Vacuuming & doing PWC's are absolutely essential if you have fish in the tank when it hasn't fully cycled yet. As far as I'm concerned, if you've already got the siphon or python in the tank & don't remove the debris from the bottom, then you're only doing a fraction of the job necessary.
I've changed out a lot more water than 10% while our 90 gallon tank was cycling, depending on what the NH3/NH4, NO2 & NO3 readings were.
Even a
light cleaning on our 90 here results in a 30% water change.
You say you're in phase 2. Are you tracking your water quality readings daily? What are your Water Quality stats now?
I do have one other question:
My tank has 12 fish in there, 1 10" pleco, 2 9" oscars, and 2 6" fish in there.
what!?
1 10" pleco,
+2 9" oscars
+2 6" fish
------------
=12 fish

????????????????
No offense meant, but is that an example of the new math? That's only 5 to my counting.
Yeah, Pleco's take really l-o-n-g craps(especially the bigger plecos like Commons & Sailfins).
What's even worse is they will do it
many times a day.
Yes, the stringy stuff seems to get caught on everything in the tank.
Unfortunately, that's the drawback of species that require large bulk diets.
Fishing their fecal filaments and the elongated rabbit pellets the Oscars leave behind you'll find is a daily chore if ya want the bottom of your tank to look reasonably clean.
Speaking of which - Rajah is passing what used to be a super mealworm right now & I gotta go get the net.
