5 weeks into cycling am I finally ready to order fish?

[FishGuy67]

I double tested my AM, NI, and NA and they all came up 0 March 22nd; I added sand and did roughly a 50% water change in my 29g on march 19th. I have until march 25th to order my fish since the LFS suck around here except 1 that orders fish twice a month. Before the 0s I had a nitrite spike (that was really high for awhile) that was about 2ppm 3 days before along with nitrates at about 10ppm.

My main question is did that water change drop all those levels? because I had been doing 50% changes everyday almost because I'm cycling with a koi and didn't want to harm him and the readings were never this low. I also got seed media from my LFS on march 16th so I was thinking that might be part of it. I plan to check them everyday until i can order but I never had readings so low until now.

On another note the fish I plan to order are in order 10 lemon tetras, then maybe 2 weeks 10 sterba cory, then eventually a GBR and dwarf pleco.

[Hardy85]

If you are doing a fishless cycle I don't believe you should have 0 nitrates? Do you have live plants in the tank?

[FishGuy67]

I'm doing a fish cycle with a 7'' koi and I have some plants in there. I know the nitrites are correct but I've had issues with the api nitrate test before, getting 40ppm when it was 10. The last Nitrate reading I got was 10ppm on march 19th before the one I did today.

[Lady Hobbs]

You are not planning on leaving the koi in the tank when you add your new fish, are you? You may have the 0 nitrates due to the large water change you did four days ago.

[FishGuy67]

No hes going into another tank until it warms up here then into my aunt's pond. I was just surprised the nitrates were 0 but when I added the sand I had to take out more than 50% probably closer to 80% of the water.

[FishGuy67]

I'm so excited I got 0,0, and 7 for Ammonia Nitrites and Nitrates! It's finally cycled! PH of 6 which is to be expected with all the driftwood. The next question with feeding my 7'' koi twice daily; I'm sure I could handle 10 lemon tetras but I could go for the 10 sterba corys which are 8 bucks a pop vs 3. I'm thinking I would be using the same or less food for the tetras but more with the sterbas and I don't want to risk losing $8 fish. That sound about right?

[~firefly~]

If you've cycled with fish-in you'll need to add fish very slowly and gradually. The bioload will shoot up and the beneficial bacteria won't cope if you add all that at one time. I'd add 4-5 lemon tetras a week until you have 10-15. Cories...you can add in the same way (but not at the same time as the tetra) - add the cories last as bottom feeders suffer the most if any ammonia spikes occur.

Keep up with your water changes and testing during this time.

[FishGuy67]

I can either get 10 lemon tetras for the 1st or 5 now and 5 near about 2+ weeks into April. The amount of food I put in for the koi a day is equal or more than I'd put in for 10 1'' tetras; so wouldn't my bioload be the same? Also wouldn't the tetras be stressed in such a small group? and I have to take into account some may come to the LFS dead or sickly as well.

[Cermet]

Sounds like a workable plan (for 10) and your logic is excellent. Remember, the filter will need the Koi until the new fish are added. Don't let the filter starve - if you get the fish in within 24 hours of removing the Koi, you should be fine.

[FishGuy67]

Yeah after thinking and reading yours I'll have 10 lemon tetras for the 26th! I was wrong they order every week so once they get settled and everything is well test wise I can get the corys.

Now with Sterbas I plan to get 10 I know they should be kept at least 7 in a group so would it be a bad call doing 5 then 5 with them? they are going to run me 8 bucks a piece also so I really don't want any deaths or sickness because I'd have to do a ghetto hospital tank with a Rubbermaid container and filter. I'm lucky to even have a 29g with my landlord he had someone with a 75g break and leak down into the apartment below.

One last thing I've always tested PH but never anything else (I had a jack dempsey live for over 10 years he was my favorite fish of all time) and have always kept large aggressive cichlids in 75gs etc. I have no issue doing water changes so what is the highest I should let the nitrates go with my tetras before changing it?