Safe to add fish?

[Gargamell]

My tank has been cycling for 3 weeks now, last night I ran a few tests my ammonia was at 0 nitrite at between 1-2 and Nitrate 160. I dosed my tank to 2 ppm ammonia and tested when I got home tonight and ammonia was down to 0-0.25 I didn't retest nitrite and nitrate because I was planning on doing a water change. I did a 8 gallon water change tonight on an IM nuvo 20. after my water change I had 0 ammonia, 1 nitrite and 80 Nitrate. Is it safe to add a fish this weekend? I have been running my light for about 4 hours a day on low settings and am already getting a little of the uglies. I just don't remember if last time I started a tank from scratch if my nitrites were at 0 along with ammonia

 

[stE26wy14]

Switch from api to salifert, api gives false readings

 

[towels]

I wouldnt based off the color of the nitrite and nitrate tests. I’d give it a week and wouldn’t touch the tank other than ato

 

[TX_REEF]

Switch from api to salifert, api gives false readings

Red sea also makes reliable test kits: https://amzn.to/4l2yZK0

be patient :)

 

[brandon429]

This cycle has been done a while now. Waiting longer can't make the tank safer.

Three weeks is longer than the cycling chart shows for an ammonia drop on all published charts. They're cycled by time.

Proving again by reducing ammonia: cycled for that reason. No zero reading is needed, that's old cycling science. This cycle was done two weeks ago.

Its only safe for fish when you read and implement a disease plan. Skip that? See what happens in the disease forum in a few months. It won't be the cycle that harms.

 

[Lavey29]

Nitrite is irrelevant in reef aquaria. If you have 0 ammonia and measurable nitrates then the tank is cycled but do another water change to bring down the nitrates number first to around 20 then add first fish.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I agree that if ammonia has declined, you are good to go. :)

 

[brandon429]

I can show posts where it didn't per api and they were still done.

That's handy to show when to disbelieve kits.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I can show posts where it didn't per api and they were still done.

That's handy to show when to disbelieve kits.

Showing ammonia declines is ALWAYS adequate.

 

[brandon429]

Agreed fully

But when the test kit indicates it doesn't drop again, which is hundreds of thousands of false stall posts, I'm laying a prediction here that nobody with a calibrated seneye will be able to show that as a true pattern. All false stall threads come from subjectivity in interpreting api and red sea. The test kits are the problem for sure. I can't wait for 2030 maybe there will be less api by then and ten different digital systems we can look back on claims made in 25

 

[brandon429]

Another time it's appropriate to verify cycle status off visuals: when green hair algae dots surfaces. By rule of order of deposition, filter bacteria always came before anchored and newly sprouted plants.


Cyano on the bed proofs the whole system. There's lots of markers