Advise Pls?

HI I am fairly new to fish keeping and I would like to ask a few questions please.

I have a Jewel vision 180 bow front tank which has been up and running for 4 weeks now.
I have been doing a fish cycle and touch wood everything has been going ok.

Been checking my water stats daily and doing a 20% water change too.

My stats have been fluctuating up and down but have kept them under control.

My question is when doing a water change should I vac the substrate too?

Also done a check this morning on my stats and the readings are as follows

Nitrite 0.ppm
Nitrate 0.ppm
Ammonia 0.ppm.
PH 6.8.

Does this mean that my tank has cycled or is it to soon to tell?
Have read that some people have reading of Nitrates,should I have some reading on my Nitrates or not?

Sorry to ask all the questions,but I am fairly new to all this.

Sorry just one more quick question,with the readings I have today should I still carry on with the daily water change or not?

Look forward to your advise.
Thanks for reading.

 

i'm quite new to this too! I had the same readings as you (a series of zeros!) despite me having fish in there. I assumed that the zeros were good and thought I must be cycled. I was then to learn that without nitrate you haven't cycled. also bear in mind when you do get nitrate, keep it below 20ppm. if you haven't read this already, this article is definitely worth a read:



I then made the mistake of putting more and more fish in, which has now tipped my ammonia over, and now i'm cycling with loads of fish in there!

someone else i'm sure will give you advice as to why you have no nitrate when you have so many fish in there (I read your welcome post which listed them all! - I hope I have the right person and haven't got you mixed up with someone else?! :-[). are you using the test strips as they are notoriously inaccurate. if using solutions are you shaking the solution thoroughly as directed before use as the solution can separate and give false low readings. plants will use some nitrate too, so if you have those that's worth bearing in mind.

you say your stats have been fluctuating? did you have ammonia earlier then and nitrite and nitrate?

i've never vac'd gravel yet, so I can't answer that. as i'm stil cycling and the good bacteria are in there I darent touch it and remove any! I need every good bug in there I can get!!! ;D

wish you good luck, and sorry I couldnt be more help!!
Tan

 

If you don't have any fish in the tank I wouldn't do daily water changes. What are you using as an ammonia source?
Carol

 

Yes I do have fish in my tank they are as follows

6 Zebra Danios
5 glowlight tetras
5 peppered cory's

When I do a water change I am using Amquel Plus in the fresh water before putting it in my tank.

Gosh I am worried now as to why I have no Nitrate in my tank.

 

I hope I haven't worried you! sorry!! I wish I could help, but I just don't know where your nitrate is? unless all the water changes are removing it all? i'd be surprised though as i'm doing 2 x 50% w/changes and I have loads of plants in there and I still have nitrate in there!! hope you get sorted soon. readings too low has got to be better than too high!!! :-\
good luck

 

Daily water changes may be too often. Test your water and when you have more then .50 ammonia do a water change.
Carol

 

Also, the amquel plus may have something to do with it. Doesn't it say on the bottle it removes nitrates?