Cycle Day 3 Parameter Testing
Ammonia Level – 2.0 ppm
Nitrite Level – 0.0 ppm
Nitrate Level – 0.0 ppm
PH – 7.9
These readings suggest the nitrogen cycle is yet to establish, meaning the bacteria population is currently too low to process the ammonia quickly.
I added ammonia (NH4+/NH3) to kick start the cycle. The nitrifying bacteria, then oxidizes the ammonia producing nitrite (NO2), which is then further nitrified into nitrate (N03), which is then denitrified either by algae or anaerobic bacteria living deep in the sand bed, and escapes the water as nitrogen gas (N2).