adding new fish to community tank

[Tessala_Corvae]

Hi all! First post after being a new member.. so I have 2 tanks, a 10g non planted and a 36g bow planted tank.

I have 5 rio tetras and 4 albino cories in the 10g and the 36g has:

6 albino cories
1 blue dwarf gourami
3 male guppies
1 silver hatchet fish
2 amazon sword plants

What I need help on is wanting to move my 5 rio tetras to the 36 gallon, and moving the silver hatchet to the 10g to possibly buy more so he isnt alone anymore. My 36g was a Christmas present so its been established since then and the 10 gallon is about 3 weeks old. Any suggestions on the fish swap? My tetras seem fine and all but maybe they want to be in the 36g to have more school swimming going on. I want to keep my guppies in there since they seem to help clean up in the tank.

36g reading:
Nitrate and Nitates = 0
pH 7.3
KH 180
GH 180

 

[mrvincent]

I don't know for stocking options, but for sure you don't test nitrates the good way...

You must shake bottle #2 like if your life depends of it if it's a two bottle test kit. If it's a 3 bottle test kit, the shake bottle #3.

Bang it on a table, shake it, bang it, reshake it, to most you can !!!


Then you'll probably read something over 0ppm. I had this issue before I knew it.

 

[twiddlemuffin]

Just get rid of the hatchet, they don't belong in a 10g, you could upgrade to a 20g.

 

[Tessala_Corvae]

Im using the test strips that measure those 5. Ill take it to petsmart since its free water testing

 

[Tessala_Corvae]

Im limited on space currently so the 10g was serving as my qt for new fish til I figured out what all to do with the 36g. Original 36g tankmates for my present was 2 dwarf gouramis - 1 died last week, 12 neon tetras - all died because too small, 3 male guppies which I love, 2 albino cories - added 4 more after tank cycled, and the stupid hatchet... I didnt buy the original fish.. all were gifted to me and surprising enough, the hatchet is still alive. Idk if I could bring myself to "get rid of it"

 

[tnfinfan]

You should have nitrates if the tank is cycled. Do you have ammonia test strips?