Good evening everyone.

I am a new aquarium owner / fish keeper.

Here’s the backstory.

Carnival. Play a game, win 2 fish. Decide to not just play game and leave but take prize home. Now have obtained 2 Comet Goldfish. Wife can’t process what’s happening yet. Research. Find out they should be living in a pond. Fuck me. Buy a 20 gallon tank. Get it set up. Get fish out of bags. (Fish happy not swimming around in a school of 100 fish in a 40 gallon.) Start marketplace searching for a 50 gallon aquarium. Acquire a Bristlenose Pleco in the process. Feed fish few days while searching. Purchase a 75 gallon. Get it home. Wife’s pissed. Didn’t realize it’d be that big in the apartment, but supportive.

(All while putting about 2-4 hours a day between online and YouTube university learning about fish and aquariums)

75 gallon set up. Transfer goldfish into 75 gallon. Happy fish again. Feed fish for a day. Following day, Excited. Rushing to make decisions. Before I even get home from work I bring home a childhood memory fish, Betta. Go to put in 20 gallon. Wife notices algae. (Thank you honey, life saver! 🛟 ) Look into it, algae all over tank. Test water. Ammonia breakout, nitrates spike, algae bloom. Drain tank completely. Wash everything. Including filter. Realize there is only a mechanical filter.

Here is where the fun begins. 😑

Research filters. Realize 3 different types. Now I know about cycling a tank. Oh wow, I just ran my other tank for a week with non proper filtration and just happened to get them out right before I killed the fish. Great. Catastrophe without a tragic loss, that I can learn from. Following day, purchase whole new filter for that tank, includes all filter media. Setup, happy. Continue researching cycling a tank. Spend so much time learning about this topic, still learning… overwhelming.

Side note: Mom says they’re just fish. (She has an aquarium) Feed them and relax she says. Yeah. No. It’s so much more than that. All I want is to give these fish the best lives they can ask for. Currently $1500 into my fish journey, loving the hobby, but stressing myself just as much as the fish are in current water levels.

Again, excited, following day, bring home 3 Amano shrimp and a mystery snail to put in the 20 gallon. Researched Seachem Prime and Stability. Introduced to both tanks. Following day, bring home 2 mystery snails for the 75 gallon. (Yes, aware of the difference and breeding between Nerite and Mystery snails. Again, hours a day researching / learning anything at this point.) days go by, feeding fish, constantly testing water levels between the two.

As of right now, as I’m posting this, a week in to using Seachem Prime and Stability in both tanks.  
My 20 gallon (has 2 live plants) has no ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH, everything is perfect, levels aren’t changing. But ammonia isn’t climbing..? Is my tank even cycling? Did the plants I purchase have good seed that cycled that tank quicker, and being smaller have a better time of cycling quicker? Maybe since 1 betta that produces very little biomass and having 3 shrimp and 1 snail the tank may be well balanced that I never have to worry about ammonia build up etc, or that the process is that much slower. Anyways, 20 gallon seems to be thriving, Betta hanging out on rest, shrimp scavenging, fish happy.

My 75 gallon (4 live plants) I swear is going to take me out with my stress personally. I’ve attached a picture of my water test from tonight. Consistently reading these levels for 2-3 days now. Cut back on feeding fish, do a 50% water change 2 days ago. Nothing is changing. Pleco has now lost color and is yellow around outside. Contemplate transferring Pleco from 75 to 20 gallon temporarily might save him? Here I am thinking the Seachem Prime is keeping them alive, but something bad is about to happen.

Close friends with my neighbor, has many aquariums, was suppose to be bringing home used filter media tonight, fell through, bringing it to me tomorrow.

I am thinking my tank cycle has stalled, but also read Seachem Prime can give false readings.

I’ve done so much researching, learning, but at this point maybe panicking a little that I don’t know what source to trust? Hence why I’m reaching out here.

I have done so many changes, little things, so minute to learning Betta and water movement and pick up a adapter that allows me to control the air going through the hose and slow the water movement down.

I will NOT be an average fish keeper that picks up a 20 gallon, sticks whatever in it, and knows nothing about keeping a fish. I plan on purchasing a home this year with my wife, building a pond for our goldfish, and continue learning / diving in to this hobby. All while trying not to make a fatal mistake.

Couple questions, and any and all feedback on anything I may have put in my post is very, very much appreciated.

1.) Should I put the Pleco from the 75 gallon to the 20 gallon with the shrimp and betta as I wait for water levels to come under control?

2.) Am I on track with having a trusted source implement good filter in to my ecosystem with the current status of the water?

Please, any and all information regarding anything is gold to me!

Thank you!

No Ammonia / High Nitrates? Help!