Ammonia

Question
I have a 55gal freshwater aquarium,1-2 ins. of gravel. Aquaclear Power Filter with Chemical,Mechanical & Biological filtration, artificial plants & decos.  Set-up tank 12/31/07 without fish.  All of the below was recommended by Local Fish Store:
1/9/08 added 6 danios
Ammonia levels 0.5 Ph-7 No2 & No3-O
1/24/08 added 3 swordtails & 1 honey gourami
Water reading still the same
2/10/08 added 6 australian rainbows  (total 16 fish)
2/17/08 Ammonia - 1, Ph-7.2, No2 & No3 - O
I was told that the tank cycled after added 6 danios eventhough the Ammon. was up and the No2 & No3 never went above O.  I was then told to add "Bio-Spira" which I did on
2/21/08 and the readings are still the same.  As you can tell I'm new to this hobby and trusted the fish store.  Can you tell me what is going on?  I don't want to lose any fish just because I'm a beginner.  Please help if you can.  Thank you for any info. you can give me.

Answer
Hello pat,
The problem is actually very simple. Your tank has not yet cycled, and you are therefore overstocked at the moment.
It takes 3 to 6 weeks for a tank to become fully established (cycled) and it only starts after you add some fish. So either there was some sort of miscommunication, or the person you talked to was misinformed.
Return as many fish as you can, and give your tank some time to cycle.
You should do some research on the nitrogen cycle, as it is very important for all fish keepers to know.
In very short basics - cycling is where good bacteria grows, eats the ammonia, and turns it into slightly less toxic nitrates and nitrites. Which are then removed by water changes.
Don't feel bad - we all start out a little backwards!