what parameters are safe???

[hcourts]

so i set up a moderately planted 20g tank last saturday and have been running it with media from my other filter and have been checking water parameters regularly. at what parameters is it ok to start adding a few of my fish??

 

[LyndaB]

0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, <20 nitrates

keep in mind, though, that without an ammonia source, your beneficial bacteria will starve

 

[hcourts]

so my nitrites are 0 and nitrates are less then 20 but my ammonia is hovering around 0.5. do you think it would be ok to go ahead and introduce a couple fish??? or is that ammonia and such too high still??

 

[LyndaB]

What source of ammonia are you using right now?

 

[hcourts]

i have been doing the fish food...i know not the best. i just did a 50% wc and it is down to 0.25 and everything else is still the same...

 

[Mumma.of.two]

If your using seeded media add a couple small fish right away. Fish food isn't going to give off enough ammonia IMO. Once the fish are in if ammonia or nitrite reach .25ppm or more do a water change. Waiting too long to add fish can cause the bacteria to starve.

 

[HeatherW]

I agree with mumma - go ahead and put a couple fish in there. what were you looking at putting in your tank?

 

[hcourts]

i have a seeded tank that i have been running with media from an existing tank. it has been in there for about five days. i put in two cories and some shrimp and did a wc. so far so good. everyone is doing their thing so we will see. i am going to transfer two more cories and two apple snails, a b.n. pleco and my betta from an existing tank if everything goes well here in a few days...saving other tank for hospital tank. does anyone keep anything in their hospital tank fish wise??