Is my tank cycling

rimrider19k

AC Members
Jan 22, 2006
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I just bought a 10 gallon tank. I had a 5 gallon tank but the aquarium bug bit me and I just needed a bigger one. I set the 10 gallon up about 3 days ago. I had the 5 gallon for about 2 weeks before the addition so I dont know if the small one had cycled yet or not. Well I put around 3 gallons from the small tank into the big one to get it started and to jump start the cycling. I then finished with adding fresh water to the 10 gallon tank. I then transferd my tetra and my corydora into the new tank. All of my other tetras died due to ammonia poisening in the small tank. The 10 gallon has been running for about 3 days now and these are my readings:
PH: 7.6
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite:0
Nitrate: .25
Has my tank cycled or has it even started and is it ok to put a gourami in there. I was hoping to get him this weekend. Thank you for your help. This what my plan is for the tank, see what you guys think.
10 Gallon
1 dwarf gourami
5 or 6 guppies
1 corydora
 
That sounds like a good stocking plan, except that Corys like to live in groups.

I'd switch to 3 or 4 cories and 2 guppies. If you get a male and a female guppy, you'll have all the guppies you could ever want if the Gourami doesn't get the babies first.

Although 3 days is VERY fast to cycle a new tank, your water quality measurements do look good.
 
The water from your other aquarium dosen't really have bacteria in it so much. When you go to add new fish you will probably go through a mini-cycle and you could probably help it along by adding some gravel or filter gunk from your 5g to your 10g (you can put it in a nylon hose so you can easily remove it later).
 
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