Water Test Results...Ready for fish?

[SuperWade2]

Hi All,

I'm pretty sure my 46 Gal has been cycled for a couple weeks now with Ammonia and Nitrites at Zero since about week 3 (Fishless Cycle using 80 lbs LR and 50 Lbs Live Sand).

I picked up a few more Salifert Test Kits and wanted to make sure all of my stuff looked OK before I picked up a couple Clowns to start off with. My small Cleaning Crew went in about a week or so ago and has been munching on my Algea. I did a 25% water change last week before adding the Cleanup Crew.

Here are my Water Parameters as of tonight;

Temp = 79.3F
SG = 1.023
Ammonia =0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = ~10-15
PH = 8.1
KH = 8.8 dkH
ALK = 3.14 meq/L

I "think" I'm ready to start with a couple of small Clowns and see how they do for a few weeks before adding anything else. I like watching the Snails and Hermits and stuff so at least I have some movement in the tank.

Comments?

SW2

 

[hackteck]

yea looks to me like your ready to add some fish

 

[pkremer]

Looks perfect for a fish addition. Just so you know, you want to get some fish in pretty quick after your cycle is finished. You have cycled your tank, but now there is no ammonia or nitrite being produced to keep the cycle going. You need some fish to keep those bacteria alive now!

 

[tecwzrd]

as pkremer said you need to add fish to keep the nh3, no2, no3 cycle going but do not add more then 1 per two weeks so your bacteria can build up again. Since you waited 3 weeks since the cycle was complete most of the bacteria has died off now and the clean up crew is not sufficient to keep it alive. Watch your nh3/no2 levels closely when you do add your fish to make sure you don’t have a cycle again.

Personally if you haven’t done so already I’d get a 20 gal qt tank to keep all inverts/fish in for 3 weeks so you don’t infect your main tank and recycle the main during that time just to make sure. When you add your 1 fish from the qt tank then add one more to the qt tank