

NH3 --> NO2- --> NO3-

Also, with some nitrate kits, a little nitrite can falsely read as a lot of nitrate.

Pete polyp · Nov 28, 2015

Thanks Randy, that's exactly what I needed to know.

twilliard · Nov 28, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
If 1 ppm ammonia converted into nitrite it will make 2.7 ppm of nitrate and then 3.6 ppm of nitrate. That increase is because of the weight of the added oxygen atoms (and ppm is a weight based measurement):

NH3 --> NO2- --> NO3-

Also, with some nitrate kits, a little nitrite can falsely read as a lot of nitrate.

This is interesting to know. Thank you
I have seen this weird phenomenon with my nitrate kit.
This may lead me to believe that I get spikes in my Amonia for no reason that I can tell.
Could it be the loss of bacteria?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 28, 2015

twilliard said:
This is interesting to know. Thank you
I have seen this weird phenomenon with my nitrate kit.
This may lead me to believe that I get spikes in my Amonia for no reason that I can tell.
Could it be the loss of bacteria?

What do you see?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 28, 2015

Pete polyp said:
Thanks Randy, that's exactly what I needed to know.

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

twilliard · Nov 28, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
What do you see?

Sometimes i will read no3 off the scale (red sea pro) and be gone the next day
I have been having odd coral reactions some days so i check my no3 daily

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 28, 2015

twilliard said:
Sometimes i will read no3 off the scale (red sea pro) and be gone the next day
I have been having odd coral reactions some days so i check my no3 daily

I'd have to think that is most likely to be a test error of some sort, not a real change in either nitrite or nitrate.

twilliard · Nov 28, 2015

Thank you Randy!
Hope your tank is getting better

Cleo642 · Nov 28, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I'd have to think that is most likely to be a test error of some sort, not a real change in either nitrite or nitrate.

You are so smart, I am amazed by you. Chemistry is the hardest subject to master ever. The first chemistry class I took in college I barely scraped by with a C. I took chemistry I changed my major, but I had a really good to teacher, who broke everything down. He taught several to achieve an answer, I got a B in there.
Chemistry is tough.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 28, 2015

twilliard said:
Thank you Randy!
Hope your tank is getting better

Thanks. It seem to be stabilized.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 28, 2015

Cleo642 said:
You are so smart, I am amazed by you. Chemistry is the hardest subject to master ever. The first chemistry class I took in college I barely scraped by with a C. I took chemistry I changed my major, but I had a really good to teacher, who broke everything down. He taught several to achieve an answer, I got a B in there.
Chemistry is tough.

Thanks very much, Cleo.

I liked most chemistry classes, except organic which was taught by a prof who focused on memorization rather than understanding.