Just looking for some input

[TifNee837]

Hey all 😊

I just set up my 29 gallon tank on the 9th (so 5 days ago)

This is tank #8 lol

I know all about the nitrogen cycle etc

But..here is what I DONT get ---

So my tap water pH is less than 6. I use crushed coral in my substrate and some on my hob(s) to keep my tanks pH at 7.4-7.8 (depending on the tank).

THIS tank however, I used 3/4 cup of aragonite sand (which is mixed with an inert petco brand small grained gravel and 1cm river pebbles - I was out of the crushed coral and wanted to at least try this)

It def worked lol (the 29 gallon pH is 7.8)

BUT. HERE'S THE THING - 

Aside from some driftwood, small bits of moss, 2 amazon swords and 2 apongeton plants that I took from another tank - everything else in the tank is new. And I have YET to add an ammonia source..

But the ammonia is reading 0.50-1.0, and the nitrite is reading 0.25-0.50???

Did the aragonite cause this???

(Pic of the tank 😊)

[Eddie Dingle]

New driftwood can cause an ammonia spike, plus there could be small amounts of decay from the new plants creating ammonia. The bacteria carried into your new tank is probably already doing it's job, I'd say your well on your way to a cycled tank. 

[TifNee837]

@Eddie Dinglethe driftwood isn't *exactly* new - it was in a different tank previously, that had an almost year long battle with columnaris - it had been pulled from that tank, moss stripped off, and then was re-boiled a few times

Has been sitting in a bucket since.

 

And I think I may have found at least a small (very small?) ammonia source - looking into the tank this afternoon, and there was poop. Lots of poop.

SNAIL poop! 🤦🏻‍♀️

[Eddie Dingle]

There it is! Just took some investigating, I'm glad you found the source.