Weird 10 Gallon Cycle

[soccerstar6]

I have had this 10 gallon tank since November. I first started cycling it with fish food, but that took two months just to get the ammonia spike to start, so I decided on a new method. I am using a dead shrimp in a media bag to cycle it. It had a weird reading, it was ammonia-2-4ppm nitrite-0ppm and nitrate-40-80ppm. So I thought it was the filter because I had bought the tank from my friend and it hasn't been used in a while. I bought a new filter, an aquaclear 20, and for the past month it has been reading the same readings as it had for the old aqueon quiet flow 10. My tap water has about .5 amonia no nitrite and 5 nitrate. I dont think this is the issue though because it would only raise my tank levels to .5 and 5, not 2-4 and 40-80. If you have any experience with this or know what to do, please help! I really want to get this tank up and running.

 

[mudraker]

What kind of test kit are you using?

That much ammonia and nitrate in your tap water sounds fishy to me.

 

[neilanh]

how long has the shrimp been in the tank?

 

[soccerstar6]

The shrimp has been in my 10 gallon for about a month. I am using the API Freshwater Master Test Kit.

 

[soccerstar6]

I have a plan, i am going to do small water changes everyday and take out the ammonia source. After my ammonia levels are down to 0-.25, then i will add the shrimp back in. This should lower the levels of bacteria and then once the ammonia source is in, the cycle should be completed quite quickly.