New Tank's Cycled - Few Questions Please

[scampi]

Hi There

I'm new to this hobby albeit I have a red claw crayfish in another tank. I have fishless cycled a 3ft tank since beginning of October and yesterday the readings finally showed Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrates 160ppm so I'm really pleased .

Could you advise what I now need to do please ie: how large a pwc do I need to do.

Do I need to do the pwc/lower the temp/buy fish all on the same day?

Also (last question honest) I have an airstone with pump etc, how do I know which way round the non-return valve goes in the tubing. There's no instructions with it. Is there a way to test it?

Thanks

 

[KittyKat]

1. I would wait another week to make sure it's completely cycled (so keep adding ammonia for another week).
2. On the day the new fish are going in, I would do a 90% water change with de-chlorinated.
3. I would stock 50% of the planned fish first go.
4. Try blowing through it from both ends, it will only work in one direction.

So, what is the current temperature and what stock were you thinking of keeping?

 

[OldMan47]

To test the air valve. Put it into the air line and try blowing through it. If you pop your eardrums, it is in backward. If the air flows through freely you have it right way around. Actually most of them have an arrow stamped on the side that shows which way the air flows, but testing works too.
Once you are happy with the filter processing at least 4 ppm of ammonia in a period of 12 hours, you can simply change all of the water to get the nitrate levels down and then adjust the temperature of the new water for the fish you want to keep.