Cycling aquarium

[Swampman]

My aquarium has been up for 4 weeks. It has 7 VonRios and many plants. I have diatom brown algae in the tank. I took a water reading a week ago and had Amonia 0, nitrites 0 nitrates 0 pH 7. Today I took the water reading and had the same readings. I should say this is a 37 gal tank. I have 4 inches of substrate . I did a water change of 6 gals. I do not think the tank cycled yet. I read that diatoms will go away when the tank cycled and water changes. The water reading were done test tube way. How will I know when the tank cycled? Thanks

 

[Sambo7475]

My aquarium has been up for 4 weeks. It has 7 VonRios and many plants. I have diatom brown algae in the tank. I took a water reading a week ago and had Amonia 0, nitrites 0 nitrates 0 pH 7. Today I took the water reading and had the same readings. I should say this is a 37 gal tank. I have 4 inches of substrate . I did a water change of 6 gals. I do not think the tank cycled yet. I read that diatoms will go away when the tank cycled and water changes. The water reading were done test tube way. How will I know when the tank cycled? Thanks

Have you ever had Ammonia or Nitrite readings?
If you are heavily planted and you have properly cycled, you may have 0 nitrates, but usually you have some detectable.
It took me about 8 weeks to get rid of nitrites when i cycled my 55 gallon a couple of years ago. I started from scratch, no seed from an established filter. I just cycled a 75 gallon in less than 3 weeks by adding an established filter.