Strange Cycle

[karin15]

ok so a few days ago I took apart my empty 20 gallon and changed the gravel
I filled up half of the talk with water that I sucked out from the bottom of my larger tank useing a vacume it was full of gunk and little leaves that fell off my plants and the normal stuff, then I put one big sponge from my larger tank's filter into my smallerst tank.

so basicaly new gravel a gourami and a hang on filter with old sponge in it

I tested it the next day just amonia: 1.7-2.0 amonia
tested it later that night: 1.5 amonia
didn't test till taday(probably 3-4 days): 0 amonia, so then i tested nitrite:0, and then nitrate 3

I tested the amonia 3 more times and got the same results

I don't even think it has been a week do you think the tank is cycled?
my gut feeling is that I overloaded the tank with gunk from my large tank and it took a few days for the bacteria from the filter to catch up but hey you never know.

so do you think my cycle is done?

 

[IceMan569]

i would

add couple fish but nothing to pricey

2-3 fish

i just did same thing on 20 gal

used 55 gal water and whole filter


added 4 platy and couple feeder guppy
not one died been 5 days

 

[xoedusk]

I think you're fine. But I wouldn't fully stock yet. Test daily for a week once you stock. A couple of handfuls of gravel will help too.