Ready for Fish?

[Bill Moore]

I did my weekly A.N.N. dye test for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite. Photo of the test results posted here: http://tinyurl.com/p1anB-ann. As a novice, my question is, Is the system ready to add fish yet? It appears to be cycling properly, especially when comparing similar photo taken just one week ago.  Second question has to do with water temperature, which appears to be stable at between 61-64 F (16-18 C). I'd like to try tilapia, but this is probably too cool for them?  

bill

[TCLynx]

you can post your picture into the thread so people don't have to click away to answer your question.

I would wait till both ammonia and nitrite are 0 before adding fish.  And if you are fishlessly cycling I would generally call it cycled if you can dose to between 1-2 ppm of ammonia and then test again 24 hours later and have both ammonia and nitrite be 0 at which point you should be able to add fish and not see an immediate spike.

[Bill Moore]

Clarify something for me, please.   The biocycle is ammonia converted to nitrate to nitrite or is it ammonia to nitrite to nitrate?  

[TCLynx]

Ammonia to Nitrite (which is still toxic to fish) then the nitrite to nitrate which is not that toxic and it is what the plants use.

[Bill Moore]

ANiNa.... thanks.

bill