Alas! Some cloud! And other things....

[blondified]

So, for the past few days my tank has become very cloudy.
Even more so cloudier today...
I did some more nitrate and ammonia tests.....and I think (it was very hard to be 100%), according to my nitrate test it has gone from being clear ( about 0) to about 0.2.....
going to read up on the olde cycling and new tank syndrome....but it seems to me that everyone's opinion differs slightly, which is very hard to come to terms with as this is my first time keeping fish as an adult.....everyone thinks they're way it the right way!
What a pickle!
A basic question....(the tank is fishless btw)
So if the nitrates are slowly going up ( i am adding a bit of food everyday)....this is good?
It's very late, I am rather hungover...so apologiese if this doesn't make much sense, but any help is always appreciated.
Many thanks, sorry if I'm repeating myself....I just want to do it right and I don't want to hurt any fishes.
Found a very good (So I think!) fishy place today.... it's maidenhead aquatics in the store of wyevale garden centre.
Has anyone heard of this store? Are they any good?
I thought it looked like a fish haven.
Also, loved the look of some loaches.....do they go well in cool waters?

Loren

[OldMan47]

If you are adding fish food it will cause some ammonia as it decays. The first thing you will see is ammonia. Until then, you are probably just seeing the trace amounts of other things that are in your tap water.
Once there is ammonia in your water the bacteria that try to convert it to nitrites will start working. This could take from a few days to weeks.
When you have nitrites, the bacteria that convert nitrites to nitrates will be able to show up. They will start producing nitrates from the nitrites.
The nitrates will only go down if they are consumed by plants or more commonly in a well maintained tank, you will remove them with partial water changes.
The bacteria responsible for both conversions are most common on things, not in the water. If you can find a tank that has been cycled and take something from it to put in your tank, it will shorten the whole process because the objects will have some of the bacteria on them. This e4ans you won't need to wait until the bacteria happen to show up, they will just multiply from the seeding you gave them.
There are a large number of products that are sold with the statement that they will help this process along. The only one that people seem to agree works is Biospira. I have never used it but that seems to be the concensus. I always have had something I could move around since I found out there was a need for it.

[boostnbuds]

stop adding food

[jpappy789]

stop adding food
there is no harm in adding food as it is a source for ammonia however IME your cycle will never get to the point where the bacteria colonies will be able to support your future bioload when only adding flakes

find some pure ammonia instead, your cycle will go much faster and will be more effective

[jpappy789]

ooops and I forgot...hillstream loaches like cooler, faster moving water