Cycling question?

I got a 20 Gallon column tank on Saturday, set it right up with an in use filter from my goldfish tank and also used the gravel AND the three small goldfish hoping for a faster cycle. I left their tank running empty with the second filter they had so I can return them after their work cycling the new one is finished.
I just tested the new one and it's reading 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 20 nitrates. Is this even possible in only three days???? Do I trust it yet OR keep it running with the Goldies for longer. My plan is to put my Angel fish in there, and frankly, I do not have good luck with my Angel fish so far!!! I lost three out of four from my venture into buying at Petco, and then my one eyed bigger one finally passed on with apparently an infection in his empty eye socket, leaving me with just two tiny ones which are currently doing good in the small tank with the neon tetras. Not really a huge surprise with the one eyed one because he never looked good since they gave him to me about a month ago.
When I move the two babies over I plan to add two more new ones about the same size and hope I end up with four that are all the same sex (AND healthy!)

Personally I recommend giving the sponge or filter media a solid swish in the tank so the bacteria can be relocated to their new residence. I would keep you cycled filter for at least a week.

If I understood that correctly,
You had two filters on your goldfish tank (how large is it?)
You used one of the filters to put on the 20gallon tank (Permanently?)
If so, yes, your tank is most likely cycled already, since the bacteria houses in the filter media, not in the tank.

I'd still wait two more days and test again to make sure everything is in order.
Even better thing, if you are familiar with the fishless cycle, you can remove the fish, add ammonia in the tank (dose for 3ppm) then wait 48 hours. If you are at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, you are good to go.

It sounds like you are on your way to a good tank...waaaay better than just plopping fish into a new tank with fresh media (as so many newbie's do - me included for my first tank  ). I agree with caoder, if you have a good seeded sponge, give it a squish in the tank - I have done this (as well as transferring over media) in all of my tanks - it looks yucky for only a few minutes..

Take care of your goldies too - keep testing the water to make sure they are okay - they have little feelings and thoughts, so make sure they are safe in this process (from what I have read, I think you are good for this!)   

Chances are your good to go with the established filter being used. Just the same I would leave those handsome devils in for another week to make sure.

Steve

Yep sounds like the seeded filter is doing its job... maybe give it a few more days with the goldies and test to make sure.

They ARE handsome, I must say!!! Three of my $.15 feeders. They are just waiting for the ice to melt out of their pond. 12 to 16 more inches forecast for Wednesday, gonna be a long, long spring!!! I can't even see an indent in the back yard where the pond is yet, last year they went outside in the middle of March!

l_l_l wrote: (...)
If so, yes, your tank is most likely cycled already, since the bacteria houses in the filter media, not in the tank.
I'd still wait two more days and test again to make sure everything is in order.
Even better thing, if you are familiar with the fishless cycle, you can remove the fish, add ammonia in the tank (dose for 3ppm) then wait 48 hours. If you are at 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, you are good to go.

Bacteria houses everywhere: filter media, gravel, driftwood.
With old filter you might avoid ammonia spike, but definitely it's not cycled yet.
You can add e.g. :
http://www.bigalspets.ca/cycle-biological-water-supplement-8-45-fl-oz.html
One more thing: this tank will be good for small angels, but you have to remember that they grow fast. In 8 months you'll have adults and to keep them in 20 gallon tank will be just cruel.

I always suggest that no matter the size of the fish now, you treat it like it's full grown when you plan for space. I assume you are going to be good at this, and successful, so your fish will grow to a maximum size fairly quickly. Always plan to succeed.
That's bad news.
In that shape tank, one angel alone is about as far as you'll get. It's a small tank for a fish that should get to a good size within a year. It's also an aggreesive and territorial fish that is going to have trouble sharing a narrow space.
For cichlids, what matters is base size, not gallons. In a four foot tank, you can have 4 angels. In a two footer, often only one. That tank has to be tall because of their shape, but it's the base that decides if they have enough room to get out of each others' faces when they annoy each other.
They'll kill each other in a twenty tall, fairly quickly. Sorry about that.

I hope to use this tank to grow them up for the 55 gal. They will be lost when going into the 55 at the size I get them. I mean lost as far as space goes, not lost as in disappear. Reading back to my original post, I realize I didn't make that clear.
The 55 will be free as soon as the Koi go back outside, which will be in plenty of time for the Angels who will still be small.