Vacum gravel during initial Cycle?

In 4 weeks, one Danio can't really produce enough waste to warrant a gravel vacuuming. I'd leave it alone until you get more fish. Just continue with your regularly scheduled water changes. What size is the tank? I'm not familiar with Whisper 115. Is that 115 gallons per hour?

(Sometimes its tough to see when the gravel gets really scummed up. Occasionally, I stir it up with a stick or something. If you stir up a big mess, its time to vacuum.)
 
I started out with just a goldfish.. and I was using my vaccum cleaner with just the one fish.... and I had a 70gallon... I now no longer have the goldfish, and now have 22 tropical fish in there..... and still always do a gravel vaccum with every water change...
 
I had a half dozen fish in my cycle. And I doubt gravel vaccing is necessary every single water change... I water change 25% every week. I gravel vac once every 2-3 water changes. I didnt assume, I used seeded gravel so I wasnt trying to disturb all the bacteria on that gravel and mess up my cycle. Especially with only 6 fish... Or maybe I was using the "look don't touch" method... lol

Dan the Fish said:
Did You Have a fishless cycle or a fish cycle? Also did you read or research your method or did you just assume the same way i did, that perhaps maybe you shouldnt?
thanks
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As telecubby said, gravel vacuuming doesn't significantly hurt or remove the bacteria in the gravel. Most of today's filters contain bio media within the filter which is probably providing most of the biological filtration anyway. Your Whisper does - it's the black spongy thing in the filter. (BTW, I think Dan meant it was a 115 Volt Whisper. We were looking for a model number - models numbers usually indicate the size tank the manufacturer intended it for, in gallons, or the flow rate, in gallons per hour. Whispers go by the former - for example, you may have a Whisper 10 intended for a 10 gallon tank.)

You should vacuum the gravel with every water change - if you have your vacuum out to siphon the water off, why not clean the gravel? If you've removed all of the water you wanted to, and you haven't vacuumed the entire gravel bed yet, just save the rest until next time - just vacuum different parts with each water change. If you're cycling, I suspect you're going to have plenty of ammonia in the tank to keep it cycling even if you vacuum the crud from the gravel, and vacuuming will help keep the ammonia and nitrites at safe levels until the tank is cycled. Start the good habits now.

I'm kind of surprised you've gone four weeks and see no nitrites yet. What kind of test kit are you using? Are you treating the water with anything? Cleaning the filter or anything?
 
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I use API master test kit, i think the ammonia is finnally spiking which means the ball is rolling. so i think ill be patient and wait it out a little longer, thanks for all the help.
 
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I agree to just do a vac. with every water change. You have to do the water change anyway, it shouldn't be any harder to do the vac. too ;) !! This will help keep down the nitrates, and it is especially important if you have bottom dwellers (corys, etc.) they eat off of and forage through the gravel...who wants to have their food mixed in with fish poop?!?!?!
 
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