This is going to a long winded question but I would really appreciate some help. I have been cycling my two new systems for 4 weeks and two weeks with a few small tilapia in each tank. The rest of my 40 tilapia are on stand by in a tank that is filtered with a reg aquarium filter. They get quite dirty and so I have been changing their water about once a week.

I am going to install my systems in downtown El Paso as part of a public arts project in 3 weeks. I have waiting for the nitrites to drop before adding in the rest of the fish but considering I have a deadline I will have to do this soon. I also wonder if it wouldn't be better for the fish to move them into the aquaponics system rather than keeping them in their current less than desirable situation.

Should I still be patient and wait for the nitrites to drop or should I move them in.