Cycled System Ammonia Rising

[urbanfarmer]

It depends. What did it smell like?

[jared.plowman]

Really dense ocean water... not the fresh smelling ocean water.

[urbanfarmer]

Well, it's definitely due to an anaerobic condition. You probably have so much aerobic activity from the smorgasbord it is depleting the oxygen to fast. We refer to this and the BOD or biochemical oxygen demand. If you wait long enough, the anaerobic conversion of nitrogenous compounds will reduce the nitrogen to a level that is only sufficient for the aerobic conditions to be maintained. Remember, not all bacteria are only aerobic or anaerobic. They switch once they run out of oxygen but still have food present. Those sneaky chemotrophs, I tell you what...