When is tank cycled?

[flameangel]

Sorry to sound so dumb...but....how, exactly, do you know when your tank is cycled? When all parameters meet a certain criteria, etc? Someone told me that when I start to see nitrates (which I am, 5) that my tank has cycled. Can you guys kind've clarify this for me? Thanks.
Shelley
<img src="graemlins//urrr.gif" border="0" alt="[urrr]" />

 

[beth]

Your tank is cycled when you no longer see ammonia or nitrites. This, however, doe not mean that you can go crazy stocking your tank with livestock. A tank is truly not "broken in" to a completely stable cycle for several mos. You need to add livestock to a newly cycled tank sparingly and slowly...always testing water perimeters along the way.