Cycling Question - Please Help!

[sussexgirl]

I set up my 28L (5.5 gallon) tank last weekend. It's being used to house my fry. Was told by my LFS that I should use gravel from my main tank and rinse the filter sponge around the filter media in my old tank. Finally, the LFS told me to use water from my existing tank to fill the new one. He guy told me that I could pretty much add the fry to the tank straight away.

So I set the new tank up 7 days ago, put 3 tetras in it straight away and then 3 days later removed them and added the fry. I've just done my water parametres and they are:

Amonia 0.50
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate 10

I instantly did a 30% water change using water syphoned off from my main tank. My water readings prove to me that the fry tank obvioulsy isn't cycled and has a way to go and my main concern is that the fry are in there whilst I'm having these amonia and nitrite spikes.

What should I do? Do you think it would help to keep doing 30% water changes with the water from my main tank. FYI the water parametres of my main tank are:

Amonia 0.0
Nitrite 0.0
Nitrate 40

Any advice appreciated

 

[WILDER]

Are you running a filter in the small tank, how many fry are in the tank, as alot of them and with the feeding can soon cause poor water quality.

 

[sussexgirl]

Are you running a filter in the small tank, how many fry are in the tank, as alot of them and with the feeding can soon cause poor water quality.

16 fry in tank and yes there is a small internal filter. I'm feeding them liqifry 3-4 times a day but maybe I'm overdoing quantities. Is it worth taking out 30% water every day and replacing it with the water from my main tank (that has great levels)?