Water Test Results...Need help Plz

Hi Everyone!! I have a question on my test results. Here is the readings
Nitrite 0.5
Nitrate 0
Ammonia 2.0

Do these mean my tank has cycled?? I change my water (25%) weekely and that is due tomorrow (Saturday)

I have been vaccuming my gravel with each water change. Guy at Petsmart told me to quit cleaning the gravel. Is this correct??
I have no Under Gravel Filter.

I am wondering if the ammonia results are right or false.I use a API test kit. All my fish are very happy and active

What do you guys/gals think? Am I on the right track??

Thnx Chuck

I just realized I posted in the wrong forum!!

Don't worry about where you posted. For the aquarium to be fully cycled, both ammonia and nitrite (NO2) should be zero. They get that way when you manage to establish a colony of beneficial bacteria. The bacteria live in the gravel, filter media, plants, etc. That's why you should not clean all of the gravel substrate every time. It's very unusual to have zero nitrate (NO3). My guess is you have a small aquarium and are feeding too much, which is a very common mistake. The uneaten food produces the ammonia and nitrite, then the plants and bacteria convert those two things too harmless materials. Of course that will not happen until you have enough bacteria to handle the waste. I don't want this to get too confusing, so maybe you would like to read some of our blogs to learn more about the nitrogen cycle. Please keep us posted.

Thnx John! I have a 30 gallon tank so I guess alot of you would think its small!!
I just did a water change. The nitrate and nitrite are both zero now and the ammonia is .50
I have the test strips to test the nitrite and nitrate, are these acceptable to use?? They are the API brand.
We feed the fish once a day so maybe I need to cut that back to 1/2 of what I am giving them. They seem to be able to eat it all in a couple minutes.

I will read the blogs again, seems like the more I read the more confused I get
Thnx again
Chuck

well how long has your tank been running??

6 weeks tommorow

A 30 gallon tank is not considered small. Quite a few people start out with a one or two gallon tank and over crowd it. You didn't say how long the aquarium has been set up, but a 30 gallon will take at least a month to cycle. I use those dip strips all the time, but they are not the most accurate way to test aquarium water. Still, they give the typical aquarist an idea of what their aquarium is doing.

Most ammonia test kits use a sampling tube and some drops of a chemical reagent. Depending on the reagent supplied with the kit, some kits may give a false positive if you have used an ammonia clearing agent in the aquarium. You may indeed have ammonia if the tank has not cycled. On the other hand, if the fish appear healthy, you may not have a problem. You didn't say what kind of fish are in the aquarium; goldfish can tolerate some ammonia, but most other species cannot. Check the fish for things like clamped fins, gasping for air at the top of the aquarium, bloat, shimmies, torn fins, and lack of appetite. If you have any of those things, you need to keep up with the daily partial water changes. Usually, they are more effective than any of the chemical fixes and are much safer.

If you don't have a filter in the aquarium, you need to get one. PETCO has some pretty cheap under gravel filters. If you decide to install one, dip a bucket or two of water out of the aquarium, then drain all the rest. Remove all of the gravel, but don't wash it or let it dry. Install the filter, then the gravel (two inches or more) and finally the water and fish. Be sure the replacement water is about the same temperature as the aquarium water.

This is really starting to ramble, and I haven't said any more about the nitrogen cycle. Think of it as good cooties versus garbage. The cycle is about growing enough good cooties to eat up all the garbage and turn it into plant food. The cooties will have digestive problems if you feed them too much, but they can easily clean a well maintained aquarium, especially if it has some live plants. Good maintenance involves feeding the fish twice a day but no more than they can eat in a couple of minutes. It also involves the weekly partial water changes and making sure the aquarium is not over crowded.

Please let me know if any of that helps, and ask all the questions you want.

While I was writing that reply, you were answering a question. Six weeks should be plenty of time to cycle unless you added a bunch of medications.

John I have added no medications to the water. A few weeks ago I added ammonia remover to the tank that was ineffective.

The occupants of the tank are
5 Red Wag Platys
3 Albino Cory Cats
5 Neon Tetra
2 Dalmation Platys
1 Pleco
2 Fat Bellied Mollies

Like I said they all appear Happy and healthy.
I do have a Penguin 200 Power Filter running.
I use the ammonia test kit that has the 2 chemical reactants to test. I am thinking I may try a different brand test kit and see how that goes.
But like I said earlier everyone is healthy so I guess I am doing something right!!
I don't have any live plants but am considering and couple cheap ones to try and see how it goes.
Thnx Chuck

It seems that when doing live plants... The more the better. They do a lot better when there's a lot of them in the tank.

Some ammonia test kits use a single reagent, and some use two. Since the fish appear healthy, the single reagent kit may show zero ammonia. Be sure to follow directions and let it sit for five minutes before comparing the sample to the color chart. The dip strips could be giving a false reading if there is any moisture in the container. When you peel the label back to reveal the color comparison charts, be sure to use the one for freshwater.