When to vaccum

Question
Now that I have fish in my new tank and the cycle is already weeks in the process...when should I begin to vaccum the gravel? I am unsure because I do not want to kill off any of the bacteria needed for the cycle. I just have been doing weekly water changes. Which btw, is a weekly water change enough with high Nitrite levels?
(There is no trace of ammonia in the tank. It has already been converted to Nitrite. The Nitrate level is at 5 and is still in the process of dropping. The PH level is at 7.6 now that the ammonia level has dropped.)


Answer
Hi there, Bernadette,

Hmmm...I would change 10% a day if nitrite is still showing up. While less toxic than ammonia, nitrite is still toxic! I am surprised your fish are not showing discomfort. It takes a long time to cycle those big tanks. Changing out 10% a day will not prolong cycling, it will just dilute the pollution and make your fish more comfortable. Not to worry!

You can vacuum the gravel anytime now, but I would recommend you only vacuum half the gravel one week, the other half the next. Once a week is usually as often as people vacuum the gravel. Twice a week wouldn't hurt, but if you are not overfeeding and any sinking food is being consumed, there should not be all that much detritus on the bottom. So, I would recommend that until the tank is completely mature (may take up to six months for all levels to become completely stable) that you do the left side of the tank, and then the next time you vacuum the gravel, do the right side. Your filter media also should be serviced alternately. For example, if you have 2 bags of ceramic rings or 20 bio balls, only rinse out 1 bag or 10 bio balls with tank water. Sound like a plan?

Best wishes to you,
Nicole