Cycled tank Un cycled??

[HAnnAH10gal]

So I recently had a ten gal tank appear to be cycled. I was adding fish food ammonia and the pare enters read 0 eventually for nitrites. The tank had been cycling over a month. I switched everything over to a new 20 gal tank, same water, rocks, filter etc. I didn't clean anything so the bacteria should have remained. The water tested fine again after doing all this and I bought two otocinculus and gave them some algae discs, broccoli and cucumber and removed this food after two days. I tested water again just to be curious and the nitrites read sky high!! Like fish death over 10.0 high!!! I don't see how this is possible and even more so how my fish are still alive! I am only using tetra strips for testing. I know everyone says they aren't accurate but they have to give me an idea of what's going on I would think.......so now I took 5 gals of water out and replaced it with new treated water added Ammomia reducer.......idk what else to do and how to deal with this. I can't add fish like I had planned because my tank doesn't want to stay cycled.


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[evil Nick]

So I recently had a ten gal tank appear to be cycled. I was adding fish food ammonia and the pare enters read 0 eventually for nitrites. The tank had been cycling over a month. I switched everything over to a new 20 gal tank, same water, rocks, filter etc. I didn't clean anything so the bacteria should have remained. The water tested fine again after doing all this and I bought two otocinculus and gave them some algae discs, broccoli and cucumber and removed this food after two days. I tested water again just to be curious and the nitrites read sky high!! Like fish death over 10.0 high!!! I don't see how this is possible and even more so how my fish are still alive! I am only using tetra strips for testing. I know everyone says they aren't accurate but they have to give me an idea of what's going on I would think.......so now I took 5 gals of water out and replaced it with new treated water added Ammomia reducer.......idk what else to do and how to deal with this. I can't add fish like I had planned because my tank doesn't want to stay cycled.



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sounds like a lot of food for 2 ottos.
I just went through a sort of minor mini cycle due to some fertilizer reactions I beleive. Keep the water clean and maybe throw in some tetra safe start or similar bacteria booster.
Also just my assumption but you HAD a 10 and now doubled it with the same filter. by adding the fish and the food you may have caused a slight overhaul on the bacteria load that was existing in a 10 gallon tank.
You may have been better off putting the fish in the 10 first THEN moving them.

Either or the Nitrites will probably reduce pretty quickly to trates and youll be fine. Youd be surprised what some fish will live through, not happily but live. I mean Mother Nature is a B******* and they survive. Im pretty new to actually cycling tanks and reading levels but I sit in front o f a computer ALL day and read now so hopefully this helps.

Get the safe start
Tetra SafeStart at PETCO

Maybe dump a bit in your filter basin.

 

[HAnnAH10gal]

They are still alive. I guess I will wait and see how well they do..


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