Does this chemistry look safe for stocking...

[Kiteboarder85]

Ammonia 0.0 - Nitrites 0.25 - Nitrates 0.20. Tanks has been cycling for a good amount of time, just over a month. Think I'm safe for fish?

 

[Bad Company]

No. Nitrites are more toxic to fish than ammonia. Also your nitrates seem low, are you sure that you are reading 0.20ppm? A tank is considered ready for a first fish (not four) when the ammonia and nitrites are zero, and you have a readable amount of nitrates. good luck!

 

[Dalmatia]

How is the ammonia at 0 if you have nitrites??? Sure it's not at least at 0.25ppm???

 

[Dalmatia]

But no

 

[Dalmatia]

I mean you can house fish but a great chance they will die or go down hill

 

[fishroomlady]

not yet, but if it's been a month, you're getting closer

 

[Eienna]

Nitrites are NOT more toxic than ammonia, but they are still dangerous. You want your bacterial population built up to where it's turning ammonia and nitrite into nitrate as fast as it is produced (meaning even though the livestock creates these chemicals, in a cycled tank you will never see ammonia or nitrite in your tests.) It has been recommended to add hardy inverts such as snails first, and feed them for a while until the system catches up with their bioload, before adding fish. Not a necessary step, but an advisable one. Add only one fish at a time unless they are either tiny or require schools, and watch for your parameters to settle again before adding another.

In a reef, always quarantine anything that's going to go in, because once you introduce a pest/parasite/disease it can be nearly impossible to eradicate it.

 

[Sicklid]

Dont rush, while you waiting for the nitrogen cycle, search for the fish you really would like to have in your tank. Go to different stores or look online till you spot something you can say; "WOW, I want this fish on my tank!!"
And try to quarantine new specimens if possible.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Nitrite and the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com