knight in shining armour....given barbs but im cycling??!

well my tank was cycling nicely along fishless. looking lovely. but since then I have had to be the knight in shining armour I have taken in four (what I believe to be gold or rosy) barbs. while some dear friends of mine move house and go on holiday. I have given them spectrum pellets those little 1mm brown ones. I think they might be too big to fit in their mouths they kinda suck them in and spit them out. I have to crush them to a almost powder. is this a problem????
pH 7.6 ammonia .25 nitrItes ZERO!!! nitrAtes 5-10
so now I have these fish the food has started to stain my blue gravel. I put 8 of these 1mm square pellets in twice a day so 16 in total. will a vacuum sort this out??? just the food they don't eat sits on the gravel and goes a funny colour. there are only 4 little fish just over an inch each

in a nut shell

do I start to do regular water changes now?
do I also start vaccuuming portions of my tank?
should I try fish flakes? and feed a little less often
they are having a blast in a massive tank all to themselves. and as to be expected I getting quite attatched

thanks as always for your help fishloreans
Dazzler

 

yep a gravel vac should take care of the left ovrs. They might eat flakes better. When you have food laying on the bottom it can pollute your tank.
Carol

 

thanks butterfly. I will do a vac shortly and also get some flakes. I guess it is just a process of elimanation. this will be my first gravel vac ever so it will be quite fun

thanks again
dazzler

 

If your vacuuming into a bucket.... watch that bucket or you will be initiated in the the bucket brigade hall of fame when it runs over LOL I think we've all done that good Luck
Carol

 

hehe I think I'm already in the "spill a lot of water during water change" hall of fame.

well here goes nothing I have the towels ready, you never know how carried away I might get

regards Dazzler