I think I am still cycling?

In my last message I stated that I thought I had finished the cycle period, but the last 3 days I have been keeping track and my readings of the last 3 days have been:
Amm---0
Nitrite---.5
Nitrate---between 10 & 20
I don't want to add any fish until both the Amm & Nitrite readings are 0. Am I correct in assuming that? I am still adding 10 drops of Ammonia to the aquarium every day after I take my test readings, and then I don't take another test reading until the next morning. Am I doing this correctly? I haven't done any water change since I set up the aquarium on 1/09/2009, nor have I added any water. Please respond with answers, I think I am doing everything right, maybe not.

To finish off the cycle, try a partial water change, and add a pinch of flake food. That gives the good bacteria something to eat. I can't remember if you have live plants, but they do help cycling. Before you add fish be sure ammonia and nitrite have stayed at zero for a few days. You're doing the right thing by being careful.

Yes I do have several types of live plants in there, I can't tell you the different names, I know I have 2 bunches of wisteria plants, 1 bunch of fern plants. I don't have any flake food, I'll have to buy some.
Now I want to pass along a list of fish I want to put in, I know I have gone over the limit, and I plan on doing this in stages starting out with 2-4 fish at a time. Like I said before, I only have 40 gal tank and the total inches of fish that I have come up with equals 54". I know that is a lot, but these are all small fish. I would do 25% water changes twice a week, if necessary. Your the expert on this and I want to do this right, so tell me wheather I should go along with my thinking, or you cut the list as to what you think would be OK. I' not trying to put you on the spot, I just want your suggestions. Thank you. Also, along with putting in the flake food, should I continue putting in the 10 drops of ammonia?

I would leave out the ammonia and see if the aquarium will take care of itself. You'll need to buy a staple flake food for the fish anyhow. The inches per gallon thing is not a hard rule. If you pick small fish (small when they mature) you should be OK provided they are all compatible species. If you don't over feed, one partial water change a week should be plenty. Some species like Discus require more, but most common aquarium fish do not. Moving the fish into their new aquarium will go much better if you use the drip acclimation method. Before I started transferring fish that way, I thought drip acclimation would be too much hassle. It's not, and i have never lost a fish introduced by that method.

John, I forgot to add a list of the fish in my last message to you, here they are:
4---Otocinclus = 8" full size
5---Zebra Dano = 15" full size
1---Dwarf Gourami = 2" full size
4---Red Fire fancy guppy = 8" full size
1---Mickey Mouse & 1 Red Wag Platy = 4.5" full size.
1---Neon Swordtail = 4" full size
6---Cardinal or Jumbo neon tetra = 12" full size.
These are the fish that I would like to have in my tank. What do you think? Add or take out what ever you think.

Also, when you said to do a partial water change, what percentage would you reccomend?

A partial water change is around 20 percent. I usually just eye ball it and use the Python system to make sure any kind of gross stuff gets removed. If you buy an extra hose for the Python, you can run the waste water outside onto plants or grass. That is unless you live where it gets bad cold; my citrus trees love aquarium cooties. If you can't buy a Python right now, get one of those syphon hoses with the big fat uptake tube. That way, you will not syphon out the gravel. It may also help if you make a relatively shallow area in the substrate near the front glass. The dip or slope will tend to trap uneaten food, etc., and will make the aquarium easier to clean.

About the fish. I don't see a problem with your selections, but you should be aware that male sword tails can be a little aggressive. Be sure the fish have plenty of hiding places like plants, driftwood, rocks, decorations, etc. Also be sure to check the fish before you buy them. If there are any sick fish in the display aquarium, pass them up. Look for things like clamped or torn fins, white spots, gasping at the surface, bloating, the shimmies, dead fish at the bottom of the display tank, etc. If you buy the fish during the day, leave the lights out until the next morning. Feed them a little after lights on. As they recover from being moved, their colors may become more intense, and their appetites will return.

That's a long answer to a short question. I hope it's useful.

Thanks John the answer was very helpful. Yes I do have the Python system and I attach it to the sink in the bathroom, not long enough to go to the outside. I also just might empty the water into a bucket and put it around all my plants outside. I live in Myrtle Beach,SC so we have fairly mild temperatures.
Thanks again
Phil

John, I am looking for some hornwort and everyplace I try, I ask about the hornwort have either snails or eggs, and everybody states that they cannot guarantee that there hornwort does not have either. I cannot locate any around here, and I was wondering if you knew of anyplace that sells it, and that it does not contain snails or snail eggs.
Thanks
Phil

Most live plants will have snails or snail eggs. The benefits, in my opinion, make up for the disadvantages. After i retired in 2000, my aquarium collection started to grow, and I became determined to have no snails in any of the new tanks. The result is a huge bag full of expensive plastic plants that now reside in my garage. All of my aquariums now have live plants and a few snails, which are not a problem. In fact, snails are just part of the aquarium ecology like they are part of most natural aquatic environments. I keep their numbers under control by feeding conservatively and using a lettuce leaf bait to get them out of the aquariums. Of course, that's not the only way to run a successful aquarium. It's my way, because the plants, and maybe the snails, help keep the aquarium clean so I have less work to do. There are more details about snail baits in some of the archived postings.

As for plants, try Aquabid.com for anything you can't find in a local store. You should probably stick with the low light plants, because most aquariums come with single tube lights. Plants seem to grow better when there are lots of them.

I forgot to mention a couple of things. You can buy extension hoses for the Python, and you can also get live plants from Ebay.

Thanks for the information

Phil