Is My Tank Ready For Fish? Test Results Inside With Pics

[Turbodan]

Ok so ive had this tank up and running for about 3 weeks now, it was a used tank when we got it (empty), it came with the external filter that we have running now.
 
Heres some pics of whats in the tank now, (no fish yet)
 
 

 

 

 
 
We did some tests this morning and this is what we got:
 

 
 
There is a shrimp in the tank that my girlfriend decided to put in out of our smaller tank as she is very impatientent( i did tell her off!), its been in there for about a week and its doing ok.
 
Just wanted to know if you think its ready for any fish or shall we wait longer. Any advice as to what to do next would be great, cheers

 

[Ch4rlie]

Well, shrimps are pretty good indictors of your tank waters.
 
If they are not running about like mad, trying to hide all over the tank or going to surface of water, then waters might be ok.
 
Did that external filter already have mature cycled media when you got it?

 

[Axyadbad]

Hmmm looks like ammonia 0 nitrite 0 and nitrate 10. Have you been 'feeding' the filter with a source of ammonia?

 

[eaglesaquarium]

  Answer this question...
 
 
 
If you have been feeding some sort of ammonia source, then its ready.  If not, then unfortunately you've been wasting this time.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

We're going to need more information on this:  Is it freshwater, brackish, or saltwater?
 

 

[ncguppy830]

hmm driftwood and live rock,..

 

[Turbodan]

Yes the external filter was unhooked from the tank which had been set up and running for years, left for 24 hours dry and then set up again at my house. We put it straight back on without cleaning the media inside. The shrimp is doing fine, it just wonders about cleaning up, no strange behaviour going on.
 
As for the ammonia, before last week when she put the shrimp in we were testing with ammonia, putting some in before we went to bed and then testing in the morning and again at night. It was only just getting rid of it ie. back to 0. But since she put the shrimp in we havent been putting any ammonia in it as will it not hurt/kill the shrimp?
 
The tank is a freshwater tropical setup. The rock we were told would be fine so long as its rinsed properly before it goes in which we did. And the plant is attached to that wood and so thats why thats in there. The rock in the middle is just an ornament.
 
Shall we put some more ammonia in today and see how it goes?

 

[Essjay]

Adding a dose of ammonia is the only way to test if your tank is ready for fish. But take the shrimp out first. Add enough ammonia to give a reading of 3ppm. If you have zero ammonia and zero nitrite 24 hours later, it is ready. if either of them show a reading above zero, it is not ready and you should continue a fishless cycle following the method in the menu bar at the top of the page.

 

[the_lock_man]

I'm a little confused as to why you are using saltwater result cards with freshwater samples?

 

[Turbodan]

I did think that myself but on the box and instructions for the kit it does say its for salt water and freshwater aquariums. I thought they would be the same?

I think were going to have to remove the shrimp from the tank like you say, not sure where it can go though. But i will add some ammonia and test in the morning.

 

[the_lock_man]

Don't add the ammonia with the shrimp still in there, it'll be killed.
 
My first test kit was the Nutrafin one, it had different colour scales for fresh and salty.